Whether the boys are back in town or you’d rather burn out, than fade away or maybe you think the answer is blowin’ in the wind or all you need is love there are some rockin’(and rollin’) wineries catering to your love of music and all that jazz. Here are a few places where you can enjoy your wine with a pairing of Zeppelin, Supremes or Miles Davis.
Rocking Root Stock
B.R. Cohn Winery
15000 Sonoma Highway
Glen Ellen, CA
(800) 330-4064
Trip Advisor: 4 Stars, 143 reviews
In Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, respected winery B.R. Cohn is known for its gold medal wines, gourmet olive oils and barrel-aged, hand-crafted vinegars, but wine is founder Bruce Cohn’s second career. His first was as a band manager for the Doobie Brothers and then the Night Rangers. Cohn’s rock credentials are unquestionable, but today the winery’s brand is more about tasteful elegance than the guitar riffs in “China Grove.”
Insider’s tip: The winery puts on live music every Sunday, weather permitting, between 2 p.m. and 4:40 p.m.
Get A Backstage Pass
Cliff Lede Vineyards
1473 Yountville Cross Rd,
Yountville, CA 94599
TripAdvisor: 4.5 stars, 117 reviews
Cliff Lede Vineyards was established in 2002 when Canadian born Bordeaux enthusiast, Cliff Lede, acquired a sixty acre estate in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. With a focus on producing wines from estate vineyards, Lede tapped David Abreu, considered the best viticulturist in Napa Valley, to replant the vineyards. Lede decided to name each vineyard block after some of his favorite rock songs and albums—from “My Generation” to “Dark Side of the Moon,” creating what is known today as the Cliff Lede Vineyards “Rock Blocks.” Today, Winemaker Christopher Tynan crafts Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, with the flagship, Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from the steep eastern hillside portion of the estate.
Insider Tip: Book a tasting in the Backstage Tasting Lounge for access to their limited production wines. This cool and comfortable lounge also features rotating art exhibits and, of course, classic rock music.
Fruit Forward With A Lot of Bass Notes
Claypool Cellars
6761 Sebastopol Ave, Suite 500
Sebastopol CA 95472
707-861-9358
Yelp: 4.5 stars, 24 reviews
From management to star power: Claypool Cellars/Pachyderm Wines in Sebastopol, CA is a project from Primus vocalist and bassist, Les Claypool. An alt-rock band most famous for Claypool’s slap bass style and off-the-wall lyrics, Claypool Cellars says it’s an option of the highest caliber, and yet not overly pretentious. The band’s eclectic style is present in the themes surrounding the tasting room, too. Called the Fancy Booze Caboose, this reservation-only tasting experience emphasizes how well M&Ms go with their Purple Pachyderm Pinot Noir.
Insider’s tip: Check out the winery’s events to get a chance nab some Primus tickets along with a bottle of pinot.
Getting Those Good Vibrations
Good Vibes Winery
2 South State Street
Westerville, OH 43081
(614)392-2202
Trip Advisor: 5 stars, 25 reviews
You might not think about locally produced wines when you’re around Columbus, OH, but at Good Vibes Winery in nearby Westerville, that’s just what you can find. With grapes sourced in Australia, Italy, France and California, Good Vibes winemaker Tony Klausing then hand-crafts more than 20 wines that can proudly bear the label grown globally, made locally. Each of Good Vibes’ wines are named after a beloved song, in keeping with the theme of their easy-going motto, “Wine is music to the soul!”
Insider Tip: They offer tasting flights of up to 8 one ounce pours. We recommend this option as they have a huge menu of offerings. Add a cheese platter and grab a seat up front to watch the happenings on bustling State Street.
Wet Your Whistle
Notaviva Vineyards, LLC
13274 Sagle Rd
Purcellville, VA 20132
540-668-6756
Trip Advisor: 4 Stars, 34 reviews
Ever tasted a pinot gris while listening to Dave Brubeck Quartet and thought, “These are two great things that go great together?” At Notaviva Vineyards in Purcellville, VA, that’s exactly what they specialize in. Drinkers of their Ottantotto viognier are encouraged to pair the barrel-fermented white wine with solo piano music, while their Sabado sauvignon blanc is imbibed while listening to salsa music. The winery even has iTunes playlists to accompany their wines.
Insider’s tip: Dig deeper into the Notaviva philosophy with founder Stephen Mackey’s book, “Dream, Build, Believe: The Founding of Notaviva Vineyards”
Heard It Through The Grape Vine
BottleRock Napa Valley
Napa Valley Expo
575 Third Street
Napa, CA 94559
Trip Advisor: 4.5 stars, 5 reviews
And then there’s the ultimate wine and music experience with the most-talked about outdoor music festival in the Bay Area at BottleRock. With three days and nights of music, more than 80 bands and headliners such as the Foo Fighters, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Maroon 5, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and dozens of wine cabanas for festival-goers to visit their favorite wines as the music washes over them, there’s nothing else quite like it.
Insider’s tip: The 2017 festival is already sold out for the May 26 – 28 dates, but tickets might still become available on BottleRock’s ticket exchange.
These Wines Rock
Rolling Stone Wine Club
888-987-4987
Rolling Stone Magazine’s wine club is a partnership with Mendocino County producer, Wines That Rock. This official Rolling Stones Wine Club delivers three bottles, four times per year with titles such as The Police Synchronicity Red Wine Blend and The Grateful Dead Steal Your Face Red Wine Blend. For music lovers who want some tannin with their jammin’, it’s hard to say no at the $39.95 per shipment price point for this wine club. Oh, plus you get a year of Rolling Stone Magazine.
Insider Tip: Their winemakers are literally going into the studio, listening to classics like Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon,’ and using the musical themes, structure and attitude of the music to help guide the wine-making process.
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