In these unusual times, we all need a lift from time to time. As a change to my usual wine reviews I’ve decided to start a fun and irreverent series on matching wine and music. The basic idea is that I give participants:
- A piece of music –> they suggest a wine to go with it, with an explanation
- A wine –> they suggest a piece of music to go with it
It’s all for fun, so please don’t slag off anybody’s taste music (or wine!) Thanks to Michelle Williams for the inspiration – she has been matching songs to wine for years on her Rockin Red Blog.
The latest installment of The Frankly Wines & Friends Wine & Music Series is hosted by new California resident Sharon L. Though she calls herself a diva on her social media handles she is knowledgeable on wine and fun to talk to.
On discussing this guest post she mentioned that she likes lots of different kinds of music, including hip hop. Though I am far from an expert on the genre – despite avidly devouring all the episodes of Hip hop evolution on Netflix – there are some tracks which feature heavily on my playlists. One such track is 93 ‘Til Infinity by Souls of Mischief. I originally discovered this as part of the excellent Another Late Night compilation by Zero 7. As suits the idea of late night listening, it’s a very laid back “head-nodding” track, not too far removed from the trip hop of Massive Attack and Tricky in style.
When it came to wine, there was an amazing wine that Sharon had tweeted about in the last few months: Penfolds RWT. RWT stands for Red Winemaking Trial which was an experiment that went right. Whereas their flagship Grange is made from parcels all over South Australia and matured in American Oak, RWT is just from one region – the Barossa Valley – and is matured in French oak. It is made to be drunk a little younger than Grange and is released earlier, but it is still a monumental wine.
I was very excited when Frankie approached me for a wine and music guest post. Wine is so evocative for me, and so is music. Pairing the two felt only natural. I love nothing better than to come home after a long day and pop a favorite old school vinyl into my record player, while sipping on a glass of vino.
Souls Of Mischief’ – 93 ‘Til Infinity
To be honest, the first time I heard Souls Of Mischief’s 93 ‘Til Infinity was when Frankie sent it to me for this article (I was still living in China when it came out and a bit too young), but I was immediately hooked – the smooth beats, the “chill-ness” of the song – just made me want to sit back, relax, and not think too much about anything at all. This is why I think it pairs perfectly with a natty wine like Broc Cellars Chenin Blanc.
Broc Cellars makes exclusively “natural” – think spontaneous fermentation, unfiltered, unfined wines – from organic grapes. They are an urban winery operating out of a warehouse building in Berkley. Chris Brockway, the winemaker, produces some of the most interesting and unique wines in California today, with grapes both familiar (Zinfandel) and obscure (Counoise).
Broc’s chenin is flavorfully complex but well balanced, with floral and fresh summer fruit notes and refreshing acidity on the finish. It’s the absolute summer porch sipper, or pounder, if you will. I don’t think it would be difficult imagining the wine as an embodiment of Souls Of Mischief: the producer of chill beats and smooth complicated rhyme flows. Moreover, they both all from Northern California! But again, I have been known to make eccentric analogies. Both wine and music are subjective, after all.
Penfolds RWT Shiraz 2008
The wine Frankie picked is none other than the Penfolds RWT Shiraz 2008. I happened to have bought 2 of them of 5 years ago. I opened a bottle in 2015, and the other this year. It’s amazing to see this wine develop over time. The flavors of dark chocolate, moss, cigar, and earth were all present 5 years ago, but in such a tightly wound and sequestered state. However, this year the wine was ready for its full debut. Darker notes of peat, leather, tobacco leaves, and cigar box opened up after 1-2 hours of decanting into a supple, juicy number bursting with cherries, blueberries, plums, and chocolate, enrobing your tongue like plush velvet, ending with lasting, chewy tannins. It’s a plush, rich wine that would be most delicious with any bloody carnivorous meal.
The way Penfolds RWT crescendoed with time reminds me of the building up of psychological intensity in the song Blinding Lights by The Weeknd. You have to see the music video to understand fully (and please do watch it – it’s a masterpiece directed by Anton Tammi).
The Joker-esque short film begins with the singer speeding through empty streets in a city with his psyche progressively spinning out of control, until he ends up with gruesome slathering of blood dripping down his face. If you want to inject some intensity into your life, drink the Penfolds to the reel of Blinding Lights.
Sharon L
Sharon discovered the incredible world of wine while living in Cambridge, Massachusetts after college. Its boutique wine shops opened her eyes far beyond the realm of boring supermarket selections. Though far from being an expert, she enjoys learning about wines by traveling and drinking her around the globe. These days Sharon works as an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon in Northern California. Outside of work, she is an intrepid adventurer; always on the hunt for interesting wines to drink, challenging activities to conquer, and new locales to explore. Depending on her mood, she can be a painter as well. You can find her on Twitter (DivaVinophile) and Instagram (Divavinophile) to share in her experiences.