Songs that rock the wine world (or not)

This list is not intended to include the obvious choices such as “Red Red Wine” by UB40 (and whoever originally performed that song), but rather digs deeper into the world of music to discover songs that just wouldn’t be the same if wine didn’t exist. Sit back, enjoy, and disagree to your heart’s content.

Billy Joel: “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”

This song is listed because it opens up in such a way as, “A bottle of white, a bottle of red | Perhaps a bottle of rose instead”. It can only be assumed the wines which he’s referring to are Italian. I’m going with a Gewurztraminer from Tyrol for the white and a nice aged Barolo for the red. I can’t think of an Italian rose off the top of my head, but some mass brand Chiantis might as well be called rose… ouch. Listen to it here.

Lake Geneva - absolutely nothing to do with this post

Dream Theater: “Count of Tuscany”

I had to include this song from one of my all time favorite bands. The song is about Tuscany, 19 minutes long, and ridiculously esoteric. A verse near the 8 minute mark mentions soldiers hiding in barrels full of wine. Hopefully they didn’t intend to mean they hide inside the actual barrels. They then go on to state, “like the angel’s share the end is near | come and have a taste; a rare vintage | all the finest wines improve with age”. Mad props for whipping out the angel’s share, a term used in Sherry production for the wine which is evaporated during the aging process. Listen to it!

Eagle Eye Cherry: “Save Tonight”

The mention of wine is brief – “…you and me and a bottle of wine…”, but it’s a memorable lyric and the rest of the song rocks. I included this for 90’s rock nostalgia; for how I miss those days when good music was played on popular radio stations. Listen to it!

Alanis Morissette: “Ironic”

I actually can’t stand this song. It will probably be stuck in my head, and likely yours, for at least two days after writing this. Even worse is that somehow a black fly in your Chardonnay is ironic. Does this imply that whoever was drinking this Chardonnay is normally a Cabernet drinker and thus wouldn’t have cared if a black fly had landed in his Cabernet? The one time I drink an over-oaked, flabby, butter bomb a damn fly lands in the glass! Just my luck! Maybe flies have a taste for diacetyl – that figures. Listen to it (or don’t)

Queensryche: “I Don’t Believe in Love” and Tool: “Sober”

Last but not least, two songs from two rockers who have entered the wine world. Geoff Tate of Queensryche is currently working with Walla Walla’s Three Rivers Winery to create his own label, Insania. Maynard James Keenan of Tool owns Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Arizona. Listen to Queensryche. Listen to Tool. (video)

I apologize for those of you who listened to each of those songs and therefore used up your free full-length preview. I apologize more strongly for those of you who watched the Tool video and subsequently had nightmares. Does anyone out there have suggestions for other songs that rock the wine world? I’m sure I forgot something good, but no UB40 please!