THE WINEGROOVERS PROJECT
Rhône Vignobles as a rock band? Excuse me?
And why not a Russian ballet troupe as well! Maybe the idea first appeared at the bottom of a wine glass, on a night of tastings and singsongs somewhere between Côte-Rôtie and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Unless it burst forth, late at night, in the half-light of a wine bar in London, Shanghai or New York…
But no matter. The idea firmed into a project.
But no matter. The idea firmed into a project.
It had been so long since our fourteen growers first began talking about love – love for the land, for wine, for their fellow man – that one day, they would surely end up singing about it! They had always been more a tight-knit group than a loose association, so… what were they waiting for to explode into the world of saturated guitar? After all, they are far younger than the Stones, almost as good-looking as Bowie, no more restrained than Bob Dylan and no crazier than Angus Young, the AC/DC guitarist who, aged 60, still loves doing his duck walk in front of 100,000 people. And while jazz is a good fit for wine, rock definitely flows from the vine: deep roots, long history, blood, sw eat and tears – but afraid of nothing, be it slopes or wind!
So here are The Winegroovers, a new adventure by Rhône Vignobles, a novel foray into the world of rock ’n’ roll by a bunch of vignerons, keen to give voice to their energy and slight punk edge… but, as ever, without taking themselves seriously. To produce their track they listened to their hearts, because, as Lou Reed said, “The heart says what only the heart knows”. Imagine our Winegroovers, stepping out of their vineyards and into the studio. Imagine them humming a few melodies, pruning their lyrics, and singing in chorus to arrive at “Gotta drink it to believe”, a tannic and heartfelt anthem dedicated to their profession and friendship, to the pact that binds them to the terroir, to their happiness-giving wines… John Lennon once managed to annoy two countries at once, declaring that “French rock is a bit like English wine”. Now that he knows about the angels’ share, he will not need a drink to believe in The Winegroovers’ cuvée of vintage rock ‘n’ roll…
So here are The Winegroovers, a new adventure by Rhône Vignobles, a novel foray into the world of rock ’n’ roll by a bunch of vignerons, keen to give voice to their energy and slight punk edge… but, as ever, without taking themselves seriously. To produce their track they listened to their hearts, because, as Lou Reed said, “The heart says what only the heart knows”. Imagine our Winegroovers, stepping out of their vineyards and into the studio. Imagine them humming a few melodies, pruning their lyrics, and singing in chorus to arrive at “Gotta drink it to believe”, a tannic and heartfelt anthem dedicated to their profession and friendship, to the pact that binds them to the terroir, to their happiness-giving wines… John Lennon once managed to annoy two countries at once, declaring that “French rock is a bit like English wine”. Now that he knows about the angels’ share, he will not need a drink to believe in The Winegroovers’ cuvée of vintage rock ‘n’ roll…