Grateful Dead And Wine Twine Together In Perfect Pairing In A Bottle

“We can share the women,

We can share the wine,

We can share what we got of yours

‘Cause we done shared all of mine.” – from Jack Straw

Well, maybe you can’t exactly share the women, but you sure can share a bottle of wine inspired by the Grateful Dead.

California vintner Gnarly Head has collaborated with the Grateful Dead to release a limited offering of two wines, Gnarly Head Limited Edition Old Vine Zinfandel and Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wines, which just made their debut this month, are a result of the partnership between the bad and the winemaker. “Gnarly Head, producer of bold, California wines from gnarly old vines, and the legendary rock band, Grateful Dead, are both expressive, bold and true to their North California roots,” says Andrew Bok, portfolio director for Gnarly Head.

“We felt this partnership would be a natural fit that gives Deadheads and our loyal Gnarly Head fans something new to celebrate and cherish,” he adds.

The two wines sell for $12, and there’s a limited collection of wine glasses to match, housed in an artistic box that adds to the vibe of the wine. “To truly honor the legendary American rock band, it only made sense to spotlight these new wines in a bold, expressive collector box resembling a music amp,” Bok says.

Though some might not first associate wine with the jam band, wine and the band are a natural pairing, Bok says, pointing out that the song, “Jack Straw,” mentions wine.

“While Deadheads may not immediately associate with the wine community, the wine speaks to an older generation of Dead fans while re-igniting passion among the younger generation,” Bok says. “Just as David Lemieux, their archivist and legacy manager has noted ‘You don’t just listen to the music of The Dead, you experience it.’”

The same way The Dead’s music is an expression of “the California state of mind,” so is the legacy of Gnarly Head. “Similar to the band, Gnarly Head captures the heart and spirit of community and withstands the test of time,” Bok says.

Fans will immediately identify with the label design on the bottles. There’s the band’s iconic, skull and roses. “Labels features iconography instantly familiar to fans,” Bok says. “The labels’ design includes the band’s kinetic skull and roses figure, which emerges form the trunk of a twisted, ancient fine on the Gnarly Head Limited Edition Old Vine Zinfandel label. Fans will also notice the emblematic lightning bolt skull made famous by the cover of the epic 1976 live double album Steal Your Face, an adaptation of which appears on the Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon label.”

There are similarities between fans of the band and fans of the wine. “Gnarly Head wine drinkers span all demographics and all generations, just as the Grateful Dead fandom has seen in its resurgence,” he says. “Above all, fans will resonate with the wines’ bold taste.”

Bok suggests that fans open the wine and enjoy it while listening to some Grateful Dead music. “Gnarly Head wines tap that same passion and energy as the Grateful Dead, and we hope that these fantastic wines inspire fans to catch some of those vibes when they pour themselves a glass and rock out to their favorite album,” he says. “We encourage Deadhead superfans, rock ‘n’ roll lovers, wine collectors and/or anyone in between that’s 21+ to enjoy these new wines.”