As a well-known lover of Lady Petrol, aka wine of any variety, I was thrilled when I was asked to review a new, rocking wine, Delância. I love wine so much, I actually invented my own cocktail, the Pint O’ Wine, which came about during three nights with Slipknot and Machine Head at Hammy Odeon.
I was fed up with the queues at the bar and kept missing my favourite songs whilst I waited in line for a tiny bottle of warm wine. So I asked the bartender for a pint glass, tipped in two small bottles with some ice and voila. A drink that lasted an entire set.
From Chardonnay to Cloudy Bay, from Piper Heidsieck to Pinot Noir, every rock star we know enjoys the odd vino and some so much so they have created their own, from Iron Maiden to AC/DC and even Kylie (more about her rosé later). They cite wine and music as their passion, and it is big business.
Wine and rock music have always gone together. Think of its passion, taste and backstage parties. The late, great Ozzy Osbourne once told me he thought red wine was a soft drink. And when Sebastian Bach had a cardiac problem, Axl Rose sent him a case of Merlot, saying “it would help with his heart.”
In fact, wine was the staple at any rock awards. From the Metal Hammer to Classic Rock to Kerrang parties, there was always a nice drop of vino to enjoy. As a fan of hospitality, or as we call it, hostility, there is always a nice vintage on offer for the price of a small mortgage.
When my beautifully packaged box of Delância arrived, I was very excited to unwrap it and get involved. As the wine states on its beautiful botanical label, this sparkling drop is best enjoyed shared. So I asked music journalist legend Xavier Russell and master sound mixer Tony Dixon for a curry and pairing session. That is what posh people call tasting wine with food.
The wine we had the pleasure of reviewing is a bubbly with orange notes. And because it has zero sugar, it is celebrated for perfectly balancing rich, spicy, and savoury flavours, we headed to our local Indian restaurant to uncork and enjoy.
Delância is a golden, zesty botanical sparkling orange wine. And it is not actually made from oranges. Orange wine is actually a white wine fermented with the grape skins, much like a red wine. This skin contact brings incredible texture, depth, and an extra layer of complexity to the liquid.
Delância is crafted with three weeks of skin-contact fermentation, which the vineyard delicately blends with organic bergamot and cardamom. That provides the spiced kick.
It is the ultimate spicy margarita and the most vibrant, sophisticated Aperol alternative in the wine world. Think of it as a bold, botanical Prosecco alternative with an untamed personality. A completely unique blend, yet one that somehow feels familiar, it delivers a perfectly clean, zero-sugar wine experience made for celebrations or, in our case, a curry in Twickers.
Cork popped and chilled on ice, we did it just like the professional wine tasters.
See
Pour a small amount of wine into a stemmed glass
Hold the glass by the stem to keep the wine cool
Tilt the glass over a white surface to check the colour and age
Swirl
Swirl the wine gently to add oxygen and release aromas
Look at the sides of the glass to see the legs
Slow legs can mean higher alcohol or sugar
Smell
Put your nose near the opening of the glass
Take a short sniff first to check for flaws
Look for fruit, spice, or floral notes
Sip
Take a small sip and coat your mouth
Breathe in a little air to bring out more flavour
Notice the acidity, sweetness, and body
Xavier Russell was surprised by this cheeky number. As he sniffed it, he said, “It’s like a walk through an orange grove. You can smell the herbs, and it really grows on the palate.”
“It’s a taste of the Algarve,” Tiny added. “It is unique, and you really need to swirl it to get the full flavour. It’s an unexpected delicious shock to the system.”
For me, what stands out is the orange kick, which you do not get in other wines, with nods to champagne. For me, I like the dryness and the fact that there is zero sugar.
With a spicy curry, and the lads like theirs Naga nuclear style, it is the perfect accompaniment to our meal. This wine is also very diverse.
As Xavier said, “I could have this as a summer drink on ice in a beer garden or as a spritzer with a slice of orange as an added extra. Like an Aperol spritz on steroids.”
Tony agreed and also sees it as a celebration wine, delicious with canapés and ‘horses douvres’ as we call them.
The wine went down too quickly, and we all wished there was a second bottle.
As we enjoyed our tasting, we discussed other rock stars who produce wine.
Geoff Tate is very much a wine enthusiast. He started making wine at the age of 14. “I was a Boy Scout, and you could get a merit badge if you could create a beverage or a food product,” Geoff said. “I made dandelion wine, which sparked my interest in winemaking.”
The passion for wine further developed when Geoff was in Queensrÿche. “I started collecting wine seriously back in 1983 when I started touring the world. I would head into the wine regions and became even more interested in how wine was made and how grapes were grown and which grapes grew best where.”
In 2007, Geoff and Susan Tate launched their own brand of wine, Insania.
Insania is sourced and produced from the renowned German winery, Familie Rinklin. The winery is located on the eastern edge of the sunny Kaiserstuhl, a small, volcanic elevation, between the Black Forest and the Vosges Mountains.
The best conditions for viticulture have been abundant there for over 2000 years, ever since the Romans settled there and made the vines native to the area. Family-owned and operated, Friedhelm Rinklin is the winemaker and vineyard manager, making sure his farm has been managed organically since 1955.
Wife Anne has her hands in nearly all aspects of the winery as well. Together they are noted for producing exceptional wines from Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. Geoff Tate’s passion for wine and his German heritage made this winery a natural fit for this exciting venture.
Recently, a Californian Cabernet released by the frontman of American Thrash Metal group Megadeth, Dave Mustaine, sold out within 72 hours of release.
The wine was the result of a collaboration between Mustaine and the Fallbrook Winery in San Diego County, where Mustaine has a house.
Motörhead released a bag-in-box Shiraz modelled to look like a guitar amplifier, following on from the release of its bottled version in 2012. Sacrifice Shiraz was the first bag-in-box wine to be produced by a band and was designed specifically to appeal to the BIB-friendly Swedish market, where around 60% of wine consumed is from bag-in-box packaging.
The South Eastern Australian wine is “full-bodied” and “spicy” with “aromas of blackberry and black currant,” according to its winemakers.
In 2011, rock behemoths AC/DC released a range of wines in partnership with Australia’s Warburn Estate, creatively named Back In Black Shiraz, Highway To Hell Cabernet Sauvignon, Hells Bells Sauvignon Blanc, and You Shook Me All Night Long Moscato, after just some of the band’s hits.
The range was expanded to the US in 2012 after more than 50,000 cases were sold in Australia, 6,000 alone in its first week.
Maynard James Keenan is perhaps better known as the hard-rocking frontman of Tool and A Perfect Circle, but away from the stage the singer leads a double life as a winemaker.
Having moved to Arizona in 1995, Maynard set about setting up his own vineyard in the sizzling US state, eventually opening The Caduceus Cellars and Tasting Room in Jerome in 2009. “My art and music have been described as ‘thick, dense, rich, complex, engaging, emotional, and spiritual’ by those who are fans, and an ‘acquired taste’ for those kind others who are not.”
Iron Maiden’s Darkest Red (Eddie’s Blend). Best Enjoyed With The Volume Turned Up! I like a glass or two on the rooftop terrace of the hotel home of Iron Maiden, the Karma Sanctum. Or with a nice meal in the Sanctum restaurant packed with rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia and real-life rock stars.
Created as a collaboration with a Portuguese winemaking family, Darkest Red is a classic, rich red blend from the famous Douro Valley.
And now we have a new rocking wine to enjoy. Here’s the story behind the Delância botanical sparkling wine we are enjoying. I know of Tom and his wine through my rocking mate and fellow cancer charity volunteer, Marc Simpson. And here’s what the winemaking maestros had to say.
“We are Inês and Tom. In early 2023, we moved to our family vineyard in Baleizão, South Alentejo, a place we now call home. Here, we set out on a mission to reimagine the how, where, and when of wine, crafting a botanical wine that could stand as a genuine Sparkling Wine, Prosecco, Cava or Champagne alternative, without ever compromising on taste or character. We thought spritz, infusions, lightness and uncompromising flavour were all the essential bases to craft a new, premium drink.
“We invite you to explore our unique selection of low-sugar botanical sparkling wines, crafted with love and dedication. Whether you’re treating yourself or looking for a thoughtful gift for someone special, each bottle carries a little piece of South Alentejo with it.”
And as we cheer at the end of our wonderful wine-inspired night, we can feel the love from Inês and Tom.
Delância is on sale here in the UK, and we cannot recommend it enough. In fact, I think it’s time for a MetalTalk wine.
And remember to drink responsibly, unlike Mark Taylor, who, at a previous curry night, drank far too much of Kylie’s rosé and fell asleep on the tube.
Olly Smith, TV wine expert and my writing hero, can I get a gig reviewing rock star wine with you?
