Grateful Dead Reserve Wine Launches Celebrating 50th Anniversary

6 Oct 1015 --- Wines That Rock, innovators of rock 'n roll inspired wines, today announced the launch of a limited edition wine commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Grateful Dead. Limited at 250 cases, this special reserve blend will be available online beginning today, October 6th, 2015.

Crafted by the Mendocino Wine Company in conjunction with Grateful Dead Archivist David Lemieux, the 2012 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was blended using "Eyes of the World" (performed 9/7/73) and "Dark Star" (performed 2/13/70) as inspiration. The goal was to capture the joy, spontaneity and uniqueness of a Dead show, resulting in a dark, spacey and cerebral Cabernet Sauvignon that, with aeration, reveals layers of the various influences of the blend's elements.

To capture the timeless artwork that surrounds all things Grateful Dead, rather than conventional paper labeling by using a silk screen process, Wines That Rock printed directly on the bottle, permanently fusing the label design into the glass. The wine bottle design features an intricate version of "Bertha," the classic Skull & Roses Grateful Dead logo made popular on the band's live album Grateful Dead.

"It was a terrific day of tasting and blending. The Grateful Dead are proud to be working with Wines That Rock and the Mendocino Wine Company," said David Lemieux of Grateful Dead Productions.

"To create a collectable worthy of Grateful Dead's 50th Anniversary, we pulled out all the stops. Starting with sourcing premium grapes for this special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, we brought in Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux for a one-on-one blending session at the vineyard with our top winemakers, and wrapped it all up in a one-of-a-kind bottle that brings to life the great essence and personality of the Dead," said Howard Jackowitz, co-founder of Wines That Rock.

"As the king of reds, Cabernet Sauvignon was a natural fit for the Grateful Dead 50th wine. We were fortunate to have excellent Cabernet to work with for this project, and this special reserve blend will be a fitting tribute to fans and the band alike," said winemaker Mark Beaman.

Crafted from carefully selected vineyard lots, the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Estate grown Petit Verdot and 2% Estate Grown Syrah aged in a mixture of new American oak and neutral cooperage barrels to form a framework for the wine that still allows the expression of the vineyard to shine through. The end result is an intense and savory wine that features notes of black olive, tobacco, black currant and dark plum.

Fill your glass, turn up the music and share the taste of the Grateful Dead.