The Great Led Zeppelin Wine Pairing

Last updated

The Great Led Zeppelin Wine Pairing is a series of "wine and music pairings," created by noted restaurateur and viticulturist Joe Bastianich and writer-musician Mike Edison, along with writer and wine expert David Lynch. [1] [2] [3] [4] Bastianich and Lynch are both recipients of the James Beard Award.

Contents

The idea was formed when Bastianich and Edison were pondering how to pair the songs of Led Zeppelin with various wines.

"Our passion for wine is only rivaled by our passion for Zeppelin," said Bastianich, and encouraged attendees to "taste with their ears and listen with their mouths." [5]

Edison, in an interview with publishing blog Galley Cat, said, "Either you see this as a hyper-intellectual exercise in promoting the lexicon of oenology as a valid critical system while simultaneously subverting it and subjecting it to ridicule—or you think it is just some dudes who want to drink some really good wine and listen to Led Zeppelin. No matter what, it is still going be the best salon since Dorothy Parker made that crack about horticulture." [6]

Reasoning for the Led Zeppelin name

Edison has explained that "Zep is the perfect band to pair with wine—maybe the only band. They have all the right qualities: They can be earthy and intense, or dark and mellow, or just insanely huge. They've got some very real, edgy twang, and some rich, complex textures. They embrace both the Old World and the New. I can't think of any other band that shows so much depth and development, both within individual songs and across entire records," adding, that the wine pairings were both "freakishly sophisticated and patently absurd." [5]

History

The first Great Led Zeppelin Wine Pairing was held at Becco restaurant in New York City on March 17, 2009, and received excellent reviews and widespread media attention. The New York Post reported, "Guests at Tuesday night's first-ever Great Led Zeppelin Wine Tasting were an odd combo of wine fans and Zep heads but it didn't take many samplings for everyone to start feeling a whole lotta love." [7]

The menu, created by chef Billy Gallagher, featured six courses, each paired with wine and select Led Zeppelin songs, as follows:

~Antipasto~

"The Song Remains the Same"

Grilled Calamari & Dandelion Salad with Hard-Boiled Egg

Champagne 1er Cru Vertus NV, Guy Larmandier (France) Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Terrassen 2007, Domane Wachan (Austria)

~Primi~

"Going to California"

Pappardelle with Wild Mushroom Ragu

Pinot Noir Knox Alexander 2006, Au Bon Climat (California)

"Black Dog"

Black Spaghetti Arribiata with Sautéed Shrimp

Malbec 2005, Tritono (Argentina)

~Secondi~

"Kashmir", "Whole Lotta Love"

Bistecca alla Becco

Black Angus Rib-Eye Steak grilled Medium-Rare with Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Sauteed Broccoli Rabe

Barolo Vigne Rionda 2000, Oddero (Italy)

~Dolci~

"Tangerine"

Farm Fresh Tangerines

Moscato d’Asti 2008, Vietti (Italy)

"Custard Pie"

Vanilla Custard Pie & Led Zeppolini

The second Great Led Zeppelin Wine Tasting was held at City Winery in New York City and featured the Led Zeppelin Tribute band Six Foot Nurse performing live with special guest Scott Ian from the band Anthrax. More events are expected, including one in Las Vegas in May 2010. <-- did this take place? -->

Quotes

Joe Bastianich: "I think because of the sheer complexity and the deep roots of the music—where the music comes from, and how profound it is— Led Zeppelin's music can only really be paralleled with the kind of evolution, importance and complexity of wine, as both a cultural thing as well as a beverage." [8]

Mike Edison: "Back when I was in seminary school, attempting to pair Boones Farm apple wine with "Stairway to Heaven" and having disastrous results, I stumbled upon this little theory: "Led Zeppelin IV" is the record that when you're stoned and listening to it really loud you think the phone is ringing when it's really not. 'Black Dog' is like a fully fucking awesome motherfucker—this is when they got really heavy." [5]

David Lynch (referring to the "Black Dog" pairing): We're bringing the thunder. We're bringing the tannin. We're bringing the viscosity. We're coming at you with guns blazing, with a Malbec from Argentina. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Led Zeppelin</span> English rock band (1968–1980)

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones and John Bonham (drums). With a heavy, guitar-driven sound and drawing from influences including blues and folk music, Led Zeppelin are cited as a progenitor of hard rock and heavy metal. They significantly influenced the music industry, particularly in the development of album-oriented rock and stadium rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Page</span> English guitarist (born 1944)

James Patrick Page is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Prolific in creating guitar riffs, Page's style involves various alternative guitar tunings and melodic solos, coupled with aggressive, distorted guitar tones. It is also characterized by his folk and eastern-influenced acoustic work. He is notable for occasionally playing his guitar with a cello bow to create a droning sound texture to the music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malbec</span> Wine variety

Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in South West France, though the grape is grown worldwide. It is also available as an Argentine varietal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Bonham</span> English drummer

Jason John Bonham (born 15 July 1966) is an English drummer. He is the son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Since his father's death in September 1980, he has performed with the surviving three members of Led Zeppelin on several occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at O2 arena in London in December 2007. He has also done extensive work as a session musician, led the group Bonham in the 1980s and '90s, and is a member of the supergroups Black Country Communion and Sammy Hagar and the Circle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)</span> 1971 single by Led Zeppelin

"Black Dog" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the first track on the band's untitled fourth album (1971), which has become one of the best-selling albums of all time. The song was released as a single and reached the charts in many countries. It is "one of the most instantly recognisable Zeppelin tracks", and was included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list (US), and ranked No. 1 in Q magazine's (UK) "20 Greatest Guitar Tracks". The lyrics contain typical bluesman themes of lust, eroticism and betrayal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whole Lotta Love</span> 1969 single by Led Zeppelin

"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the opening track on the band's second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released as a single in 1969 in several countries; as with other Led Zeppelin songs, no single was released in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it became their first hit and was certified gold. Parts of the song's lyrics were adapted from Willie Dixon's "You Need Love", recorded by Muddy Waters in 1962; originally uncredited to Dixon, a lawsuit in 1985 was settled with a payment to Dixon and credit on subsequent releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin song)</span> 1969 song by Led Zeppelin

"Heartbreaker" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1969 album, Led Zeppelin II. It was credited to all four members of the band, recorded at A&R Recording and Atlantic Studios in New York City during the band's second concert tour of North America, and engineered by Eddie Kramer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lidia Bastianich</span> American celebrity chef (born 1947)

Lidia Giuliana Matticchio Bastianich is an Italian-American celebrity chef, television host, author, and restaurateur. Specializing in Italian and Italian-American cuisine, Bastianich has been a regular contributor to public television cooking shows since 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marty Casey</span> American singer

Martin Xavier "Marty" Casey is an American rock musician who is the lead singer, primary songwriter and second guitarist of Lovehammers. After years of building a strong local following in Chicago and the Midwest, Casey achieved international fame on the first season of the reality show Rock Star: INXS. Casey made it to the final two of the competition, finishing as the runner-up to winner J.D. Fortune. Although he was not chosen as the new singer for INXS, he was invited to tour as opening act. In 2006, Marty Casey and the Lovehammers opened on the first leg of the INXS Switched On Tour. Marty was a fan favorite on Rock Star: INXS, receiving the most viewer votes, and topping the download charts with his performances of both covers and original material.

"Celebration Day" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, and the third track from their 1970 album Led Zeppelin III. The band's last concert film and album, released on 19 November 2012, took their name from this song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Edison</span> American writer and musician

Mike Edison is a New York-based writer, editor, musician, social critic, and spoken word artist. He was one of many publishers/editors of the marijuana counterculture magazine High Times, and was later named editor-in-chief of Screw, the self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Newspaper." In his memoir I Have Fun Everywhere I Go, Edison recounts his adventures across twenty years of druggy adventurism and his parallel careers as a magazine editor, writer, and musician. His other books include the sprawling history of American men's magazines, Dirty! Dirty! Dirty!: Of Playboys, Pigs, and Penthouse Paupers, An American Tale of Sex and Wonder; the political satire Bye, Bye Miss American Pie; several collaborations including Restaurant Man with Joe Bastianich and The Carnivore's Manifesto with Slow Food USA founder Patrick Martins; and most recently, Sympathy for the Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters, a history and appreciation of the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, and the history of blues and rock ’n ’roll drumming. Edison speaks frequently on free speech, and the American counterculture. Between 2011 and 2018, Edison was the host and producer of the weekly Heritage Radio Network series Arts & Seizures.

<i>Not 4 Sale</i> (Sammy Hagar album) 2002 studio album by Sammy Hagar

Not 4 Sale is the thirteenth studio album by American rock singer Sammy Hagar, and the second album by Hagar's backup band The Waboritas. As it was released in the US on Hagar's own Cabo Wabo Music label, problems arose with distribution; the release date passed without copies being delivered to several national retail chains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Bastianich</span> American restaurateur (born 1968)

Joseph Bastianich is an American restaurateur, author and television personality. He, along with his mother and business partner Lidia Bastianich, co-owns thirty restaurants in four countries, including Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles, which the owners expanded in 2010. Earlier that same year, they teamed up with businessman Oscar Farinetti to bring Eataly, an upscale food and wine market, to Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City, London and Stockholm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truffle oil</span> Oil with truffles or synthetic flavouring

Truffle oil is a modern culinary ingredient used to impart the flavor and aroma of truffles to a dish. The ingredient is commonly used as a finishing oil in a variety of dishes, including truffle fries, pasta dishes, pizzas, and puréed foods such as mashed potatoes and deviled eggs. Truffle oil is available in all seasons and is significantly less expensive than fresh truffles. This has also led to a market growth in the product and an increase in the availability of truffle-flavored foods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Led Zeppelin Japanese Tour 1971</span> 1971 concert tour by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin's 1971 Japanese Tour was the first in Japan by the English rock band. Commenced on 23 September and concluding on 29 September 1971, it was one of the first tours of Japan by a western rock band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert</span> Benefit concert in memory of Ahmet Ertegun

The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert was a benefit concert held in memory of music executive Ahmet Ertegun at the O2 Arena in London on 10 December 2007. The headline act was the English rock band Led Zeppelin, who performed their first full-length concert in almost three decades, since the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, in a one-off reunion. Bonham's son Jason Bonham played drums during the band's set, and also provided backing vocals on two songs.

<i>When Giants Walked the Earth</i> 2008 book by Mick Wall

When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin is a book written by Mick Wall, published in 2008. It is a biography of the English rock band Led Zeppelin.

<i>Hammer of the Gods</i> (book) 1985 book by Stephen Davis

Hammer of the Gods is a book written by music journalist Stephen Davis, published in 1985. It is an unauthorized biography of the English rock band Led Zeppelin. Davis travelled with Led Zeppelin for two weeks at the beginning of the band's 1975 U.S. Tour, while he was a music journalist at Rolling Stone magazine.

Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone is an Italian wine region centered on the commune of Montefiascone in the province of Viterbo in Lazio. Since 1966, the white Trebbiano and Malvasia bianca-based wines produced within the 1,000 acres (400 ha) of the region can qualify for Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) designation under Italian wine laws.

<i>Olive allascolana</i> Italian appetizer

Olive all'ascolana is an Italian antipasto of fried olives stuffed with meat.

References

  1. Led Zeppelin Wine Tasting - A.V. Club [ dead link ]
  2. Allen, Max (August 29, 2009). "Whole lotta Joe". The Australian. Archived from the original on Oct 4, 2009.
  3. Spartos, Carla (March 18, 2009). "Rock 'N' Wine". New York Post. Archived from the original on Oct 14, 2012.
  4. Spartos, Carla (2009-03-04). "It's a Red Zeppelin". New York Post. Archived from the original on Apr 29, 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 New York Metromix, March 18, 2009.
  6. Galleycat.com, March 16, 2009.
  7. New York Post , March 4, 2009.
  8. New York Metromix, March 18, 2009.