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The Grateful Dead and Gnarly Head wines have partnered up for a boozy collaboration for wine-loving Deadheads.
The Grateful Dead x Gnarly Head collaboration — which includes the brand’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Old Vine Zinfandel, sourced from 35- to 80-year-old vines in Gnarly Head’s home base of Lodi, Calif. — pays tribute to the band’s classic iconography. The wine hit shelves in September.
A label showcasing the band’s signature skull and roses in twisted vines covers the Cabernet Sauvignon bottle, while the Grateful Dead’s lightning-bolt skull, made famous on the album art for their 1976 double LP Steal Your Face, covers the Zinfandel.
“Gnarly Head wines and the music of the Grateful Dead are both rooted in Northern California, and both are expressive, bold and true to their roots—so this partnership is a natural fit,” Andrew Blok, brand director for Gnarly Head said in a statement. “They happen to be fantastic when enjoyed together.”
“You don’t just listen to the music of The Dead, you experience it,” noted David Lemieux, the Grateful Dead’s archivist and legacy manager. “The music is an expression of a California state of mind that’s rich in creativity, connection and community. Gnarly Head wines tap that same passion and energy, and I hope that these fantastic wines inspire fans of the Dead to catch some of those vibes when they pour themselves a glass of Gnarly Head wine and put on their favorite album.”
The limited-edition wines retail for $12 a bottle and are available at major retailers including Albertsons, Safeway, Publix, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Winn-Dixie, Total Wine & More, Total Food Lion, Market Basket, HEB and Fred Meyer, while supplies last.
The Bay Area rock band, founded in San Francisco in the 1960s by Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, has collaborated with several brands over the years. Some of the band’s many collaborations include Theory 11 Grateful Dead playing cards, Igloo Coolers, Peter Grim Straw Hats, Grateful Dead sippy cups, baby bibs and baby’s clothing, Grateful dead T-shirts and other apparel, and the Parks Project collection featuring Grateful Dead blanket, camping chair, hats and a dish set.
In other Grateful Dead news, Weir is set to headline Sweetwater Music Hall’s 50th anniversary benefit gala on Nov. 17.
