Chardonnay Playlist

A friend recently suggested I combine two of my passions: music and wine. My response can best be summed up in the words of Jesus Christ, “ask and ye shall receive sometimes.” Mind you, this is not the Jesus Christ mentioned in The Bible, but rather the one who is in my group of friends on Facebook. Anyway, I am going to publish music playlists for several of the different major grape varietals. This first list contains my music recommendations for your Chardonnay tastings.

For those of you who don’t already know, my other blog is currently running a series of articles on the subject of wine education. If you are interested, the blog can be found at http://curtfinn.wordpress.com. The purpose of these articles is to demystify the subject of wine and to simplify the subject in such a way that my readers will never again be intimidated when presented with a wine list in a nice restaurant or when trying to pick out that perfect wine for the boss, or more importantly for ME! But I digress…

Chardonnay is a classic varietal. It is usually described as being very robust (relatively easy to grow) and approachable (easy to get to know). It can exhibit a number of different facets in its taste profile as it can be relatively easy to manipulate.

With that said, when I think of Chardonnay and music I think of classic rock songs with a big sound. It appeals to the masses without doing anything all that fancy.  Here then are my ten favorite songs to listen to while enjoying a good Chardonnay:

1. Touch Me by The Doors – Big horns to go with Jim Morrison’s big voice. A lot of Chardonnays have really bad names. When asked to name their favorite value chardonnay, I could easily picture one of my female friends saying she really liked “Touch Me and Make Me Chard and it’s only $8.50 a bottle.”
2. Down On Me by Big Brother & the Holding Company – This song features Janis Joplin on vocals. Too many people get down on Chardonnay, because it can be such an easy target. Sometimes I am one of those people.
3. Moving On by Bad Company – Bad Company always had a rather straight forward approach to their music and they made a lot of great music. However, I think their approach causes them to be overlooked all too often. Can somebody explain to me why they aren’t in the R’nR Hall Of Fame? For those of you who don’t know the answer is Jann Wenner. Why isn’t Chardonnay appreciated by wine snobs? The answer is Robert Parker.
4. Jaded by Aerosmith – Here is a group that has been around since I was in junior high school and I am really, really old. Just ask my kids. Much like Chardonnay has evolved from its elegant origins in the Chablis region of France to its much bolder new world offerings, Aerosmith has evolved as well. Although I love their early stuff, I think this may be their magnum opus.
5. Layla by Derek and the Dominos and by Eric Clapton – Talk about showing different facets, the original is often cited as the greatest song in the history of rock ‘n roll. Clapton’s cover version of his own song doesn’t even include the piano coda yet it won the 1992 grammy for best rock song.
6. Tunnel Of Love by Bruce Springsteen – At least three Springsteen albums are better than this one. Many of his singles are far more popular, but the lyrics of this song much like a fine Chardonnay are understated and yet they not only stand the test of time they even stack up favorably when compared to almost anything else.
7. Take It Easy by The Eagles – I have heard knowledgeable wine people say they thought you could probably grow Chardonnay grapes almost anywhere in the U.S. Well, how about “on a corner in Winslow, Arizona”? By the way, tonight they’re playing here in Memphis. The cheapest ticket I can find costs over $100. I saw them on their Hotel California and Long Run tours. Seats for the each of those tours were less than $20. Man, I feel old lately.
8. Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones –  The opening lyrics are “Oh, a storm is threatening, My very life today, If I don’t get some shelter, Oh yeah, I’m gonna fade away.” It’s just a rumor, but I hear the unpicked Chardonnay grapes at the end of the season feel the same way.
9. Breakdown by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Tom Petty is not a handsome man, but he gets the job done and a whole lot of women like him — in many cases, rather simple women. Tom Petty is American chardonnay.
10. You Really Got Me by Van Halen – And occasionally you taste that one chardonnay that sings to you and you know it’s really got you.

Feel free to use this list while hosting your own Chardonnay tasting. Just remember to tell everyone you know to start reading this blog religiously! Also, feel free to leave comments with your own suggestions.

Veni, Vidi, Vici, Vino!

Tags: Aerosmith, Bad Company, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Bruce Springstreen, Chardonnay Characteristics, Chardonnay Playlist, Derek and the Dominos, Eric Clapton, Facebook, Janis Joplin, Jann Wenner, Jesus, Music, Playlists, Robert Parker, The Bible, The Doors, The Eagles, The Heartbreakers, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Van Halen, Veni Vidi Vici Vino, Wine, Wine Education, Wine Playlist, Winslow Arizona