BAD COMPANY’S PAUL CULLEN: Wine, food, and song does it for Paul Cullen… (Being a rocker, I’m sure that women are in that mix, too; as in keeping with wine, women, and song…)

In the 1990s, Paul Cullen was the base player for Bad Company. While he’s still a musician (now a guitarist who plays his own genre of music referred to as “Jazzy Cool”), Paul recently founded a company called Unplugged and Uncorked. This company combines his background as a musician with his expertise in wine and food. Through Unplugged and Uncorked, Paul launched a new wine label called Sonata. Because of his expertise in wine and food, Paul was also recently named the food editor of Delaware’s Coastal Style magazine.

With 30 years of music experience, including his gig with the English rock band Bad Company and three solo records, Cullen’s latest CD release, “Eleven Sundays,” can be purchased via PayPal by visiting Cullen’s music website PaulCullen.net/music.

More information about Cullen’s private wine label, Sonata, can be found at PaulCullen.net/wine.

Cullen’s wines are Sonata Bianco (Pinot Grigio) and Sonata Rosso. Both sell for $12.41 on the Boutique Wine Room. The juice for this wine is sourced from California’s Sierra Foothills, and his Sonata Rosso is an eclectic mélange of Syrah, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Franc.

The wine has distribution through his online store, and is also available for purchase through retailers throughout Delaware, where Paul makes his home.

Cullen’s Italian mother inspired his culinary interests; today he’s also considered a culinary expert. Having recently signed on with Maryland’s Coastal Style magazine as Food Editor, Paul will be sharing his recipes and producing cooking videos. These videos will be available through an online version of the publication.

This reinventing of Paul Cullen has him morphing into Good Company for wine and food, and I wish him much success… Rock on, Paul!

[Image borrowed from Mail Online.]

AC/DC: The bad boys of rock are now making wine… who’d thunk that one…

Australian rock band AC/DC is also now on my list of rockers who have launched their own wine brand. Their Australian collaboration is with Warburn Estate for the release of their AC/DC Wines. AC/DC wines are named after some of their biggest hits; this includes Hells Bells Sauvignon Blanc, Highway to Hell Cabernet Sauvignon,Back In Black Shiraz, and You Shook Me All Night Long Moscato. The wine is sourced from vineyards in the Barossa and Coonawarra regions in Australia, and the Marlborough region in New Zealand.

I have to say, as  woman, their rock was always over the top for my musical preferences. Now, the names of their wines just follow that bouncing ball. That said, I know that there are plenty of people who are going to be thrilled and looking forward to raising a glass with guys who are morphing from what was always considered a beer crowd to one that’s now embracing wine. I say, “Three cheers for that!” and have at it, guys… There’s something for everyone, and morphing is a good thing.

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Here’s the updated list of rockers mellowing out…

• Kermit Lynch (1972) ~ Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant
• Robert Foley (1977) ~ Robert Foley Vineyards
• Olivia Newton-John (1983) ~ Koala Blue Winery
• Doobie Brothers manager Bruce Cohn (1984) ~ B.R. Cohn Winery
• Boz Scaggs (1997) ~ Scaggs Vineyard
• Mick Fleetwood (2002) ~ Mick Fleetwood Private Cellar
• Bob Dylan (2002) ~ Planet Waves wine
• Mötley Crüe (2005) ~ Vince Vineyards (Can’t find a website. Was it a one hit wonder?)
• Dave Pack  of Ambrosia (2005) ~ “Vintage 2005 Napa Valley Friend’s Blend.” (Not for sale; for family and friends, per Mike Nordskog, Wine & Jazz magazine)
• Maynard James Keenan of TOOL (2006) ~ Merkin Vineyards and the associated winery, Caduceus
• Guitarist Erik Turner of Warrant (2007) ~ Cheery Pie Red, Napa Valley
• Les Claypool (2008) ~ Claypool Cellars
• Queensrÿche front man Geoff Tate ( 2008) ~ Queensrÿche  has teamed up with Three Rivers Winery to create a new red wine signature blend called Geoff Tate “Insania.”
• Motörhead (2010) ~ Motörheadwine
• Whitesnake (2010) ~ Whitesnake Zinfandel
• Train’s  (2011) ~ Drops of Jupiter
• Paul Cullen of Bad Company’ (2011) ~ Sonata
• AC/DC (2011) ~ AC/DC Wines (Available through Dan Murphy, Woolworth’s, and BWS liquor stores throughout Australia.)

OTHER:

• Sir Cliff Richard owns a vineyard in Portugal ~ Quinta do Moinho ~ Richard has owned his land for over 40 years.
• Mick Hucknall of Simply Red has a winery in Sicily, where he produces a Nero d’Avola called Il Cantante (“the singer”)
• Sting has a vineayrd in Tuscany (He makes a chianti called Il Serrestori, but it’s for friends and family only)
• Nyetimber in West Sussex, produces sparkling wine, is owned by the songwriter Andy Hill – who wrote all the hits for Bucks Fizz.
• KISS has a brand, but I’ve not found anything about it, yet.