Australian musicians create wine, beer labels to connect with fans

Australia’s music stars including Kylie Minogue, Josh Pyke, The Chats and The Rubens are all cashing in on new ventures of the vino kind.

Signature wines from Australia’s pop and rock acts are proving a smash hit with fans.

From Kylie Minogue’s signature “summer in a bottle” rose and The Rubens’ 0202 Pet Nat through to Josh Pyke’s earthy Rome shiraz and Luca Brasi’s Naughty Little Red, wine is the new perfume for artists wanting to offer fans something different as they release new records, tours or celebrate anniversaries.

While Minogue is doing bulk business with her wine line – with chardonnay, pinot noir and sparkling ranges also in development – most artists are pairing with boutique winemakers to make a quaffable collectable.

Built To Spill Wine was set up by the Crowbar venue operators and the UNIFIED music company after COVID shut down gigs last year and artist and venue incomes dried up.

Surprisingly, most of the drink collaborations which have been released in the past eight months have been from hard rock acts including The Amity Affliction, Luca Brasi, Thy Art Is Murder and The Chats.

Better the wine you know. Kylie has her own label. Picture: Supplied

UNIFIED CEO Jaddan Comerford says the popularity of the vintages offered by Australia’s chart-topping rockers has completely dispelled stale stereotypes of them as tattooed spirits and beer drinkers.

Comerford says “snobbery” around wine has also dissipated making it more accessible for music fans at gigs and festivals.

“Drinking a glass of wine at a show 10 years ago didn’t feel natural but it does now,” he says.

“We’re working to get the wines into select venues too so you can be at an Amity Affliction show and buy a glass of their shiraz, which is great for the venue and the fan who would prefer to enjoy a good glass of wine at a gig instead of beer or spirits.”

And they are indeed very good glasses of wine.

While you can pick up a bottle of the Kylie Rose at your local bottle shop for around $21.99, most of the Built To Spill offerings will set you back $40 a bottle. The price point reflects both the limited run of the boutique wines and the fact most fans would spend $40 on a band T-shirt for a new record or tour.

Crowbar’s Tyla Dombroski says depending on seasonality and production, most of the artist ranges were available in half or full pallet volumes of between 336 to 672 bottles.

“We ask the bands some questions to find out what they’re into which helps us in sourcing what is available with winemakers,” Dombroski says.

“There is also some consideration around seasonality of what is available and what the wine is pairing with for the bands. Some are paired to a record release, anniversary or just as a new merch item.”

Josh Pyke’s shiraz sold out in three months after its launch with his new record Rome last August.

Josh Pike's Rome wine has been a hit. Picture: Supplied

“It was a very quaffable wine,” Pyke says.

“I’ve done a beer before and we were approached by the Crowbar team about doing a wine for this record. We are moving up through the ranks of alcohol content!

“You just have to be thinking outside the square to promote music now and, for me, I started thinking about how people consume music these days which is mostly streaming even if you prefer vinyl.

“The idea of having something tactile is still appealing, so imagine having a glass of wine and reading the lyric book and listening to the record on a streaming service but you still have a tactile connection to what you’re listening to.”

The Rubens had their own lightly bubbled Pet Nat to crack open when their latest record 0202 became their first No. 1 album on the ARIA charts last month.

Frontman Sam Margin says that the naturally sparkling, rose-coloured drop fits the sound of their new record.

Australian band The Rubens. Picture: Supplied/Cybele Malinowski

He says the bands who had partnered with Built To Spill wines also liked being able to spruik “indie” winemakers to their fans and help educate them about new varietals coming into the Australian market.

“You don’t have to be an aficionado to know what you like and I think wine has become trendy again and when things become trendy, younger people become interested in them. Wine doesn’t feel like such a grown-up thing anymore,” Margin says.

While most of the Built To Spill offerings are premium wines, those with a retro love of “goon” can enjoy a two-litre cask from irreverent punk rockers The Chats.

Their Chats Goon for $55 is in competition with veteran rockers Frenzal Rhomb who have released their 4 Litre cask for $49 to celebrate re-release of their debut record coughing up a Storm.

Originally published as Australian musicians create wine, beer labels to connect with fans