Dear reader,
Wine goes well with basically anything. Music, for example, always lightens up the mood alongside a glass.
It can be that you want to listen to jazz, rock, blues, pop or other music genres and styles while having a sip. It pairs so smoothly.
But have you ever heard or thought of any songs about wine?
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Yep. You might be interested in knowing that there are many famous songs about wine, songs that are wine-themed or related (with discreet, but meaningful mentions in emblematic verses).
So that’s why we pulled off our very own playlist of songs about wine or which have wine as an important theme.
Here’s a little backstory on our the songs that compose our wine playlist on Spotify – and pick up your headphones or your stereo, the 40-piece playlist is just below!
Famous songs about wine
From Frank and Nancy Sinatra, to Nina Simone, to Billy Joel, to Eric Clapton, to Neil Diamond, to Jerry Lee Lewis, to Loretta Lynn, to Dean Martin, to Johnny Cash, to many rock, soul and country classics – and pop hits from Barbra Streisand, Amy Winehouse and Pharrell and Camila Cabello! -, there are musical gems that all kinds of wine lovers could enjoy.
Some of the most celebrated songs that celebrate good old wine start off with classics. We kicks things off for real switching between Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack dear friend Dean Martin’s tunes such as “It was a very good year” and “Little ole wine drinker, me”.
But now the days are short I’m in the autumn of the year And now I think of my life as vintage Wine from fine old kegs From the brim to the dregs It poured sweet and clear It was a very good year
(Ervin Drake)
Neil Diamond’s classic “Red red wine” (and its famous signature cover by UB40) is among the biggest celebratory songs of our favourite liquid. Of course our playlist has it! How could we not?
And we also thrive on the oldies with Italian classic pop legend Peppino di Capri, with his staple song Champagne, a celebration of the good encounters in life. And of course, we wouldn’t miss Barbra Streisand singing “How does the wine taste?” in 1964!
Red, red wine, stay close to me Don’t let me be alone It’s tearing apart my blue heart
(Neil Diamond)
There’s obviously the king Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian restaurant”, the ballad with the unforgettable lines “A bottle of white, a bottle of red / Perhaps a bottle of rosé instead”.
And also Joni Mitchell, with her legendary folk classic “A case of you”, making a powerful reference to a haunted love that is in her “blood like holy wine / it tastes so bitter and so sweet”.
SO THEY CALLED OUT THE CAPTAIN…
Lesser realized wine-related songs from the golden rock era include major classics, such as Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California” and The Eagles’ one and only “Hotel California”, both with emblematic verses about the sacred liquid.
Even Elton John, Eric Clapton, The Who and Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett make their way here, as do John Cale’s poetic “Dying on the vine” and Sting’s harrowing “Children’s crusade”.
(And since I’m personally a major Floyd addict, I’ll leave you below a lesser known one, that’s really different from other Roger Waters material: the good mood “San Tropez”.)
A few versions of the classic tunes “Lilac wine” (Nina Simone and later on, Jeff Buckley) and “Summer wine” (Nancy Sinatra, and later The Corrs and Bono) make their way, as well as Wes Montgomery’s instrumental version of “Days of wines and roses” – that comes on for a deserved lyric break!
And don’t forget Don Ho’s “Tiny bubbles” too! Wouldn’t forget the catchy and winesy “Tiny bubbles (tiny bubbles) / Make me warm all over / With a feeling that I’m gonna / Love you till the end of time”.
Strawberries cherries and an angel’s kiss in spring My summer wine is really made from all these things Take off your silver spurs and help me pass the time And I will give to you summer wine
(Lee Hazlewood, “Summer wine”)
COUNTRY, HIP-HOP AND POP
Country has its fair share too, with for example classic Emmylou Harris’s “Two more bottles of wine”, about a countryside girl making her way into Los Angeles with her share of wine to let go from the obstacles in her way.
Johnny Cash’s “Melva’s wine” and the Willie Nelson classic “Yesterday’s wine” can’t be off the list, be sure to listen!
Contemporary superstar country singers LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood make their way too, just like the never-ending Deana Carter’s 1996 rendition of “Strawberry wine”.
I’m sixteen hundred miles from the people I know I’ve been doin’ all I can but opportunity sure come slow Well I’d be in the sun all day But I’m sweepin’ out a warehouse in west L.A. But it’s all right ’cause it’s midnight And I got two more bottles of wine
(Delbert McClinton)
And we close off with some pop tunes!
Jamiroquai’s funky “Seven days in sunny June” clears it up just in time for hip-hop powerhouse Jay-Z, who runs his own top-notch Champagne brand to sing that he’s “just getting better with time, I’m like Opus One”.
And then come Amy Winehouse’s posthumous “Cherry wine” with Nas, Ed Sheeran’s “Barcelona” and Pharrell and Camila Cabello closing off in a great mood with “Sangria wine”.
Sounds nice, huh?
And now…
Our playlist of songs about wine
Here’s our very own playlist of 40 wine-related songs to listen on Spotify.
We know, we know: there are many more songs could have been featured here! But well, time is short, so we go straight to the point.
Grab your bottles and glasses, click Play on the cover image (or open your app or desktop version) and enjoy.
Until next time!
Our wine playlist: