‘Downton’ or ‘Duck,’ there’s a wine to enjoy your favorite show with

  • By Michelle Locke Associated Press
  • Friday, April 4, 2014 12:02pm
  • Life

Mr. Carson, bring me my wine! And you, too, Mr. Spock.

In what is perhaps the strongest evidence yet of wine’s power to unite, fans of upper-crusty period drama “Downton Abbey,” sci-fi classic “Star Trek” and the proudly down-home show “Duck Dynasty” can all buy wines bottled under license to their favorite show.

The Downton Abbey wines, a white and a red (retailing at $16.99), come from Wines That Rock, a company that makes wine under the names of rock groups, including the Rolling Stones. They’re made by Dulong Grand Vins, a Bordeaux winery, which makes sense since the show has featured a number of wines from that famous French wine region.

Wine has been a big part of the British series, with butler Mr. Carson taking great pains over which wines to serve with dinner. One of the wines served at the big dinner party in the second episode of the fourth season was a 1919 Chateau Coutet, a big thrill for the family that now owns the southern Bordeaux winery.

Producers of the show, who are known for their faithful attention to detail, approached the family and asked for permission to use the name, then made a prop bottle to use in filming.

Meanwhile, “Duck Dynasty,” the A&E show about a family business that makes products for duck hunters, primarily a duck call, might not seem such a seamless fit for the wine world.

But Bob Torkelson, chief operating officer of Trinchero Family Estates, the Napa Valley winery that makes the Duck Commander wines, says the Trincheros and the Robertsons have a lot in common in terms of running family businesses. Willie and Korie Robertson visited the winery and contributed to decisions on blending and packaging.

The wines, released late last year and retailing for about $10, are available in a red blend, a chardonnay and a pink moscato.

And what of “Star Trek?” Is there a space-wine continuum?

Yes, actually, there is, says Peter Messa, spokesman for Vinport, which handles marketing for the Star Trek wines.

“Star Trek has many wine references in it, the most famous probably being Klingon bloodwine,” he said. In fact, food and drink plays a big part in the series, with toasts often raised to celebrate interspecies diplomacy and other milestones.

The Star Trek wines are based on the original series, or TOS to its baby boomer fans. The wines feature labels based on poster art by Juan Ortiz, who made posters of the iconic series.

The first release of the wine was made in California’s Sonoma County and is a red blend of merlot, sangiovese, cabernet franc, dolcetto and tinta cao. The bottles cost about $25 and were produced in a limited-edition release of 1701 cases, the registry number of the original Enterprise.

The wine was released under three labels commemorating the shows: Trouble with Tribbles, Mirror, Mirror and City on the Edge of Forever, which is, of course, the greatest Star Trek episode ever made.

Not a Trekkie? Or a fan of mansions or mallards? Not a problem. For you, there’s a “Game of Thrones” beer from a partnership between HBO and Brewery Ommegang in New York — Take the Black Stout.

Wine list

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Travis Furlanic shows the fluorescent properties of sulfur tuft mushrooms during a Whidbey Wild Mushroom Tour at Tilth Farmers Market on Saturday, April 27, 2024 in Langley, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
On Whidbey Island, local fungi forager offers educational mushroom tours

Every spring and fall, Travis Furlanic guides groups through county parks. His priority, he said, is education.

Maximum towing capacity of the 2024 Toyota Tundra Hybrid is 11,450 pounds, depending on 4x2 or 4x4, trim level, and bed length. The Platinum trim is shown here. (Toyota)
Toyota Tundra Hybrid powertrain overpowers the old V8 and new V6

Updates for the 2024 full-sized pickup include expansion of TRD Off-Road and Nightshade option packages.

2024 Ford Ranger SuperCrew 4X4 XLT (Photo provided by Ford)
2024 Ford Ranger SuperCrew 4X4 XLT

Trucks comes in all shapes and sizes these days. A flavor for… Continue reading

Modern-day Madrid is a pedestrian mecca filled with outdoor delights

In the evenings, walk the city’s car-free streets alongside the Madrileños. Then, spend your days exploring their parks.

Penny Clark, owner of Travel Time of Everett Inc., at her home office on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In a changing industry, travel agents ‘so busy’ navigating modern travel

While online travel tools are everywhere, travel advisers still prove useful — and popular, says Penny Clark, of Travel Time in Arlington.

Emma Corbilla Doody and her husband, Don Doody, inside  their octagonal library at the center of their octagon home on Thursday, May 2, 2024 in Sultan, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Is this Sultan octagon the ugliest house in America?

Emma Corbilla Doody and Don Doody bought the home for $920,000 last year. Not long after, HGTV came calling.

Burnout is a slow burn. Keep your cool by snuffing out hotspots early

It’s important to recognize the symptoms before they take root. Fully formed, they can take the joy out of work and life.

Budget charges me a $125 cleaning fee for the wrong vehicle!

After Budget finds animal hairs in Bernard Sia’s rental car, it charges him a $125 cleaning fee. But Sia doesn’t have a pet.

Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

The Grand Kyiv Ballet performs Thursday in Arlington, and Elvis impersonators descend on Everett this Saturday.

An example of delftware, this decorative plate sports polychrome blooms

Delft is a type of tin-glazed earthenware pottery born in Holland. This 16th century English piece sold for $3,997 at auction.

Great Plant Pick: Dwarf Purpleleaf Japanese Barberry

What: Dwarf Purpleleaf Japanese Barberry, or berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea Concorde, was… Continue reading

Spring plant sales in Snohomish County

Find perennials, vegetable starts, shrubs and more at these sales, which raise money for horticulture scholarships.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.