The DeadReds WineGroup has been unearthing old wine and unique wine experiences since 2007. What a journey! It is also now documented in a book by Charlie Robinson, our Founder… called “Unearthing“.
With over 1000 members worldwide, we believe we have found a winning formula and thank those who have supported us during our journey. Yet we are not content to sit back and rest on our wine corks. We have expanded our horizons with a group formed in Geraldton, WA who raise money for Batavia Coast Rotary Club and we will continue this national exposure in twenty twelve with more general social events planned for Adelaide and Melbourne on the cards. Check out the growing list on offer via our SA Chapter page.
now, we love to unearth great old wine…
The concept for the DeadReds WineGroup started on the eve of a dinner party hosted by Charlie Helen Robinson, which boasted a Penfolds Grange. The challenge had been set to find a wine that could match such a pedigree.
The wine rack was checked, returned and puzzled over. What would match in pedigree? How would we tell if they were still OK? Would we embarrass ourselves if we offered them to guests? Not everyone’s wine rack is perfectly persevered over time and these bottles generally get overlooked and forgotten. But they may have entered our life for a special occasion, a gift or treasured memory.
The seed was planted. There would be many wines in cellars and on racks around Australia holding unknown qualities that should be tested. It must be said that a good selection was consumed on the night. They affectionately became known as our “dead reds”. We decided they must be pre-1999 (ten years or older). So, a special event dedicated to brave wine tasting was planned – to boldly drink what should have already been boldly drunk! To bring those bottles that would normally be returned to the bottom of the wine racks to an event and open them.
The first event was again hosted at the home of founder Charlie Helen Robinson.
30 bottles starred in what was a very successful look at wines from multiple Australian regions as well as across many decades of wine growing. The oldest on the day was from the 1970’s however the stand out performer was a bottle from the 1980’s. It was a clean skin that had been labelled by the Western Australian Government and obviously produced as a corporate gift at the time. It was a stunner.
This private event highlighted the special nature of simply cracking open a bottle to see how it would have fared after so many years. The conversation, laughter and amazement as each bottle was opened made it an obvious winner as a concept.
The rest, they say, is history. And we will continue to unearth.
