Wine o’ the times
Blood Vines review
Production company – Foxtopus Ink / Wondery
Rating – 
***RELEASE DAY REVIEW***
I was contacted by Chris Walker a while ago about reviewing this podcast with a view to publishing a release day review. It was already available on Wondery+ but as you know I don’t review shows that aren’t freely available or subscription only. Thankfully, today sees the general release, so of course I wrote a review to coincide with it.
I think that aside from modern artists, wine connoisseurs are seen as almost a stereotypical source for comedy. Pompous, tweed jacketed toffs, with their aquiline noses buried in huge glasses, commenting on “hot tar, cut grass and hollyhocks”. There are numerous videos where these pretentious morons get scammed by budget bottles with the labels removed. There is even a psychological study that states that if blindfolded, wine buffs can’t tell the difference between red and white wine.
So what’s it about?
Having said that, wine has helped the world go round for millennia. Now, it’s a global industry, with vineyards in the most unlikely locales producing some outstanding product. For years, you were limited to just red or white. Plenty of choice within that, but ultimately you were either a red or white wine drinker.
In the 1980s though, an accidental creation at a California vineyard created a wine that took the world by storm. The sweet, easy to drink, pink wine known as White Zinfandel. This refreshing, relatively low alcohol wine was perfect for people who didn’t like the regular wines on offer.
As is usually the case with crazes, demand soon far outstripped supply, and sourcing the white zinfandel grapes fell to legendary grape broker Jack Licciardi. His job was to source the best grapes in the region, and his deals could make it break a vineyard.
From there, we are launched into a case of high level fraud and murder that forever changed the way that wine is produced in America.
Is it any good?
You expect the genre of true crime and high stakes criminal enterprise to be limited to jewels, drugs, gold and other glamorous accoutrements. This is an entirely new and surprising entry into this field though, the wine business proves to be every bit as cutthroat as any other domain of the rich. I guess anywhere where there is the opportunity to make a quick buck will attract the more ruthless elements of society.
As usual with Wondery shows, everything is high quality. There’s a reason they won “best production company” at the last Podcastgeek awards in December.
The story is very well written and expertly presented by journalist Chris Walker. He does an excellent job of exposing the case that changed the law for wine production forever. I’m not too sure why he chose this story. After all, it’s not the usual type of crime caper. This is what sets it apart though. It’s also the reason you should listen to it right now. You won’t be disappointed, trust me.
Final thoughts
This is a great, albeit left field, addition to the true crime genre. It’s a gripping story that seems almost beyond belief. I’m not sure if Chris Walker has any other podcasts under his belt, but I’ll be having a look soon, because if this is anything to go by, they’ll be very good indeed.
I know this post is not on a Sunday. But as is the case with release day reviews, I am beholden to their timeframes. Normal scheduling will resume next Sunday though. Not sure what I’ll be reviewing yet though.
You can get Blood Vines here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods