Did you know Snoop Dogg had put his name to a red wine? Well, it’s coming to Australia, hot on the heels of its hugely successful launch in the US, with 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red due on shelf in mid 2021.

Snoop Dogg joined forces with 19 Crimes to create the first Californian wine in its portfolio, a unique red blend with ripe, punchy fruit from the Petite Syrah, complemented by bright, slightly-candied, red fruit from the Zinfandel.

Treasury Wine Estates, the maker of 19 Crimes, said the collaboration will “cast a modern lens” on the brand, which is inspired by rule-breakers and real stories of redemption.

“I’m such a fan of this wine and I’m excited to bring ‘Snoop Cali Red’ to my Australian peeps next year and share the experience with my fans,” said Snoop Dogg. “19 Crimes is one of the most successful brands in the market, so I’m more than eager to bring this collaboration to the world.”

Angus Lilley, Treasury Wine Estates Chief Marketing Officer says 19 Crimes, like Snoop Dogg, is defiant by nature, bold in character and always uncompromising.

“Snoop Dogg is a culture creator, innovator and a leader in pop culture,” he noted. “Australians love him, and they have been asking for this wine since it launched in the US back in July. We are truly excited to bring 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red to Australia.”

19 Crimes was the first winery that used augmented reality to bring their labels to life and is the number one brand contributing to growth in the Australian wine category.

19 Crimes was also recently announced as No.4 in Drinks International’s ‘The World’s Most Admired Wine
Brands 2020’ and, for the 5th consecutive year.

Can hip hop help solve wine’s Millennial problem?

Silicon Valley Bank’s annual report on the state of the US wine industry was released earlier this month and noted that the millennial cohort is the “largest growth opportunity” for winemakers, but has only just started to show interest in the category.

“This is the cohort that needs to be excited about wine in order for the industry to see anything close to the growth rates experienced in the 20-year period from 1994 through 2014,” the report states.

The Washington Post notes: “For several years, the bank’s annual report has watched the aging of the baby boomer generation — wine’s main customer base — with dread. In 2020, the pandemic made some boomers think of retiring earlier, reducing their wine purchases and drinking from their cellars, the report said. While Gen X is poised to become the major wine-buying age cohort this year, the real hope is that Millennials will turn from hard seltzer and, well, grow up and buy more wine.”

So, while may seem like an odd pairing – a former rapper with a red wine – there’s method to the madness. Hip hop became the most popular music genre in the US in 2017, with eight of the top 10 most popular artists being rappers, according to a Nielsen Music/MRC data report. The genre has continued to dominate the music industry ever since.

Rappers have been mentioning wine and spirits in their songs for years – think Kendrick Lamar’s “Moscato” and Jay-Z’s “Tom Ford” – so it makes sense that they’d start actually selling them too.

Jay-z has Armand de Brignac Champagne; Post Malone (above) has a rosé label, Maison No. 9; and Mary J. Blige partnered with Fantinel Winery to produce Sun Goddess Wines, just to name a few.  

“This development comes at a crucial time for the wine industry,” Vine Pair writes. “Wine’s share of the drinks market dropped in 2019 for the first time in 25 years, according to research firm IWSR. The downward trend has largely been ascribed to millennial drinkers, who are increasingly drinking across category lines, often opting for hard seltzer and cocktails over wine. So can hip hop’s increasing interest help solve wine’s millennial problem?

“Bridging the cultures between wine and hip hop — millennials’ most preferred music genre — could prove to be among the most beneficial means of turning attention back to wine.”