Maynard James Keenan is best known for fronting bands Tool and A Perfect Circle, but is hoping to be recognized for his newfound passion, winemaking. For those who are unfamiliar with the man, watch the video for the song Sober It is deeply disturbing and gave me nightmares in which I was trapped in the very same grotesque animated universe. MTV even withdrew Tool’s video for Prison Sex from their lineup because it was “too graphic and offensive.”

Maynard discovered the qualities of wine after the band began stealing bottles from managers and promoters while on tour. shortly after, Tori Amos gave him a 1992 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon as a gift and he was hooked. The Arizona Republic quotes his reaction–He opened it to have with a meal and was astonished. “Oh my, what just happened?” he said. “A little light went on.” He became a collector and in 2000 found the inspiration for Merkin Vineyards.

Caduceus Wines (www.caduceus.org) consists of about 6000 vines and is located in…Arizona? It seems Maynard is hoping that the terroir in Northern Arizona’s Merkin Vineyards will produce wines similar to his favorites; Tuscans. Merkin is composed of four separate tracts, which will give Keenan the variety of soils necessary to produce the blends he favors from Italy. Currently, he is buying from local and California vineyards while his crops mature. He wants it to be known that he is not merely a figurehead who put his name on the bottle to make money. This is his passion, and as photos from the website show, he involves himself with every aspect of the winemaking process.

Four wines are available for purchase.

1. The Chupacabra (the mystery wine)
2. Primer Paso (unmistakeably shiraz… but there’s something else in there as well.)
3. Nagual de SENSEI (consisting mainly of Cabernet Savignon and a touch of Syrah)
4. Nagual de la NAGA (Cab Sav & Sangiovese blend. Aroma like a new world Tuscan meets old world Brunello.)

The wines run from $25 for the Chupacabra to $95 for the SENSAI. For now, they can only be bought in person or online at the website.

For those who feel Maynard may be losing his edge, visit the website. It’s the best wine site I’ve seen. Or, paste this link to find out what a merkin is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkin

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