Calling all music and wine lovers!
Nothing beats good music and even better wine. Sadly, with summer music festivals and international travel plans on hold due to coronavirus, coming across the best of these worlds have proven to be extra difficult. Well, at least until now.
On July 11th and 12th, you can experience some of the best bottles Burgundy, France has to offer alongside a lineup of one-of-a-kind artists all from the comfort of your couch. ROOTSTOCK 2020 — which was originally an annual festival held at the Château de Pommard in Burgundy — is going digital.
In 2016, the event launched as a non-profit organization committed to showcasing leading musicians and winemakers on the same stage as rising talent. For this year’s fourth edition, the mission remained the same, except attendees won’t have to go anywhere to witness the magic of the affair.
Wine and music lovers can opt for a free music pass to gain access to ROOTSTOCK’S non-stop 48-hour livestream that will feature an array of artists from around the globe. To accompany the performances, you can take things a step further by purchasing a Music and Wine pass. Starting at 150 euros each, these passes include a premium wine delivery and an online wine experience, wherein event goers will be paired with a Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) trained professional Wine Advisor to teach them about the different wines within the shipment.
Moreover, all participants will have the chance to cast their votes for ROOTSTOCK’s Artist Awards. Of all the up-and-coming artists in the lineup, fans get to choose five winners who will receive a 5,000 euro cash prize and mentorship in support of their careers. Ahead of the exciting 48 hours to come, ROOTSTOCK Board Member and CEO and Propriétaire of Château de Pommard Michael Baum shared with Forbes the decision for his team’s online pivot and how the event came to be in the first place.
Isis Briones: Why did you decide to create ROOSTOCK and what’s the story behind the name?
Michael Baum: “Our two twin sons are young musicians and five years ago we created ROOTSTOCK as a way to celebrate my love of wine and their love of music.
The idea was to have fun listening to music, learning about wine, and supporting young musicians in their quest to start a career. My boys are big fans of classic rock and I’m now making wine, so ROOTSTOCK is a play on the original Woodstock festival and the roots of the vines.
Today, ROOTSTOCK is a non-profit organization in its fourth yearly edition bringing veteran musicians, winemakers, wine lovers, and young musicians together.
