Jumping Juice Half Full Red and The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society
“The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society” and Jumping Juice Half Full Red induce a dream sequence of frolicking through the English countryside, drinking wine straight from the bottle, with roaming animal companions.
If this sounds like utopia, that’s what they were going for.
Although Jumping Juice is an Australian wine project, its two winemakers Patrick Sullivan and Xavier Goodridge began their wine adventures in London when they were just 18. London and the surrounding area are also Ray Davies’ muse for The Kinks’ surreal folk-rock album.
It is here, in the “village green,” where fond childhood memories and bygone treasured traditions come alive. As the name suggests, Half Full is the perfect complement to The Kinks’ nostalgic dream world. The wine is light, fruity, super juicy, bright and a little spicy to keep things interesting. It’s meant for carefree consumption and as a partner in good times.
Half Full is as jaunty and quirky as this record, made from a playful blend of shiraz, cabernet and skin-fermented sauvignon blanc. It’s unexpectedly quaffable considering the composition of typically tannic, heavy red varietals. The notes, aromas and flavors come together like a finely composed dish: a lovely balance of fruit salad—heavy on the cherry, fresh green pepper, orange blossom, and freshly cracked black pepper.
This album and Australian natural wine are sleeper hits (the latter mainly so in the United States). “Village Green” came out the same day as The Beatles’ “White Album.” Talk about a tough act to share the stage with. The Kinks as a band fall into more of a cult category compared to their contemporaries, including Rolling Stones, The Who, and Simon and Garfunkel. Though critically acclaimed, “Village Green” was a commercial failure.
Until somewhat recently, much of the Australian wine imported to the States have been mass-produced, mediocre bottles with things like kangaroos on the label (no shade to kangaroos). But small, independent winemakers throughout regions in Australia are making beautiful, thoughtful wine with the utmost respect for the land and environment, like Jumping Juice.
“Village Green” is a sonic romp through Ray Davies’ imagination with jangly guitar, bouncy melodies and vocals with charm and swagger to spare. It’s filled with timeless themes and life lessons, tipping a hat to the pains of humanity while remaining positive—even idealistic.
On “Walter,” Davies reminisces about an old mate, looking back fondly while realizing they probably have nothing in common anymore, but that doesn’t ruin the friendship they once had: “People often change, but memories of people can remain.”
“Picture Book” is a bop, in a very British garage-rock kind of way. It’s full of tongue-in-cheek musings and dancey riffs.
“Village Green” paints a picture of a simple, quiet life with “real people” and lots of animals. “Big Sky” offers encouraging words for those who are still on the journey to that destination: “One day we'll be free/ We won't care, just you wait and see/ 'Til that day can be/ Don't let it get you down.”
These villages cultivated by The Kinks and Jumping Juice—in the countrysides of England and Victoria, Australia—are a playground for yearning hearts. If only fleeting, with their art they’ve given us an escape from a messy and mad world.
