Who doesn’t love Lemmy and Motörhead? Well, apparently the State Alcohol and Tobacco Company, which has a monopoly in sales of alcohol in Iceland.
The company, known as ÁTVR, has refused to sell a Motörhead-themed Shiraz wine. According to IceNews, their reasoning is that the band’s name is a “nod to amphetamine abuse” and that their lyrics pertain to topics like war, unsafe sex and drugs. The wine’s Icelandic importer Hjörleifur Árnason has supposedly already appealed the case to the parliamentary ombudsman.
Icelanders hoping to have a taste of the Motörhead Shiraz 2010 need not to worry, though. While ÁTVR does have a monopoly alcohol retail in Iceland, importers and distributors can still sell directly to bars, restaurants and cafes. Thus, not only could it still be sold in the country, but now can gain a little extra attention thanks to the controversy (in case branding the wine as Motörhead wasn’t enough).
At the moment, though, it appears that the Motörhead Shiraz 2010 is still not distributed in North America, though can still be purchased through UK wine distributor Great Wine Online. More information about Motörhead’s wine can be seen over at its website .
