The eccentric personalities and twisting storylines of Netflix’s documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness have become a popular distraction. They’ve also inspired a curated wine collection from Neighborhood Provisions, a food, beverage and grocery delivery service from Neighborhood Restaurant Group.
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness explores the bizarre world of big cat keepers in the United States. About 19 million people watched the seven-episode series in the first 10 days after it dropped on March 20, making it one of Netflix’s most popular series ever. It has since spawned memes and inspired criticism from some of its subjects. President Donald Trump said he’d “take a look” at pardoning zookeeper Joe Exotic, who is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence on a handful of charges, including a murder-for-hire plot detailed in the series.
The Tiger King wine idea was spearheaded by NRG beverage director Greg Engert, who counts a 20-pound Maine Coon cat named Brad among his family. He’s also working with the company’s Planet Wine Shop in Del Ray, which sought to continue sharing wine knowledge with customers in the absence of tastings. All the better if it included some fun and levity.
“I think a lot of wine promotions can be so precious,” Engert says. “They can be a little bit sophisticated, and we were thinking about ways to change that approach.”
Nothing hits the opposite tone quite like Tiger King. Problem is, the show’s main settings—Oklahoma and Florida—are not known for their vineyards. That set NRG staff sleuthing for quality bottles with tie-ins to the show’s wildlife and human drama angles.
“We started to think about the ups and downs of the different episodes, the highs and lows, and we wanted to represent a full array of flavor profiles,” Engert says.
Picks include a Wildsong Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand ($19), SLO “Broken Dreams” Chardonnay from California ($21), the Shinas Estates “The Guilty” Australian shiraz ($25), and an easy-drinking Linton Park “Red Rhino” Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa ($15), with proceeds of each bottle supporting rhinoceros conservation.
“We have something for every palate,” Engert says.
Wines can be ordered as individual bottles or as a “binge box” package for $70. For pairings, Engert advises sipping the shiraz with an order of burgers or short ribs and chilling a bottle of sauvignon blanc alongside Churchkey tater tots or a Bluejacket fried chicken sandwich. The cabernet sauvignon lends itself to Red Apron sandwiches and sausages, and the chardonnay with some of Hazel’s salads and spreads.
The Tiger King package is expected to be offered at least through this week. Engert teases “a constant stream of cool new stuff” to come, including Orthodox Easter picks and low-alcohol “day drinking” wines.
“We’re just trying to come up with fun ways to interact with the amazing products we have to feature,” he says.
Until then, the wines appear to have debuted just in time for additional watching: Netflix dropped a supplemental episode that reunites the documentary’s subjects called “The Tiger King and I” on Sunday.
Tiger King wines are available online at Neighborhood Provisions as well as in person at Planet Wine (2000 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria), Rustico Ballston (4075 Wilson Blvd., Arlington) and Bluejacket (300 Tingey St. SE). $15 – $25 each, $70 for four.
