How Wine Rebels Accidentally Came About: Weird Wine, Milestone Birthdays and a Game

When I discovered that people were mixing white wine with pickle juice, it turned everything I thought I knew about wine upside down.

Pickle juice? In wine?

I had always enjoyed wine tasting, but I had never really been drawn to cocktails—I’m not much of a sweet tooth. Yet this strange combination sparked a question I could no longer ignore:

What else are people putting in wine—and what actually happens when you break the rules?

That question eventually became Wine Rebels.

We officially launched the website and opened the Lab on 30 July 2026. Reaching this strange and exciting post-launch world feels wonderful, although Dad and I have been working almost nonstop on the project for the past three months—and quietly developing the idea for even longer.

Now we have thrown it out into the world, and we cannot wait to see what gets thrown back at us…so to speak.

The idea grew from three things:

• Weird experiments
• Two milestone birthdays
• A game

Weird Experiments

Once the pickle-juice revelation had rearranged my understanding of what could—or should—be combined in a wine glass, more questions followed.

Eventually, curiosity won.

Dad and I began conducting a few experiments of our own to discover what really happens when you ignore convention and combine wine with some decidedly unexpected ingredients.

We enjoyed the results.

Mostly.

But even when the drink itself was questionable, the experience of breaking the rules was enormous fun. We never quite knew whether we were about to discover something surprisingly delicious or create another entry for the Disaster Files.

That uncertainty became part of the adventure.

Two Very Big Birthdays

At the time, I was approaching my 49th birthday—my final year in my forties and the beginning of the countdown to the big half-century.

I have always believed in doing something special for my birthday, not matter the milestone. I therefore tend to take responsibility for making the day memorable myself, and not relying on others to do it for me, which has the high potential of leading to disappointment! I love creating my own fun and living a life of no regrets.

Since dad moved in with me, there is now an even better reason to celebrate. Dad is exactly 30 years and one day older than me, and his birthday falls the day before mine.

Next year, Dad will turn 80—and the following day, I will turn 50.

That deserves considerably more than an ordinary birthday party.

The Game

Freshly inspired by all the strange wine combinations people were trying online, I began planning a combined 49th and 79th birthday celebration around the idea.

That party concept soon grew into a game.

The Wine Rebels game is about the adventure of breaking a few rules and creating unthinkable combinations. What you make depends on the imaginations of the people in the room—and whatever happens to be hiding in the drinks cabinet, pantry and fridge.

The game is now in its final stages and needs some real-world testing. Admittedly, that testing is about three months behind schedule, but better late than never!

During the development process, Dad and I naturally had to conduct experiments.
For research purposes, of course.

We started having loads of fun and realised these strange combinations were too entertaining to keep to ourselves. We wanted to share what we were daring to try—and invite other people to add their imaginations to the mix.

That led us on quite a detour.

Suddenly, we needed a website: somewhere to record the formulas, celebrate the successes, preserve the disasters and allow visitors to submit their own experiments, ideas and dares.

The possibilities are enormous. Dad and I are limited by our own imaginations and whatever happens to be in our pantry. Inviting other curious researchers into the Lab opens the door to combinations we might never dream of ourselves.

More Than Wine Experiments

One of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been creating something so unusual and enjoyable with Dad.

He is a former publican with years of experience serving considerably more traditional drinks—but he also has a wicked sense of humour and a strong sense of adventure. That makes him the ideal assistant taster, even if he does not always look entirely convinced by what I place in front of him.

On a more personal note, Dad has spent the past seven years facing several different cancers. He is now enjoying fabulous health and is cancer-free.

The timing could not be better for us to embark on this slightly ridiculous and thoroughly wonderful adventure together.

And Now…

Here we are: the website is open, the experiments are under way, and the game is almost ready for its next stage.

We hope Wine Rebels inspires people to step outside the familiar, try something unexpected and discover that breaking a few harmless rules can be tremendous fun.

You do not need to invent a completely original experiment on your first visit. You can explore our Lab Reports, follow our latest experiments, predict Dad’s rating or try one of our existing formulas.

Then, when inspiration—or curiosity—takes over, we would love you to create something of your own and tell us what happened.

When you are ready, we wholeheartedly invite you to:

Wine Rebels Adventure Lab is intended for adults of legal drinking age. Experiment responsibly, check ingredients and allergens, and never drink and drive.