MICK FLEETWOOD ON HIS TWO LOVES

Rollingstone - Rock n Roll Daily

Mick Fleetwood on His Two Loves: Music and Wine

In an interview with the Associated Press last week, Stevie Nicks proudly declared herself a technophobe, admitting she doesn’t own a cell phone or a computer and rarely uses her iPod. Turns out, when it comes to Fleetwood Mac, she’s not alone. “Almost everyone else in the band can hardly turn on a computer,” drummer Mick Fleetwood confessed to Rock Daily. With one exception: “John McVie; He’s the only person who’s technologically literate. The rest of us, we’ve never made the transition.” (For more on Nicks, check back tomorrow when we’ll have highlights from Rolling Stone’s recent lunch with the singer.)

Which may explain why Fleetwood has taken to a decidedly old world side-project: wine producer. On Monday night, Fleetwood hosted a private dinner for 60 at Fleming’s Steakhouse in Woodland Hills, California, in part to promote his now eight-year-old label, Mick Fleetwood Private Cellar. Curiously, in a down economy, sales of fine wine often go up. “It’s understandable,” he said after polishing off a three-course meal and several glasses of Merlot. “Whether it’s a glass of wine or a night out, people need a break.”

Of course, not everybody can turn their passions into profit quite like Fleetwood, who, after this California pit-stop, rejoins his Mac bandmates in Philadelphia for their 2009 Hits: Unleashed tour. It’s a modern-day reality that’s not lost on the 61-year-old. “The music business has obviously been great for me, but I wouldn’t want to be starting a band right now,” he said. “No one knows what the rules are. And while wine is certainly as competitive as music, the boundaries are clearer, and it’s probably a healthier business, ultimately.” Not that he’s planning to put down the sticks anytime soon. “The older I get, the more I enjoy and pay tribute to playing,” he said. “And to be on the road now with Fleetwood Mac, it’s a huge compliment that people are coming out to see us.”