Celebrity Wines

With Christmas fast approaching my thoughts naturally turn to the problem of present buying for my wine loving friends. There is of course wine, or for those with time and money to spare, a vineyard perhaps?

Whilst owning a vineyard, or having one named after them, may be the perfect present for the person who has everything, the rest of us will be searching for present solutions that won’t break the bank. So, why not treat your loved one to a bottle or two from a vineyard with connections to their favourite star?

The trend of towards celebrities investing their cash in vineyards is not a recent one. In ancient times, leading philosophers, playwrights and politicians often owned vineyards for personal use.

Nowadays, there are many reasons why celebrities choose to become involved in the winemaking industry. Some do it just because they seem to need the ego trip, whilst others go down this route because of the tax benefits it can bring about. It certainly saves nipping down to the supermarket every time Simon Cowell pops round for a drink.

Some, such as film director Francis Ford Coppola, come from families with a long history of winemaking, while others, such as actor Gerard Depardieu, have been lifelong wine enthusiasts. He even lists winemaker as his occupation on his passport, and is involved in a number of wineries around the world. Interestingly, and not to be recommended, he stated in a recent interview that he consumes as much as 14 bottles, a day! It definitely puts my own more modest consumption into perspective.

Johnny Depp bought his former girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis, a vineyard estate just NW of St. Tropez, but despite his reputation as something of a serious wine connoisseur, recent reports suggest his wine drinking days are over.  

David Beckham also acquired a vineyard in Napa, California, for his wife’s birthday in 2008; but unlike others who use their celebrity status as a selling tool in the wine industry, their wine is for the consumption of friends and family only.

His old boss, former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, a real wine buff, was reported to be purchasing a vineyard in France last year for several million pounds. With the publication of his best-selling book last year, he should even have money left to spare.

Winemaking can become a second career for some, like former racing driver Mario Andretti, who purchased his Andretti Winery, also in California, as a hobby in 1996. His wines sell for up to £70 a bottle, with the premium brand, Montona, named after his home village in Croatia.

Irish born actor Sam Neill, who now lives in New Zealand, has called his winery situated in the well regarded Central Otago region on the South Island, Two Paddocks. The Proprietor’s Reserve, Last Chance, Pinot Noir, sells for around £35.

There are different degrees of involvement, and nearly all of them collaborate with an established winemaker but nonetheless it can be a very lucrative business.

Some celebrities lend their names to a special “one off” wine production, as in the case of Pol Roger’s famous Cuvée Winston Churchill, and for many years Rothschild has employed famous artists, including Prince Charles, to design labels for their wines.

Here are some ‘celebrity’ suggestions for solving that present buying dilemma this Christmas.

Francis Ford Coppola – Inglenook, Rubicon, Rutherford, Napa Valley, California, USA. Purchased from profits made out of The Godfather films, this is serious winemaking at its best. Pricey, the exceptional Classic Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely one for keeping, and my top choice at around £50.

Gerard Depardieu – Chateau de Tigne, Anjou, France (and others). He is very active and hands on. The rosé is inexpensive, at under £10 a bottle, and would be number two on my wish list.

Antonio Banderas – Anta Banderas, Ribera del Duero, Spain. Try the ‘a10’, Tempranillo with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, at under £20.

Sting – Tenuta il Palagio, Tuscany, Italy. Each release is named after one of his songs; his ‘Sister Moon’ red blend gets good reviews, and his ‘Message in a Bottle’, costs just £12.50.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – Chateau Miraval, Brignoles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France. First put on sale to the public last years at £13 a bottle, It sold out within days. An award-winning rosé, Pink Floyd (the group recorded part of their album, The Wall, here) is also produced.

Lionel Messi – Bodega Valentin Bianchi, Argentina. All profits from his wine ‘Leo’, go to his charitable foundation. Two reds made from Malbec, and a white called Torrontés are produced.

Nick Faldo – Katnook Estate, Coonawarra, Australia. Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc are available.

David Ginola – Coste Brulade, Provence, France. Silver medal award-winning rosé produced.

Ian Botham and Bob Willis – McLaren Vale, South Australia. The BMW wine range was created in conjunction with Australian winemaker Geoff Merrill, producing a Chardonnay, a Cabernet and a Shiraz.

Graham Norton – Invivo, the New Zealand company that supplies his chat show wines, put out a special Sauvignon Blanc under his name this year.

All of these wines are all available to buy online in the UK. Most are available for around £10, up to a whopping £100+ a bottle.