W L
THE CURIOUS QUAFFER
CELEBRITY WINES
What is it with celebrities and wine ? For some time now celebrities have owned vineyards or have , in various ways , leant their name to a bottle of wine . Today it seems like every celebrity on the planet has a winery , owns a vineyard or is , somehow , involved with wine . Many have done very well for themselves . Take Francis Ford Coppola , for example , the acclaimed film director and producer of , amongst many others , The Godfather and Apocalypse Now films . For some time , he has been as famous for his wines , in some circles , as he is for his movies . range included wines named after some of their greatest hits – ‘ Back in Black Shiraz ’ ( after one of the bestselling albums and songs ever ); the ‘ Highway to Hell Cabernet Sauvignon ’; the ‘ You Shook Me All Night Long Moscato ’; the ‘ Hells Bells Sauvignon Blanc ’ and the ‘ Thunderstruck Chardonnay ’.
To prove the point , that celebrity wines are all around us :
MARIO ANDRETTI – on retirement from the racetrack in 1994 , the racing car legend was presented with a special-label bottle of cabernet sauvignon . He enjoyed the gift experience so much that he went on to purchase a 53 acre Napa Valley vineyard , in partnership with a close friend and sponsor . Between them , they built a Tuscan style winery ( Andretti was Italian born ) and now produce a wide range of wines . Andretti has been , and remains , closely involved in the important decisions of the winery .
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA – acclaimed director and producer Coppola moved to the Napa Valley in 1975 and bought some 1,560 acres of the old Inglenook Winery estate . The world was subsequently introduced to the Niebaum - Coppola Estate Winery and his flagship Rubicon wine ( Niebaum was the Finnish-born sea captain who established Inglenook in 1879 ). In 1995 he purchased the remaining part of the Estate and , in 2011 , acquired the Inglenook name and trademark , then returning the winery back to its historic name . His wine empire now also includes the famous Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma County and the Vista Hills Vineyard in Oregon ’ s Willamette Valley .
AC / DC – a surprise ? Well they don ’ t own a winery , and I ’ m pretty sure they don ’ t make the wine themselves either ! However , in 2011 , the world famous rock band teamed up with the Warburn Estate winery in Australia and collaborated in introducing the world to the AC / DC range of wines . The
IAN BOTHAM – one of the greatest cricketers of any generation , and a long time wine lover , has been involved in many wine related projects for years – all in Australia . Most wellknown was probably his involvement in the Botham Merrill Willis label , which saw him and former cricketer and long term friend , the great late Bob Willis , join forces with McLaren Vale winemaker Geoff Merrill some 19 years ago . He has also held the position as a brand ambassador for Hardy ’ s wines ( sponsors of the English cricket team ). Most recently , though , in 2018 he launched , with London-based drinks distributor Benchmark Drinks , his own range of wines - ‘ Ian Botham Wines ’. Again , focused on Australia , he has brought to us wines that are arranged into three tiers - the entry-level wines called the ‘ All- Rounder ’ series , then ‘ The Botham Series ’ and finally the ‘ Sir Ian Botham Parcels ’ series at the top of the range . Soon to be added to the Botham range will apparently be a 2019 Central Otago Pinot Noir to commemorate the 40th anniversary of England ’ s Ashes win in 1981 ( the famous Botham Ashes ).
BRAD PITT & ANGELINA JOLIE – owners of the famous Château Miraval in Provence since 2011 . The winery is run by the Perrin family ( Rhône Valley wine royalty ) and produces
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