Celebrities and wines.
Introduction.
In the UK it’s true to say that we love our ‘Royals’ especially when things about them appear in the press. We also love it when something about a celebrity appears in the press, where press usually means the tabloid newspapers. The difference between the two groups is that whereas the Royals do not seek the publicity in the first place, the celebrities seem to go out of their way to court it. So, with a large proportion of the nation increasingly buying wine, whether from an online wine merchant or from a store, it isn’t particularly surprising that we now see reports about ‘celebrities’ getting involved in either growing vines, making wine, tasting it or simply putting their name to it. Whilst they can use their celebrity name to market and promote a celebrity wine, growing vines can be a ‘hit and miss’ venture. The grapes have to be picked at exactly the right time and are notoriously fickle to unusual weather conditions, which for a European grower is often a high risk. So, the following is a small selection of celebrities we’re all familiar with and who actually grow and make the stuff, rather than just using wine to promote their latest venture.
Cliff Richard
Many people will find it surprising that Sir Cliff Richard was one of the first UK celebrities to start growing vines and making wine. He has owned property in the Algarve region of Portugal for over 40 years and in 1997 planted his first vineyard the Quinta do Moinho; this was followed in 2001 by the Quinta do Miradouro and then in 2004 by the Vale do Sobreiro vineyards. In total the vineyards cover some 18 hectares and grow mainly Syrah grapes along with some Tempranillo and other mainly indigenous Portuguese grapes. The only white wine variety grown is the Portuguese Verdelho at the Vale do Sobreiro vineyard. The vineyards are in the Lagoa region of the Algrave and are under the Vinho Regional Algarvio appellation. The wines are actually made at the Ageda do Cantor – winery of the singer – which is near Guia. The wines are marketed under the Vida Nova label as Tinto, Branco and Rose wines. There is also a ‘Reserva’ category of bottle matured Tinto wines. Without doubt the best wine coming out of Ageda do Cantor is the Tinto wine. Being young reds they have a deep and dark colour and are characterised by a cherry flavour. You can buy these wine online from many online wine merchants.
Ian Botham.
Along with another former England cricketer, Bob Willis, Ian Botham has a share in an Australian winery near Adelaide owned since the mid 1980s by ‘Aussie’ Geoff Merill. Launched in 2003 the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines under the label ‘BMW’ – Botham, Merill, Willis – disappeared off the shelves as quickly as they were put out on display, such was the public demand for them. The wines are blended with grapes from the Coonawara and McLaren Vale regions which is how they get their distinctive tastes. The red is rich and complex with a ripe berry flavour whilst the white is a deep straw colour and tastes of citrus and melon. The Cabernet Sauvignon is expected to improve in the bottle for several years to come whilst the Chardonnay will cellar well for a couple of years. You can buy these wines online in the UK.
Mick Hucknall
The star vocalist of Simply Red has a vineyard in Sicily, Italy, where he spends most of his time these days. The wine he produces is called Il Cantante (The Singer) and is a Nero d’Avola of the Etna Rosso Denominazione di Origine Controllata. Nero d’Avola is a deep red wine with a strong taste and the scent of red berries and spices. So far it has been a wine that you could buy online and in special auctions, then again he currently only produces a few thousand bottles of it a year. The grapes grow in a vineyard in the Sant’ Alfio area, on the slopes of the volcano. Mick Hucknall along with his wine maker, Salvo Foti, hopes to expand the vineyard and winery to be able to produce nearer 100,000 bottles a year, two reds and two whites, under the Etna DOC.
Did you know?.
Sting, or more correctly, Gordon Sumner has a small vineyard in Tuscany where he makes a Chianti simply called Il Serrestori. However, this is so small that only family and friends have tasted it.
And finally, the songwriter Andy Hill – he wrote all the Bucks Fizz hits – actually owns an English vineyard in West Sussex, there he makes a sparkling wine – what else! Being in West Sussex it is very convenient for London wine deliveries. Whilst not yet considered a UK fine wine, being a sparkling wine it would be a novel idea as an alternative to a gift of Champagne. Andy does have plans to expand his vineyard in the near future.