Celebrity Vineyards and Distilleries
What do you do when you have more cash than you can stuff under your mattress? You do one of three things:
- If you’re famous, you design your own liquor or partner with an existing distiller or vintner;
- You invest in the hospitality sector, picking up – or opening up – a restaurant, hotel/resort or bar;
- You buy an existing vineyard to add caché to your brand, carry on tradition, and/or have fun with your friends.
Aside from scions of business, vineyard and distillery owners typically fall into four distinct categories: The Entertainers, The Sporting, The Fashionistas and The Foodies. Here is a selection of celebrity vineyards and distilleries:
THE ENTERTAINERS
George Clooney & Rande Gerber
Casamigos Tequila
Website
Products: Blanco (rested 2 months), Reposado (rested 7 months), Anejo (rested 14 months)
Where to buy: Go online, type in your zip code to find retailers near you
Gerard Depardieu
Chateau de Tigne, Tigne, France
Website
Wines: 5 reds, 2 rose & 6 whites
Where to buy: See online list of distributors
Dan Aykroyd
Dan Ackroyd Wines & Crystal Head Vodka
Wine website
Vodka website
Wines: 2 white, 4 reds & 1 ice wine
Vodka: Crystal Head Original & Crystal Head Aurora
Where to buy: Wine online; Crystal Head – go online, type in your zip code to find retailers near you
Sting & Trudy Styler
Vineyard/Estate Il Palagio, Tuscany
Website
Estate planted since the 1500’s
Wines: Message in a Bottle, Sister Moon, When We Dance & Casino Delle Vie
Where to buy: On-site farm shop; online (UK only); available internationally through resellers
Visit?: Yes
Dave Matthews
Dreaming Tree Wines
A collaboration between award-winning Sonoma County winemaker Sean McKenzie and South African American musician Dave Matthews in Geyserville, CA.
Website
Wines: 2 whites, 3 reds
Where to buy: Shop online or go online, type in your zip code to find retailers near you
Visits?: Yes
Bill Murray & Mikhail Baryshnikov
Slovenia Vodka
A collaboration between Murray, Baryshnikov and Hudson Valley chef Peter X. Kelly
Website
Vodka: 1 Slovenia Vodka
Where to buy: Online + through these retailers
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Geyserville, California
Website
Wines: Francis Coppola reserve wines; Archimedes, Eleanor, Pitagora, I Mille, Vendetta, Director’s Cut, Director’s Great Movies, Director’s, Diamond Collection, Gia by Gia Coppola, Rosso & Bianco, Sofia, Votre Sante
Where to buy: On site, Online, retail
Visits?: Yes
THE SPORTING
Mario Andretti
Andretti Winery, Napa Valley, CA
Website
Wines: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot; Montona Reserve Wines & Villa Andretti Series
Where to buy: On site, online
Visits?: Yes
Frank Arciero
Arciero Family Vineyards & EOS Estate Winery, Paso Robles, CA
Website
Wines: Reds, whites & sweet: Cabernet Sauvignon, Rose, Port, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah
Where to buy: On site, online
Visits: Yes?
Drew Bledsoe
Doubleback Wine, Walla Walla Valley, WA
Website
Wines: Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon, Bledsoe Family Wine (Red Bordeaux), Signature Series (Stolen Horse, Healy Rose)
Where to buy: All wines available to list members only; Get on the list
Visits?: Yes; private tastings by appointment
Mike Ditka
A collaboration with Terlato Wines
Website
Wines: 9 products – Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux Blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Where to buy: Online
Visits?: No
Wayne Gretzky
Gretzky Estate Wines, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Website
Wines: No. 99 Collection: 4 whites, 5 reds and 1 icewine
Where to buy: Online; Find a retailer
Visits?: Yes
Joe Montana
Montagia Wines, Napa Valley, CA
Collaboration with Ed Sbragia, Sbragia Family Vineyards
Website
Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon Montagia
Where to buy: Onsite; Find a retailer
Visits?: Yes
Greg Norman
Greg Norman Estates, South Australia, California, New Zealand, Argentina
Website
Wines: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Shiraz Cabernet, Cabernet Merlot, Malbec, Sparkling; 3 whites, 7 reds, 1 sparkling
Where to buy: Find a retailer
Visits?: Yes
THE FASHIONISTAS
Wertheimer Family, Chanel, Inc.
St. Supery, Napa Valley & Chateau Rauzan-Segla, Margaux & Chateau Canon, St. Emilion in France
Websites:
St. Supery, Chateau Rauzan-Segla, Chateau Canon
Wines:
St. Supery – 10 Single vineyard varietals from the Dollarhide & Rutherford Estates; Virtu & Elu (blends); Napa Valley Estate Collection (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Estate Rose Rine, Estate Moscato)
Chateau Rauzan-Segla – Rauzan-Segla (Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot); Segla (Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Cabernet Franc)
Chateau Canon – Chateau Canon (Premier Grand Cru Classe) & Croix Canon (Merlot w. Cabernet Franc
Where to buy: See websites
Visits?: Yes
Giovanni Bulgari
Podernuovo a Palazzine, Southern Tuscany
Website
Wines:
Therra (A blend of Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a tip of Petit Verdot and Malbec); Argirio (Blend of Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon); Sotirio (Sangovese Rosso)
Where to buy: Find a distributor
Visits?: No
Bernard Arnault of LVMH
New Vineyard, Napa, CA & Domaine Chandon, Yountville, CA & Chateau Cheval Blanc, St. Emilion, FR
Website: Chateau Cheval Blanc, Domaine Chandon
Wines:
Domaine Chandon – Chandon, Etoile, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Meunier, Carneros, Pinot Noir L’Argile, Pinot Noir Dijon Clones
Chateau Cheval Blanc – Chateau Cheval Blanc, Petit Cheval
Where to buy: Find a retailer
Visits?: See websites
The Ferragamo Family
Il Borro & Castiglian del Bosco, Tuscany
Website: Il Borro, Castligan del Bosco
Wines:
Il Borro – Il Borro, Alessandro dal Borro, Bolle di Borro Classic Method Rose, Polessera, Pian di nova Lanelle, Occhio di Pernice
Castiglian del Bosco – Montalcino Riparbella, Chardonnay, San Michele, Grappa
Where to buy: On site, online
Visits?: Yes
Maurice Marciano, Founder of Guess
Marciano Estate, Napa Valley, CA
Website
Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Massiglia (Cab Blend), Sauvignon Blanc, Terra Gratia (Red blend), Kosher Red Wine
Where to buy: Online
Visits?: Unknown
THE FOODIES
Mario Batali
La Mozza, Tuscany, Italy
A collaboration with Bastianich Winery
Website
Wines: Aragone, Perazzi
Where to buy: Find a retailer
Visits?: Unknown
Lidia Bastianich
Bastianich Winery, Friuli, Italy
Website
Wines: Orsone Wines – Friulno, Sauvignon, Ribolla, Pinot Grigio, Refosco; Cru Line – Vespa Bianco, Vespa Rosso, Plus, Calabrone, Rosato
Where to buy: Find a distributor
Visits: Yes
Next time you’re sitting in the lounge of one of our partner hotels and want to try something other than your usual, pull up this list and see which of these is on offer.
Cin cin!
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