What's the deal with Celebrity Wines?

Celebrities often have a way of getting their hands in everything: clothing lines, perfumes, shoes, restaurants…and now, wine. In recent years, it seems that celebrity-owned wine labels are popping up everywhere. Some of the most well known celebs have dived into the world of winemaking either by partnering with wineries or purchasing their own vineyard, tasting and blending their own varieties or simply giving their opinions and preferences to the producers.

Celebrity branded drinks 

It’s not just wine though. Alcohol in general has been a hot industry for celebrities to take over. It started to take off in 2013 when actor George Clooney, who recently purchased an estate in Provence called Domaine du Canadel, founded Casamigos with Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman. The three partners sold their brand to one of the biggest companies in the alcoholic beverage industries, Diageo, in 2017 for a billion dollars. By the end of 2020, Casamigos hit a one million case milestone.

George Clooeny gave Casamigos that VIP celeb appeal that spearheaded the idea that celebrities can extend their business and make more money in the alcohol industry. After that, celeb-owned alcohol brands were popping up everywhere! 

Actors and actresses, musicians, sports stars, television personalities… The list of celebrities with their own wine brand is miles long, and just keeps getting longer. Here are some of the celebrity-owned wines that we have seen on the market:

• Actress Cameron Diaz and one of her friends developed Avaline wines, an organic and vegan wine without any additives. Check out our review and comparison! 

• Model and actress, Cara Delevingne, and her two sisters partnered with third-generation Italian winemakers to create Della Vita Prosecco. 

• This Is Us star, Chrissy Metz created The Joyful Heart Wine Company, which donates a portion of each bottle purchased to World Central Kitchen, an organization that provides food to those affected by natural disasters.
• Snoop Dogg teamed up with 19 Crimes to create his own Snoop Cali Red.
• Actress Tori Spelling partnered with HALL Wines and handpicked 11 varieties to be part of the Tori Collection.
• Race car driver Danica Patrick made her own Provencal style rosé, Danica Rosé.
• Rapper Post Malone has a rosé called Maison No. 9.
• Singer Jon Bon Jovi launched Hampton Water Wine with his son.
• Actor Kurt Russell created GoGi wines with ten different varieties all named after special people in his life.
• Dave Matthews started Blenheim Vineyards back in 2000, and more recently partner with a wine expert for Dreaming Tree Wines.
• Former football star John Elway partnered with well known winemaker Robert Mondavi Jr. to start his own label, 7 Cellars.
• Television host Guiliana Rancic teamed up with Terlato Wines in Italy and created Guiliana Prosecco.
• Musician Zac Brown partnered with Napa Valley winery Delicato Family Vineyards and developed Z. Alexander Brown.
• Food Network legend Guy Fieri created a brand called Hunt amp Ryde, named after his two sons Hunter and Ryder.
• Singer John Legend made Legend Vineyard Exclusive in collaboration with Raymond Vineyards in Napa Valley.
• American Actress Diane Keaton also created a Californian Red Blend that she recommends to serve on ice. 

We could keep going, but there are just too many to name!

Are Celebrity wines any good?

Many of these wines rise to stardom because of the name behind the brand, but does their talent translate into wine production? Just because someone has won multiple Oscars, has a best selling album or an Olympic gold medal doesn’t mean they have the same skills as wine producers who have been making wine for centuries. Wine making is a very precise and learned art form that takes years and years to perfect. Sometimes, it’s worth it to do some research on the wine before buying it just because your favorite celebrity owns it.

This isn’t to say that celebrities cannot make great wine or do wonders for the wine industry. In fact, when former couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie produced Miraval rosé on their Provence estate, it was named one of the top 100 wines by Wine Spectator, and resulted in a huge uptick for rosé and could very well be one of the main reasons this variety of wine started to become much more sought after. Celebrity endorsements can truly make a difference when it comes to sales and profit and popularity…

Celebrity Wines are generally Mass Produced

But popularity is not always the main goal for wineries. As we have explained to you before, mass produced brands are the ones to look out for when it comes to added sugars, sulfites and other chemicals and preservatives. When they are making so many bottles, sometimes corners are cut to save on time and cost. SYLTBAR wine makers will never do this!

SYLTBAR wine comes from a family-owned vineyard with four generations of experience. Nothing added, nothing removed. Our producers may not be celebrities in the traditional sense, but in our eyes, they are.

To shop 100% naturally produced, vegan wine with no added sugars or sulfites, visit our online store or look for a retailer near you that sells SYLTBAR wines.