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It's easy to get a cheap laugh out of the news that Vince Neil of Motley Crue is lending his name to a pair of California wines as part of a venture called Vince Vineyards. (Suggested motto: "Stomp those grapes till they screeeam lordy mama!")
Easy, that is, except for two things: His 2003 Sonoma County Chardonnay and 2003 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon aim to be serious wines made by a serious winery; and since the $20 wines hit the market last month, they have racked up strong sales.
Though production is small at a combined 1,700 cases and intitial distribution is limited to a handful of cities, inquiries are coming in from around the world, and there is talk of ramping up production for next year.
"We weren't sure if it was going to be a big deal or a small deal when Vince's agents approached us, but it's been fantastic," says John Ott, president of Adler Fels winery in Santa Rosa, Calif., where the wines are made.
"It surprised him and us. We think this thing could go to 10,000 or 15,000 cases annually."
Neil is simply the latest example of a long tradition of celebrities trying their hand at the wine business, a movement that is accelerating.
In the past two years, Bob Dylan, Arnold Palmer, NASCAR mogul Richard Childress, Robert Redford, Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood and the Doobie Brothers have taken the plunge. Boz Scaggs plans to join the fold this fall.
A roster of entertainers and athletes with long-standing wine connections includes the Smothers Brothers, Francis Coppola, Olivia Newton-John, the late Fre MacMurray, Fess Parker, Gerard Depardieu, Sam Neill, the late Jerry Garcia, Joe Montana, Mario Andretti and golfers Greg Norman, David Frost and Ernie Els.
The level of celebrity involvement varies widely. Some simply lend their name or give approval to final blends (Neil Dylan); some sign on to raise money for charity (Montana, the Doobie Brothers); some own wineries or vineyards or both (Coppola, Childress, Els, Parker, Andretti, the Smothers Brothers).
Quality, availabitity and pricing also differ. Newton-John's Koala Blue line from Australia includes a simple $8 Chardonnay, while Coppola's Niebaum-Coppola winery makes a collectible $100 red blend from Napa called Rubicon.
But most of these projects seem driven more by passion than profit, at least initially.
To identify wines woth adding to your collection, I invited USA TODAY entertainment reporter Donna Freydkin to help tast 11 wines with celebrity connections. We tasted them with the labels covered and chose our top three. The contenders (prices are approximate):
-Richard Childress (childressvineyards.com), 2004 Childress Vineyards Barrel Select Pinot Gris, North Carolina, $13.
-Sofia Coppola (sofiamini.com), Sofia Blanc de Blancs, California, $19.99, four-pack of 187 milliliter cans.
-Francis Coppola (rossobianco.com), Francis Coppola Presents Rosso, California, $11 (Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon blend.)
-Doobie Brothers (brcohn.com), 2002 Doobie Red "The Captain and Me," Sonoma County. (The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc is available only a part of $96 three-bottle set.)
-Bob Dylan (fattorialeterrazze.com), 2002 Fattoria Le Terrazze Planet Waves, Marche, Italy, $70 (Montepulciano, Merlot blend).
-Ernie Els (www.ernieelswines.com), 2003 Engelbrecht-Els Vineyards Red Wine, South Africa, $45 (Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz-based blend).
-Fred MacMurray (macmurrayranch.com), 2003 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $32.
-Vince Neil (no website), 2003 Vince Vineyards Chardonnay, Sonoma County, $20.
-Greg Norman (shark.com), 2002 Greg Norman Estates Cabernet-Merlot, Limestone coast, Australia, $16.
-Arnold Palmer (arnoldpalmerwines.com), 2002 Arnold Palmer Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $15.
-Fess Parker (fessparker.com), 2003 Fess Parker Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, $24.
The results: Freydkin preferred the "smooth, easy-to-drink-while-sitting-on-your-porch" character of the Childress wine, along with the reds from Dylan and the Doobie Brothers. I liked Neil's buttery Chardonnay and the complex, serious efforts from Dylan and the Doobie Brothers. Somewhat surprisingly, all of the whites has some merit (though one bottle was slightly corked, or oxidized).
The conclusion: Sometimes it's worth paying attention when stars repay their cheers with "cheers." |
