Justin Timberlake creates wedding cuvée

Adding another string to his already well-adorned bow, in addition to singing, dancing and acting, newlywed Justin Timberlake has proved a dab hand in the cellar, creating a bespoke red blend from Sonoma County to be served at his wedding to Hollywood starlet Jessica Biel in southern Italy last month.

As reported on db.com, the Timberlake-Biel wedding cuvée – 2009 Blue Ocean Floor – was blended from Alexander Valley Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition to being poured at the $6.5m reception, the wine was given as a gift to guests, including hip-hop producer Timbaland, who recently got in on the celebrity drinks act with a sparkling liqueur called LeSutra.

Jesse Katz, winemaker at Lancaster Estate in Alexander Valley, and a snowboarding buddy of both Justin and Jessica, made two barrels of the wine to mark the occasion. Trousersnake has been following 28-year-old Katz’s career progression with interest. A winemaker to watch, prior to Lancaster Estate, he made wine at California cult estate Screaming Eagle.

Timberlake played an important part in the blending process for Blue Ocean Floor and provided the artwork for the label, produced by Ellen Riendeau of Soda Rock Studios. A keen drinks enthusiast, Timberlake also has own ultra-premium Tequila brand, 901, made from triple distilled 100% blue agave and named after the area code of the singer’s hometown of Memphis. 

Brad Pitt to serve own rosé wine at wedding

Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt is to serve one of his own wines at his wedding to actress Angelina Jolie this September, db.com reports. Among the wines hand-picked by Pitt for the reception will be Provençal rosé Pink Floyd, produced at Pitt and Jolie’s Château Miraval in Côtes de Provence, which dates from pre-Roman times.

The wine is so named as rock band Pink Floyd recorded part of their iconic album The Wall at the château, and reportedly became fond of the pink drop during their stay. The estate was home to Studio Miraval in the ‘70s, created by Jazz pianist Jacques Loussier, where everyone from Sting and Sade to The Cranberries came to record music.

The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne will also feature in the wedding wine line-up, along with one wine from Germany. A source told The Sun: “Brad’s cellar boasts some incredibly rare wines and rivals those of some of the best connoisseurs in Europe. He’s always had a keen interest in wine and did his wine steward’s course this year.”

The Oxford Wine Company website describes the 2011 vintage of Pink Floyd as “a complex rosé with red berry, strawberry and red cherry fruit underpinned by crisp minerality and tight structure. The 13.5% wine, a blend of old vine Cinsault and Grenache, is bottled under cork.

Château Miraval is set among 400 hectares of land, 75 of which are planted with vines on a mixture of clay and chalk soil. In addition to Pink Floyd, the estate produces a white made from Rolle and a red made from Syrah, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. The château has certified organic vineyards in Côtes de Provence and Côteaux Varois.

Pitt and Jolie plan to tie the knot in September with only close family and friends present. Pitt has been left to do the majority of the wedding planning. In May, it was reported that Brad Pitt is to star in the film adaptation of The Billionaire’s Vinegar, a book by Benjamin Wallace on the fake Thomas Jefferson bottles affair.  

Goo Goo Dolls wine to be designed by fans

American soft rockers the Goo Goo Dolls have asked their fans to design the label for their limited-edition wine made in collaboration with Noni Bacca Winery in North Carolina. Unfortunately for Goo Goo devotees, the wine is destined for the band’s private wine collection rather than supermarket shelves, though a number of the bottles will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to youth charity Compass House.

Launched via the band’s fansite AbsoluteGoo.com, the top two designs will be turned into wine labels, which will include the name of the winning artist. Labels must measure 3.33″ by 4″ and must contain the band’s name, but don’t have to be digitally generated – sketches and paintings are being accepted.

Noni Bacca Winery owner Toni Incorvaia secured the collaboration through a long-standing friendship with the band. “We’re all from Buffalo – I used to take the school bus with the band's founder Robby Takac – we were neighbours,” Incorvaia told StarNews. “When they played here at the Azalea Festival I had some souvenir wine bottled for them."

Aspiring artists can submit their label designs to the Noni Bacca Facebook page. The Goo Goo Dolls formed in 1985, and enjoyed commercial success with their 1998 single Iris, written for the soundtrack of the film City of Angels, starring Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan. In 2009, Iris was reported as the fourth-biggest-selling song of the ‘90s on iTunes UK, ahead of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. 

Mondavi teams up with Josh Groban

In yet another celebrity/wine hook-up, Robert Mondavi Winery in California is to collaborate with pop singer-turned-actor Josh Groban on an as yet unnamed Napa Valley wine scheduled for release next year. As reported on db.com, the union will also stretch to in-store displays promoting Robert Mondavi wines alongside Groban’s new album, to be released early next year. Downloads of Groban's latest singles will also be made available through the winery’s website.

“Fine wine and the arts are a natural pairing, so collaborating with the people at Mondavi to promote their wines and my upcoming album feels like an organic endeavor,” said Groban. The pop-classical singer recently performed at the winery’s 43rd annual Summer Concert Series, marking the beginning of the collaboration.

“Margrit Mondavi started the tradition of inviting visitors to the Napa Valley to slow down the rush of their daily lives and enjoy great wine, great food and great music. An artist with such talent as Josh, who shares this vision of an enriched life, helps us to communicate that message around the globe,” said estate director Carl Jaeger.

Groban will work closely with director of winemaking, Genevieve Janssens, and winery chef, Jeff Mosher, to combine the winery's values of wine, food, and the arts. The 31-year-old, Los Angeles-born, singer has sold 25 million albums worldwide. Last year, he appeared alongside Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell and Emma Stone in the film Crazy, Stupid, Love, and in the American version of The Office. 

Bocelli launches new Italian wine line

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has launched a new line of high-end Italian wines with his brother Alberto. As reported on db.com, expanding production at his Tuscan estate, the classical singer has released a100% Sangiovese made from hand-harvested grapes from Morellino di Scansano, and an extra dry Prosecco in collaboration with leading Prosecco producer Trevisiol.

Bocelli has partnered with Seattle-based importer August Wine Group to import, sell and distribute the wines in the US and major international markets. Both wines have just launched in New York, Texas, Illinois, Washington and Oregon, priced at US$19.99 each, and will be available throughout the US by the end of August. Since 2006, August Wine Group has sold Bocelli's small-production wines under the company's boutique subsidiary Small Vineyards.

"When I return home after long trips, the joy that I receive from the taste of wine from my land is hard to match. It brings me back in time, to memories of my father, of him pouring the wine with a quasi-religious respect. I would give anything for him to see what has been accomplished in the past few years; I’m sure he'd be proud," Bocelli said.

“It’s exciting to be part of such a powerful brand, and to be associated with a family that is such a force for good in the world,” said August Wine Group co-founder and director Joshua Hanson. "We’ve had some really great feedback from the trade – we should easily reach our sales target of 20,000 cases this year,” he added.

Based in Lajatico in Tuscany, Bocelli Family Wines is a family-run company owned by Andrea and Alberto Bocelli. The Bocelli family has produced wine on their Tuscan estate for over 130 years. With renowned Tuscan winemaker Paolo Caciorgna at the helm, in addition to Prosecco and Sangiovese, the estate also produces In Canto Cabernet Sauvignon, Alcide – a Sangiovese/Cabernet blend, and Terre di Sandro old-vine Sangiovese.

Fergie to launch her own wine

Pop star Fergie is to launch her own wine brand after buying a vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara, California. As reported on db.com, the California-born Black Eyed Peas singer will produce her own Ferguson Crest wines from the Santa Barbara estate, which will double as her father’s new home.

The Meet Me Halfway songstress revealed to Forbes Life magazine she’s been busy investing in a number of new property projects, including her vineyard venture. "It's an investment. I'm investing in real estate. Plus, my dad is going to have a great house,” she told the magazine. Grape growing at the estate will be overseen by Fergie’s horticulturalist father, Pat Ferguson.

The Ferguson Crest range, which includes a single estate Syrah, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Viognier, will be released in the US later this year. The wines will be small production – in the region of 1,000 cases of Syrah a year, and even smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier.

Born Stacy Ann Ferguson, Fergie also has her own perfume – Outspoken, produced in collaboration with Avon, and is part-owner of the Miami Dolphins American football team. She is the latest in an increasingly long line of celebrity vintners.

Earlier this year, actress Drew Barrymore released her own wine – Barrymore 2011 Pinot Grigio, from grapes grown in the Veneto, Friuli and Alto Adige in Northern Italy. Last month, former Eurythmics star Dave Stewart teamed up with McLaren Vale estate Mollydooker to release Ringmaster General Shiraz 2010 to coincide with his upcoming album of the same name.

Pop icon Lady Gaga is also hoping to turn her hand to winemaking, and was spotted looking for vineyard land in Sonoma County this March with boyfriend Taylor Kinney. Director Francis Ford Coppola, classical singer Andrea Bocelli, and actors Dan Aykroyd, Sam Neill and Antonio Banderas all also have their own wine brands. 

Eurythmics star Dave Stewart releases wine

Former Eurythmics star Dave Stewart has become the latest celebrity vintner after teaming up with McLaren Vale estate Mollydooker on a limited edition bottling. As reported on thedrinksbusiness.com, Ringmaster General Shiraz 2010, named after title of Stewart's upcoming album, is priced at £78. The 15.5% abv wine is a repackaged version of the Australian estate’s Carnival of Love Shiraz 2010, which is barrel-fermented and matured in 100% new American oak.

Lisa Perotti-Brown of The Wine Advocate describes the wine as having: “An intense scent of blueberry preserves, creme de cassis and warm black cherries with an undercurrent of baking spices, licorice, mocha, vanilla, toast and eucalypt.” Suggested food pairings on the Mollydooker site include kangaroo and chocolate fondue. A bottle of the wine can be seen in the rocker's new video for Girl In A Catsuit.

“It has been an absolute pleasure working with such a creative and talented man as Dave Stewart,” said Mollydooker owners Sarah and Sparky Marquis. “Sarah and Sparky are the flying trapeze artists of the wine world and I’m so honoured to collaborate with them on Ringmaster General Shiraz,” Stewart added. The wine comes in a gift box, which includes the new album and a documentary on the making of The Ringmaster General and Stewart’s critically acclaimed 2011 album The Blackbird Diaries.

Post Eurythmics, Sunderland-born singer/songwriter Stewart has enjoyed considerable success as a solo artist, working with the likes of Ringo Star, Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi and Bryan Ferry. In 2010 he penned the non-fiction book The Business Playground on the importance of creativity in business. Stewart is married to Dutch photographer Anoushka Fisz with whom he has two daughters.

Lady Gaga to make own wine brand

Lady Gaga reportedly wants to make her own wine with boyfriend Taylor Kinney. As reported on thedrinksbusiness.com, the pop icon was spotted in Sonoma County last week, and is interested in buying a property in the area with a view to making her own wine. During the visit, Gaga told guests she and Kinney want to grow their own grapes.

"Gaga is really into her food and wine. When she isn't on tour she is cooking and drinking the most expensive bottles she can get her hands on. After touring in Europe she has taken a real interest in the production of her favourite reds," a source told the Sun. "She also sees a vineyard as a business investment and something she can work on when her pop career comes to an end,” the source added. The 25-year-old Italian American recently revealed she was a huge fan of red wine.

"My favourite way to catch up with friends is to have wine and food nights. We cook together and drink six or seven bottles of red wine," she said. During her trip to California, Gaga stopped into Sonoma's Best wine shop. "When she came in I noticed the stiletto heals and knew she couldn’t be from Sonoma," said owner Gayle Jenkins.

Two days later, the songstress was spotted in the area again with Kinney, who joined Gaga at the bar of The Girl & the Fig where the pair sipped the restaurant's signature Fig Kiss cocktail featuring FigCello di Sonoma liqueur, made locally from hand picked black mission figs.

In December, db touted Gaga as one of our five “Ones to Watch” in 2012 in our Power List issue, predicting the singer to impact upon the wine market this year, having often tweeted about her love of wine to her 16m Twitter followers. The eccentric singer, born Stefani Germanotta, topped last year’s Forbes celebrity list, with a net worth of US$90m.

Last week, actress Drew Barrymore revealed she had joined the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Madonna, Dan Aykroyd and Antonio Banderas by launching her own wine – Barrymore 2011 Pinot Grigio, Delle Venezie IGT. With Gaga now in on the act, the celebrity wine movement is gaining traction, placed to usurp perfume as the hobby brand of choice for the stars. Is wine finally getting the celebrity attention it deserves, or should these starlets be sticking to what they do best?

Drew Barrymore wine

Hollywood starlet Drew Barrymore has joined the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Madonna, Dan Aykroyd and Antonio Banderas by launching her own wine, in a move that hints wine may be gaining ground on perfume as the next big celebrity trend.

As reported on thedrinksbusiness.com, Barrymore 2011 Pinot Grigio, Delle Venezie IGT, a 12% abv crisp, dry and fruity white, is made from grapes grown in the Veneto, Friuli and Alto Adige in northern Italy. Barrymore, known for her roles in films such as Charlie’s Angels, Never Been Kissed, 50 First Dates and E.T., said she wanted to create a “fresh, dynamic and fun” wine that reflected her style and personality.

“Wine is all about the journey, the discovery of new places and new varieties,” she said, adding, “I’m excited about sharing this Pinot Grigio with my friends and family and other wine lovers.” According to Barrymore’s California-based distributor, Wilson Daniels, the wine has a pale straw colour and offers hints of “fresh apricot and lively citrus flavours”.

The label – designed by street artist Shepard Fairey, creator of the famous 2008 red and blue Barack Obama “Hope” poster – features the Barrymore family crest. The wine, which is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, will launch in California at US$19.99 a bottle, before expanding its distribution across the US later in the year.