Celebrity Wine [Part 2]

In addition to donating millions to charitable organizations, spending time to help various people in need, more celebrities are getting involved with what really matters: WINE! This is part 2 of “celebrity winemakers”.

Enjoy and check back later for more!

5 – Let’s be honest… We ALL remember actor Jason Priestley as the golden boy Brandon Walsh on the original version of the hit television series Beverly Hills 90210. After cultivating a wild interest in wine in the early 1990s, the British Columbia born actor became a co-owner of the Black Hills Estate winery, which lies on a 27 acre property. The vineyards are located on the famed Black Sage Bench, in the Okanagan Valley and benefit from a microclimate that makes it one of the hottest, driest and sunniest sites in Canada. The winery produces an average of 6300 cases per year, a limited production that features a price range of $25 to $35. Jason believes there are undeniable similarities between acting and winemaking: “When you’re selling wine, you’re not only selling what’s in the bottle, you’re selling the story behind the wine.”

6 – In addition to making and marketing his own vodka brand called Crystal Head, Canadian actor Dan Aykroyd launched his wine in partnership with Niagara Cellars, which owns four wineries in the Niagara region. Back in 2007, Dan has decided to team up with some of his favorite winemakers that he has met throughout his travels to create a series of regionally inspired and modestly priced wines. These are sold under the ‘Discovery’ and ‘Signature Series’ labels. The Canadian based group of wineries makes a Cabernet and a Chardonnay that range from $11 to $23. So if there’s something strange in your wine cellar, who ya gonna call?!

7. “Coming to a table near you!” The multitalented actor, director and writer Sam Neill used the tenacity and courage of his Jurassic Park character Dr. Alan Grant to create his own line of wine under the label of Two Paddocks. Established in 1993, this humble family owned wine estate runs three vineyards in the Central Otago region of New Zealand’s south island. Primarly Pinot Noir, but also Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, Two Paddocks wines are always in short supply, due to the relatively small acreage (roughly 140) and a production of 3,000 cases of wine a year. Two Paddocks wines sell for $15 to $46… if you can get it!

8 – As real as animated CGI gets, it will never replace the warm feeling of wine that can only be appreciated in real life, and this Pixar giant knows it far too well. John Lasseter went back to what’s real and his new passion doesn’t need CGI to wow the public. The story of Lasseter Family Winery began in 1992 when John and Nancy Lasseter moved to the town of Sonoma and discovered the art of winemaking through a group of amateur winemaking friends. Three generations of the Lasseter family continue to work together on this project. Lasseter proudly makes a rosé called “Enjoué”, a Rhône style red blend called “Chemin de Fer”, a Bordeaux blend called “Paysage” (their inaugural wine and estate grown) and a Malbec called Amoureux (also estate grown). They all retail from $24 to $40 with a considerable discount if you join their membership.