Celebrity Wine [Part 5]

In this new celebrity wine article, we’re doing it Hollywood style. Some of the most renowned actors and directors have decided to flee the city of angels temporarily to devote themselves to the art of winemaking. Today, we feature James Cameron, Richard Gere, Kyle MacLachlan, and movie director / cinematographer Michael Seresin.

17 – James Cameron is a grapefriend! He just bought Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery in British Columbia, the latest and grapiest addition to his other sustainable farmland holdings all around the world (including a walnut farm in New Zealand).

Beaufort’s a pretty small vineyard with only 8 acres and a production of 2,000 cases. They make some regular wines like Cab ($20), and a bunch of wackier stuff: like a red blend of Leon Millot, Marechal Foch & Cab-Foch (also $20), a traditional method sparkling red also made from that red blend ($24), and a fortified fruit wine called Black – Solera ($17.50) made from Beaufort Estate & west coast blackberries and Comox Valley blackcurrants.

If you’re ever in the area, go enjoy the beautiful setting and views overlooking the Beaufort vineyards and mountains. You might enjoy it enough to say “I’ll be back.”

 

18 – Good looks and an exciting acting career is not enough for Richard Gere. Sex symbol by excellence, he’s been stealing ladies’ hearts since Pretty Woman and now he has his own line of Tuscan wine. The actor lent his name to an exclusive brand of Brunello produced by Tenuta San Filippo di Montalcino.

The initial batch of the famous Tuscan red was a 2007 vintage sold under his private label Bedford Post, the same name of his Relais & Châteaux property in New York. Richard’s pick for his Bedfort Post label is an exclusive brand of Brunelo from “Le Lucére” line, a prestigious cru which was rated 92/100 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. That same wine was rated 96 points from Wine Spectator in 2004.

Located in the ancient San Filippo village, east of Montalcino, the winery currently produces 25,000 bottles of the acclaimed Sangiovese Grosso. The wine is aged 2 years in barrels and barriques, after which it is bottled and refined for 8 months before hitting the market (retails for approximately $55).

 

19 – Famous actor Kyle MacLachlan is known for his talent in many popular TV series like Twin Peaks, Desperate Housewives, Sex And The City, as well as movies like Blue Velvet, The Doors, and well… How could we forget? Showgirls.

Yakima native and long time appreciator of wine, Kyle joined forces with Eric Dunham and the team at Dunham Cellars back in 2005 intending to create something special with ‘pursued by bear’. Originally encouraged by his wife Desiree and a close winemaker friend from Napa Valley, Kyle made his dream of making wine a reality when a chance phone call with Eric Dunham led to a friendship and ultimately a partnership.

2010 pursued by bear Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t cheap but everyone in the wine industry is giving it prestigious reviews, including the Wine Spectator for offering a 92 point rating to the 6th release. It sells for $65 from Dunham Cellars.

 

20 – He has worked in about 30 movies. He’s known for Harry Potter, Step Up, Midnight Express, The Life of David Gale, Birdy, Mercury Rising, Bugsy Malone and more. This is quite an exciting career, but it wasn’t enough for cinematographer Michael Seresin who decided to go back to his homeland and buy a home, followed by land in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. As Michael’s interest in wine kept increasing over time, he continued to buy more land as well as the Tatou vineyard in 2000.

The sentinel stone at the entrance of the vineyard signals the path to both Seresin’s winery and philosophy. The stone bears a subtle handprint, a symbol of the individual and of creative endeavour; it represents Seresin’s philosophy to work traditionally with natural elements.

Organically and biodynamically grown, hand-tended and hand-picked, the grapes from the Seresin Estate are transformed into artisan wines through gentle, traditional winemaking – wine of passion grace and spirit.

The estate’s first vintage was in 1996. Since then, Seresin has produced many different wines like Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Viognier. Prices vary from $20 to $120, with the most expensive wine being Sun & Moon Pinot Noir, which is said to continue to improve over the next ten to fifteen years! Now I’m interested. Unfortunately, not all wines are available to the U.S. market.

 

 

Need more celebrity wine articles? We have plenty more celebrity winemakers and the list keeps growing! Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 6