TV • PAGE 21
THE BULLETIN • APRIL 1 - 7, 2021
BY GEORGE DICKIE
Sipping with the stars: Highly rated,
celebrity-branded wines
If you’re looking for a nice syrah to pair with dinner
or just a light pinot grigio to enjoy with an intimate
gathering, we have a few famous friends who can offer
recommendations.
Indeed, these are celebrities who have turned their love
of wine into a business and putting their names and/or
money where their incredibly discriminating palates are.
And while some are better than others, many are worth
your time and hard-earned cash. The following are a few
to consider.
Jim Nantz, who this week calls the Masters
Tournament for CBS, has been making wine with his
partner Peter Deutsch since 2009 and the result is The
Calling (www.thecallingwine.com) of Sonoma Valley,
Calif., which produces high-quality cabernet, chardonnay
and pinot noir with prices ranging from $32 to $70. In
fact, its 2014 Fox Den Vineyard pinot was a favorite of
Wine Enthusiast, which rated it a 91.
The Francis Ford Coppola Winery (www.
francisfordcoppolawinery.com) of Napa Valley, Calif., has
developed a loyal following over the years with its myriad
varieties of wines and its Sofia sub-brand that has also
made inroads. Some have movie themes (the Apocalypse
Now red blend; the Director’s Cut line) while others are
named for family members (the Eleanor red after his
wife; Sofia for his fellow filmmaker daughter) and prices
range from $12 to $120. Stars include the 2017 Sofia
Blanc de Blancs and a 2014 Black Label Claret Diamond
cabernet sauvignon, which Wine Enthusiast gave a 90.
Washington State native Kyle MacLachlan also has a
passion for the grape as owner and vintner of Pursued by
Bear wines (www.pursuedbybearwine.com) of Columbia
Valley, Wash., which produces small-lot reds and a rosé of
which they’re particularly proud. Its cabernet sauvignon
has gotten much attention, with Wine Enthusiast giving
its 2012 vintage a 93. Prices are $60-70.
While they were married, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
enjoyed a shared love of wine and in 2011 they bought
a French estate in Provence and created Chateau Miraval
(www.miraval.com), which specializes in rosés. In fact, its
Cotes de Provence rosé was named one of the top 100
wines in the world by Wine Spectator in 2012. Since
sales are mainly to restaurants, prices are not listed on its
website.
And if you’re looking to blow a little money, look no
further than Armand de Brignac (armanddebrignac.
com), a partnership between rapper Jay-Z and Moet
Hennessy. Its champagnes are decidedly high end with
prices starting at $200 and its star being the Brut Gold,
which clocks in at around $299 and a 93 rating from
Wine Spectator in 2016.
Jim Nantz