The Dow Jones Paparazzi Wines Index

by Nicole Weston, Posted Jun 22nd 2006 @ 3:02PM

It's not surprising that a lot of celebrities lend their names to various products through endorsement deals, but the growing number of celebrity wines is a rather unusual trend. From sports stars to singers, it seems like everyone wants their own chardonnay these days, and the celebs aren't just putting their name on the bottles anymore. Instead, some are buying the wineries and having a say in the wine-making process.

In some cases, it turns out that celebrities should stick with what they get paid to do, whether it is acting or singing, because the wines are not worthy of the A-list, B-list or C-list, but there are more than a handful that are really excellent and worth a taste or two. Besides, who wouldn't like to have a celebrity join them at the dinner table once in while?

Compiled by the Wall Street Journal, here is the The Dow Jones Paparazzi Wines Index, with their picks for the best celebrity wines:

Best wine by a living actress: (Lorraine) Bracco Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2004
Best wine by a dead actor: (Fred) MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris 2004
Best wine by a living musician: Mick Fleetwood 'Private Cellar' Cuvee
Best wine by a dead musician: Sinatra (Cab Frank Winery) Merlot 2001
Best wine by a race car driver (white): (Mario)Andretti Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2004
Best wine by a race car driver (red): (Richard) Childress Vineyards 'Signature Series' Reserve Merlot 2003
Best wine by a olympic figure skater: (Peggy) Fleming-Jenkins Vineyards & Winery 'Victories' Rose Wine 2004
Best wine by a golfer: Greg Norman California Estates Pinot Noir 2004
Best wine by a football player: (Joe Montana's) Montagia Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Source

Filed Under: Raves & Reviews, Newspapers, Drink Recipes, Tastings
Tags: celebrities, celebrity, famous, famous wine, red wine, taste test, tasting, wall street journal, white wine, wine, wines, wsj

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 2 of 2)

7-07-2006 @12:01PM REINA said... The Andretti wines taste like vinegar. Your choice in the category make me afraid to taste your other picks. At least you didn't pick the Jeff Gordon wines -I don't think I could keep a straight face long enough to try it.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @12:14PM ed radle said... I don't know about his wine, but Fess Parker played both, Davy and Dan'l.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @12:17PM Brad Bowdey said... MacMurray Pinot Gris can be found at most good wineshops in So Cal.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @12:34PM Ron Crews said... Well let's see, yes Fess Parker was Daniel Boone and no I can't recall Forest Tucker being Daniel Boone unless it was just once in a single movie (that's a possibility). And a very good Merlot and Cab is Francis Coppola's own. I hear his white wines are just as good, I don't tend to drink white wine so I do not know from my own experience on those. Does anyone remember "Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill"??:)Wow! That was some kinda wine now, especially for a teenager. (joke)

I don't believe that was Daniel Boone tho, was it? ;)

Oh bytheway, Joe Montana was a great 1/4 back, Joe Montagnia is a dark haired (Italian??) actor, not the same person!!!
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @12:49PM Guy said... How about the wines offered by Detroit Red Wings Hockey great Igor Larionov
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @12:58PM Joe said... To Harold.....you may know wines but not actors. Fess Parker played BOTH Davy Crockett AND Daniel Boone
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @1:13PM krista said... all of greg norman's wines are note worthy. his shiraz (red) is my personal favorite
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @1:27PM Mimi said... From what I'm reading in the previous blogs, the responses have been limited to the wines listed. However, this (albeit short) list is remiss for not including Doug Barr (currently a director and a producer, Mr. Barr starred on "Designing Women" as Charlene's love, Bill, and had previously starred with Lee Majors on a television program...stunt men???). The label is simply 2480 and the wine is a chardonnay produced and bottled by Hollywood & Vine Cellars, St. Helena, California. Well worth searching for and enjoying. (no, I don't own shares in the winery!)
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @1:36PM Brian D said... The Lewis wines by race car driver Randy Lewis are outstanding. However, they are very expensive. Fess Parker wines are quite good, not outstanding. But for under $10 he has a good BBQ red blend called "Frontier Red." Same can be said of the Coppola wines. Coppola has a Meritage (Claret) that is about $12 that is pretty good.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @1:50PM Mark Hutchinson said... Olivia Newton-John has Koala Blue brand wines. I have tried both the white and red and they are surprisingly good but hard to come by.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @2:11PM FAST said... Four friends visited over 30 wineries in the Santa Barbara area last June. We found Fess Parker's wines very ordinary. One of our favorites, but not related to a personality is Four Vines near Paso Robles and Cambria near Santa Maria. Also Kevin Buckler Porsche Cup winner and driver who placed first at 24 Hrs of Daytona and 24 Hrs of Le Mans produces great reds at his Adobe Road winery in Petablum, CA.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

7-07-2006 @5:38PM Nicole Weston said... Mark - I have to disagree about Olivia Newton John's Koala Blue wines. I thought they were awful (and so did quite a few of my compatriots).
Reply