Celebrities and wine mingles on a regular basis. Some a bit more than others. These days every second celeb have their own wine, winery or as least a song about it. We thought it might be fun to list the more interesting connections.
10. Gordon Ramsay
With so many Celebrities in the wine industry we had a difficult task picking a Top Ten list, but had to give the tenth spot to British chef Gordon “Fuck Mouth” Ramsay. He allowed a Bordeaux winery to use his name, without royalties, to celebrate the release of their 10th vintage.
09. Madonna
Madonna’s father Tony Ciccone owns and operates Ciccone Vineyards and Winery in Suttons Bay, Michigan. In the mid-2000’s he paid tribute with a limited production Madonna wine series, each with labels adorned with original artwork from Madonna’s album jackets.
08. Jay-Z
At number eight we have rapper Jay-Z. The millionaire mega-star accused Louis Roederer (makers of Cristal Champaign) of racism a few years ago. He subsequently started a well publicised boycott campaign against Cristal Bubbly. Today Mr Z only endorses Armand de Brignac (Ace of Spades) champagne for all the world’s rappers.
07. Eddie Vedder
The Pearl Jam lead singer loves his vino. He routinely strolls out on stage with his notebook in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. Vedder was asked about the wine he drinks on stage. He only admitted it was red. The wine is sent to Vedder without labels.
06. Paris Hilton
It’s common knowledge that socialite Paris Hilton loves her drink and therefore it’s no surprise that she also has her own champagne. The interesting, and maybe not so surprising, thing is the packaging. Paris’ Rich Prosecco Champagne comes in a can. Very “Glam” for the queen of labels.
05. Lil Jon
Rappers were gobbling down the Cristal Armand de Brignac for years, but it was only when Lil Jon and his Little Johnathan Winery came on the scene, that they started making the stuff . Hand crafted Merlot, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon are produced from grapes grown on vineyards in the Central Coast, Monterey, and Paso Robles regions of California.
04. Jason Priestley
Beverly Hill 90210 actor, Jason Priestley (yes that guy) has been collecting fine wines for 20 years and translated his passion for wine into partial ownership of Black Hills Estate Winery. Priestley also help produce and present the wine show Hollywood and Vines.
03. Keith Richards
Hell, do we really need to say more? Wine consumption by the Rolling Stones are as legendary as their music. Keith Richards however went one step further and started a band in the early nineties called The X-Pensive Winos. He once told a music journalist, “If you’re gonna get wasted, get wasted elegantly.” Wise words.
02. Johnny Depp
The actor revealed that his taste in wines sometimes reached the more expensive end of the fine wine spectrum. Château Calon-Ségur, a Saint-Estèphe third-growth, is his top tipple. ‘I like Pétrus and Château Cheval-Blanc,’ he said. He also name checked Domaine de la Romanée-Conti as one of his favourite Burgundy estates. However it’s the once ‘Winona forever’ tattoo, which he changed to ‘Wino forever’ that help Mr Depp to the second spot on this list.
01. Jimi Hendrix
A book by Tappy Wright, a roadie who worked for Hendrix, claims Hendrix, 27, was murdered by his manager, Mike Jeffery on September 18, 1970. Jeffery apparently arranged with Hendrix’s junkie girlfriend, Monika Danneman and some hired hands, to sedate Hendrix and force red wine down his throat until he drowned.
