WINE
The stunning setting for golfer Ernie Els’s vineyard in South Africa
A VINE ROMANCE
Winemaking has become the chic hobby among the rich and famous. Haute Cuisine samples the latest A-list vintages…
WORDS: CHRIS HAMBLETON W
hen David Beckham was looking for something special for wife Victoria’s 34th birthday two years ago, he settled on a vineyard in California’s Napa Valley. And such has been the increase in visitor
attendance at Hollywood film director Francis Ford Coppola’s Rubicon Estate – the winery he bought in 1975 – that a $25-per-head parking fee to control traffic has been introduced. Over the past 20 years all sorts of celebrities have decided to get
into winemaking. The results have been decidedly mixed, with some wines achieving greatness and others perhaps best left on the shelf. The current fashion seems to be for Italy. Those with interests there
include singers Bob Dylan, Sting and Mick “Simply Red” Hucknall. Even patriotically French Gérard Depardieu bought a property in Sicily producing the superb moscato di pantelleria dessert wine. On the flip side, plenty have recognised the potential in their native
soil. Queensland-born golf legend Greg Norman says: “Fine wine is one of my great passions, and Australian wine in particular.” Actor Sam Neill has a hands-on approach at his Two Paddocks property in his native New Zealand. “I wanted a good pinot that would, at the very least, be enjoyed by my family and friends,” he says. “Frankly, my friends will pretty much drink anything, so this didn’t seem too hard.” The biggest name in celebrity winemaking is The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola who produces a wide range of wines
every bit as good as his films at his Rubicon Estate in Rutherford, California, and another in Sonoma county. It helps if you happen to come from one of the world’s premier
wine regions. Ernie Els comes from Stellenbosch in South Africa, one of the great areas for wine production, with stunning scenery and excellent conditions for making serious vino. Obviously not one for subtle marketing ploys, Ernie named his wine after himself and Ernie Els the red wine has had as much success as Ernie Els the golfer – the 2005 was given 94 points fromWine Spectator, one of the world’s most highly regarded wine magazines. It’s not always the case that being a major star translates to critical
acclaim for your vinous efforts. Some years ago Sir Cliff Richard launched the Vida Nova range of wines, made on his property in Portugal. I was working in a wine store at the time and we had queues of women (and a few men) of a certain age clamouring to buy it. If it was Cliff’s wine, then it must be good, they thought. Not so. The Young Ones singer himself famously panned it as “insipid” when given it in a blind tasting by Gordon Ramsay on British television. Overall then, are wines with a celebrity endorsement any good?
It seems to depend on just how deeply involved in the winemaking process the vineyard owner gets and to a certain extent how good their palate is. So, like the rest of the wine world my advice is to try it and see – just ask Sir Cliff.
l Chris Hambleton is a wine writer and presenter who runs events company Champagne Tuesdays (visit
champagnetuesdays.com) and is the author of The Wine Planner
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The Godfather of wine, Francis Ford Coppola with a prize red
Magnifique! Gérard
Depardieu knows wine
HC
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