You will be familiar with celebrity wines. Generally, the celeb in question selects a wine, slaps a label on it and hopes that their adoring fans will buy bucketloads. Most of them have little or nothing to do with the wine. Others do. Some, such as actors Sam Neill and John Malkovich, and musician Sting even own vineyards and involve themselves in producing and selling their wine.
The pairing of celebrities with wines is clearly successful because they line the shelves of all our supermarkets. Graham Norton is the market leader in Ireland with a range of red, white, sparkling and rosé wines as well as a gin and vodka. However, Kylie’s range of nine wines is possibly even more successful globally.
The latest celebrity wine launch is Ah, (including the comma) from our own Amy Huberman, Irish actor and writer. Backed by a small team of seasoned Irish wine and spirit pros, she has launched a sparkling rosé and a sauvignon blanc, both from high altitude vineyards in Spain’s Valencia. The wines are made in the local co-operative.
The label and imagery are quite striking, mostly shades of pink with a Victorian feel. “I wanted a worthy classic with a modern twist,” says Huberman when we meet in Dublin’s Café en Seine. She also came up with the unique idea of leaving a space on the label to write messages and greetings.
The wine professional Hugh Murray says Huberman was involved in every stage of the process. “I have huge respect for her. She put in a huge amount of tasting and she was at every meeting, wanting to get it right.”
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“It has been a real joy,” says Huberman. “I’ve loved every minute. Not knowing everything was a strength for me. I wanted to create a link between the general public and wine and bring them closer. I love that sense of community wine brings when you share it with friends.”
So, what do the wines taste like? Huberman said she wanted something less sweet than most Prosecco, but less expensive than Champagne. In this she and the team have delivered. The Cava rosé is pale in colour, refreshing with attractive raspberry and strawberry fruits and a dry finish. This is a sound wine, not too sweet.
The sauvignon blanc is not like your average Marlborough version (Spain is not noted for its sauvignon) and may be a more difficult sell. It has light aromatics, lower acidity, and plump peach fruits. Fine but unexciting. Okay value at the discounted price of about €13.
And so to the pricing. The Cava Rosé will sell at €24, but will probably be discounted down to €20 or even €17, which makes it a reasonable buy. The sauvignon blanc will start at €17 but is likely to be reduced to €12.50-€13 a bottle.
“I didn’t want them to be special-occasion wines,” says Huberman. “It’s about enjoyment. I wanted them to be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday wines.”
