IMBIBE: CELEBRITY WINES & DRINKS EDIT

MERMAIDMARY finds star power is a stellar attraction when it comes to wine

These days, celebrity wines are the new black. From Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Provençal rosé Miraval to Cameron Diaz’s controversial clean wine brand Avaline, anyone who’s anyone has a wine.

One of the first celebrities to own a vineyard was director Frances Ford Coppola who bought his winery in California’s Napa Valley in the 1970s. Following in his footsteps are many names you will recognise – Kylie Minogue, Jon Bon Jovi and Drew Barrymore are just some of the celebrities now dabbling in the wine business.

There’s no doubt star power is helping sell wine in an industry that is seeing consumption decrease annually. But who is actually getting their hands dirty and who’s just slapping a logo on the bottle? Thanks to savvy marketing that’s not always clear, but the celebrities featured here have a genuine love for wine and, better yet, their wines are made in New Zealand.

Sam Neill is a self-professed wine geek and his organic Central Otago winery is famed for its pinot noir. Two Paddocks has been a passion project for the actor, who is known for his hands-on approach, since the vineyard was planted in 1993. Innovative Kiwi wine brand Invivo has snagged not just one but two celebs to help put New Zealand wine on the map internationally.

Irish comedian and TV star Graham Norton and US actor Sarah Jessica Parker (left) both have Marlborough sauvignon blancs as the initial releases from their Invivo wine ranges. Both are actively involved in blending their wines with Invivo each vintage. Norton’s range now includes five wines (and two gins), while Parker has recently added a rosé from the South of France to hers, with more releases rumoured to be in the pipeline.