Celebrity elevates Niagara wines
If I were to ask my wife if I could bring Wayne Gretzky or the Tragically Hip home for dinner, she would know that something was up.
Full disclosure here, I have only met Gretzky once or twice and although a longtime fan of the Hip, I have never been close enough to offer up the dinner invitation.
But we can all bring home a wine with a celebrity name.
Johnny Reid, who played here at Meridian Centre, is the most recent addition when he announced his Red Tartan wine through Stoney Ridge.
The singer with a Scottish background joins the likes of actor Dan Aykroyd, hockey legend Gretzky, ice skater Patrick Chan, television personality Kevin O’Leary and, of course, my favourite, the Tragically Hip with their vintage.
“Wine is a lifestyle product. Music is a lifestyle product. Golf is a lifestyle choice, it’s a way for people to interact on a lifestyle basis. That’s why we see more and more,” said Barry Katzman, president of Stoney Ridge Estate Winery and Mike Weir Wines.
He said there are two groups of “celebrity” wines here.
“With (golfer Mike) Weir and Gretzky (now with Peller Estates), we were keenly intent on establishing a national brand, one that would have a legacy,” he said.
“It’s (now) a brand they use, at their bar or house. We’ve crested beyond the novelty and celebrity.
“Wines such as The Tragically Hip and Johnny Reid are different because they are not made to establish a brand,” said Katzman.
“We’ve created something that commemorates what the Tragically Hip means to themselves and their fans. In this case, it was the 20th anniversary of Fully Completely, which is their largest selling album.”
In most cases the celebrity approached the winery.
“We didn’t go to them, they both came to us,” Katzman said of the Hip and Reid.
The same goes for Patrick Chan’s On Ice icewine that was launched this past summer with Flat Rock Cellars in Jordan.
Chan talked about his interest in wine with owner Ed Madronich. They hit it off thinking it would be a fun thing to do.
“It’s not a strategy for the company, and it’s not a label slap, it was something (Chan) wanted to do,” said Jennifer Hart, sales and marketing manager for Flat Rock Cellars.
“He chose to go with icewine partly because of the tie-in with skating, and it was also his first exposure to wine.”
Reached in Japan, Chan said, “The feedback has been amazing. When we began this project, everyone said it was unique and a great connection between icewine and figure skating. Flat Rock Cellars and I worked hard to have an icewine all would enjoy. Some icewines are very sweet and we were able to find a great balance with this Riesling. Everyone, non-icewine drinkers included, likes it.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have travelled around the world and try wines from all over, and Ontario wines from the Niagara region stack up with the best of them.
“A lot of people look to other parts of the world for wine when there is some of the world’s finest wine being produced in our own backyard,” Chan said.
“This project has always been about quality and it was important to find a world class winery whose vision aligned with mine. I knew that Ed Madronich and his team would bring the same dedication and quality to my icewine as they do for their world-renowned, award-winning wines.”
In all cases, celebrity interaction has been integral in the creation of the wines.
“We go through trials with him, he’ll talk about his preferences, and then he gets to make a lot of the final decisions,” said Hart of Chan.
“We wouldn’t make anything that is not great.”
Hart said the winery is pleased with the success of the niche product.
“We’ve sold as much in Japan as we have here and people in the U.S. and U.K. are asking where they can get the Chan (ice)wine.”
Winemaker Jeff Hundertmark, who makes the Reid and Tragically Hip wines, said he didn’t have any choice in the style of wine he was making for them.
“The Tragically Hip wanted a big Bordeaux style wine that a beer drinker would enjoy, that would go well with beef.
“Johnny Reid wanted something easier on the palate.”
Four members of The Hip are wine collectors and while they may pop in when in the area, most of the interaction is done through Purolator.
“The band is spread out, they taste the wine and come back with their notes on it.
Today they launch a new Chardonnay called Ahead By A Century. For information contact Stoney Ridge Estate Winery.
“If there’s people that repelled ( because of celebrity), it’s offset by individuals that purchase just for that reason, so our goal is never the first bottle, it’s always the second and so on,” said Katzman.
“The liquid on lips theory of marketing is so important.
“Every one of these guys has an earnest desire to raise the profile of Niagara wines, that a rising tide can lift all the boats.
“We try to stand behind them and over-deliver versus the price point. That’s what these brands are. When it’s right, then that’s the time to crack that bottle.”
Hmm, I think I might cue up Wheat Kings, kick up my feet and pour that glass of Tragically Hip Red.