Canadian rocker Sass Jordan launches her own Niagara wine
One of Canada’s most enduring female rock singers is getting in on Niagara’s wine industry.
Sass Jordan, whose hits include “Tell Somebody” and “Make You a Believer,” has launched her own brand of red and white wine through Vineland Estates. They hit the shelves Jan. 1.
The 58-year-old Jordan says the brand — Kick Ass Sass — is “another way to connect with the people who like my music, and a way to connect all of us to the land we live on.
“Wine is such a visceral, sensual liquid, filled with the energy of the earth the grapes were grown on, the sun, the rain and the love of the winemakers themselves.”
The partnership with Vineland Estates’ vice-president and winemaker Brian Schmidt had to overcome one amusing hurdle: Jordan’s disdain for Chardonnay and Riesling grapes. She initially insisted they not be used, but they ended up being in the finale blend of the white wine.
“It’s cerebral. I guess I’m a Schmidt Riesling and Chardonnay fan.”
Born in England, Jordan was a product of Montreal’s new wave/punk scene. Her 1988 debut album “Tell Somebody” had a string of hits, including the title track, “Double Trouble” and ‘So Hard.” She veered into harder rock for the followup, 1992’s “Racine,” and appeared on “The Bodyguard” soundtrack, which sold 27 million copies.
She won for most promising female vocalist at the 1989 Juno Awards, and was nominated for best female vocalist in 1990, 1993 and 1995. From 2003 to 2008 she was a judge on “Canadian Idol.”
In 2017, she released a remastered version of “Racine.”
Last year, her long friendship with Schmidt prompted her to create two wines “filled with rock ’n’ roll attitude.”
The wines are available at Vineland Estates and Jordan’s website at www.sassjordan.com.