Celebrity Wines

There are famous winemakers, like Robert Mondavi or the irreplaceable Charles Shaw (haha!), and then there are famous people who have decided to make wine. We decided to see how celebrity wineries stack up...although few celebrities could compare with pretty Maya,  my new kitty friend.

We've tried Matthew Fox wine before, and while we're pretty convinced the winery has nothing to do with the guy who played Jack on Lost, we like to imagine there's a relation. It's surprisingly good and super cheap.

You gotta give Drew credit...even if her wine tasted terrible, its label will attract your eye. Luckily, it doesn't taste terrible. It's a little sweet for pinot, but refreshing and easy to drink. Apparently Barrymore Wines were inspired by her journeys through Italy.

I marched into my local Total Wine and asked if they had any celebrity-owned winers. The super smart lady said, "We just got some Trump wine in...how about that?" Um, sold. I imagined it would taste like spray tan with metallic undertones, but it's actually not too bad. That's because the Trump family bought the former Kluge Wineries near Charlottesville and just slapped their name on the wine. The simply red was not really noteworthy or memorable, but it wasn't a disaster.

There's a surprisingly large contingent of race car driver wineries, including Jeff Gordon and Mario Andretti. Jen brought Childress Vineyards' sweet muscadine, which is SWEET...save this one for dessert. Childress is committed to putting North Carolina wines on the map. 

There's a reason Francis Ford Coppola's wines are sold almost everywhere...and it's not name recognition. His wines are legitimately good! This sauvignon was crisp and refreshing, with a little effervescent zip that had me pouring a second and third glass. 

To get in the celebrity spirit, Jen made some celebrity dishes, including Rachel Zoe's apricot mustard-glazed salami. If you've watched the show, you'll remember it's the only thing she makes and everyone loves it. It was delish!

We also had Dolly Parton's garlic cheese biscuits...

Courtney Cox's currant scones...

John Wayne's green chile squares...

And Guy Fieri's spinach salad with pear and pomegranate, drizzled with honey and dressing. Super great!

Curious what other celebrities have slapped their names on some labels? You might be very, very surprised. For my money, I think Francis Ford Coppola's held on to his status as a legend among this group, but Drew's wine is a close second.