The 20 Best Celebrity Wines

The wine industry has an old saying about owning a profitable business: "To make a small fortune in wine, you need to start with a large fortune." The untold truth about wineries is that owning them and making this popular beverage is expensive. You are looking at over half a million dollars (on the low end) just to get started (via 2ndKitchen). However, regardless of the amount of money involved, celebrities are often still willing to invest. 

So why do so many famous people want to put their names on bottles? Is it ego, prestige, a genuine love of the grape, or circumstantial? As many celebrities have the financial means and the enthusiasm, we believe it could be because they're a fan of the beverage. 

The wine industry has grown in popularity among famous people, from Real Housewives and musicians to notable small-screen faces and major movie stars. But not all of their big-name beverages deserve a place in your wine rack. Here are the best celebrity wines we have tried.

Touting the pleasures of the bottle has been a central theme in rap, hip-hop, country, and pop lyrics for decades. In a 2017 study, Counseling@Northwestern found that 22.4% of Billboard's top 100 songs from 2007-2016 mentioned alcohol or an alcoholic brand. The inclusion often reflects a stamp of approval for the brand by the musician.

Early in his career, hip-hop mogul Shawn "Jay Z" Carter was a Cristal champagne lover, helping grow the brand's fame among his fans. However, that quickly changed after the managing director and now CEO of the brand, Frederic Rouzaud, made comments that the rapper considered racist (via Quartz). 

Swearing to never promote the brand again, Jay Z later acquired a 50% interest in Armand de Brignac, adding the remaining 50% in 2014 (via CNBC). In 2019, the brand produced over 500,000 bottles, with the Ace of Spades Gold Brut Champagne available for $326. 

The luscious champagne symbolizes elegance and refinement as a non-vintage cuvée blending pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay fruit. The wine's front palate opens with juicy nectarine and apricot, melding with hints of sweet candied ginger, orange blossom honey, and freshly baked brioche. Though it is a brut beverage, there is a touch of ripe-fruit sweetness, along with thousands of dancing bubbles throughout. 

For some, becoming an EGOT winner would be the pinnacle of achievement. But for uber-talented John Legend, he needed to add another accomplishment to his résumé: winemaker. 

In a 2020 Wine.com discussion, the artist shared how he and partner Jean-Charles Boisset came together to create LVE (Legend Vineyard Exclusive). So many of his favorite moments include the beverage, and the singer-songwriter noted that his music is the perfect wine pairing. He added that when launching LVE, he wanted to partner with Boisset based on the entrepreneur's reputation for quality and his passionate enthusiasm for creating beautiful wine. Boisset is the owner of Napa Valley's Raymond Vineyards, JCB Wines and JCB Spirits, and the Boisset Collection (via Boisset Collection). 

The LVE Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($85) blends grapes from St. Helena, Rutherford, and Yountville. It is a plush, balanced wine with a palate of red cherries, espresso, and dark chocolate, ideally enjoyed with our red wine marinated ribeye.

While 13-time NBA all-star and three-time NBA champion basketball player, Dwyane Wade, didn't grow up understanding the wine industry, he jumped in with both feet in his later life. In an interview with Wine Spectator last year, the Olympic gold medalist shared how, back then, he didn't drink at all, focusing on his career instead. 

However, over his years of playing professional basketball, Wade would observe guests in restaurants connecting over wine. So, when the opportunity to enter the industry presented itself, he agreed, partnering with Napa Valley's prestigious Pahlmeyer family to create Wade Cellars. The brand's mission is to make the beverage inclusive, approachable, and welcoming to any interested wine lover by creating affordable, high-quality Napa Valley vintages. In a time where a basic Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon costs around $70, the brand's Three by Wade Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is $40. The wine is produced from Rutherford, Oakville, and St. Helena grapes and aged for 18 months in French oak to create a structured, spicy drink. It has a nice balance of fruit, including black cherry and blueberry, which melds into bitter dark chocolate, toasted spice, and cedar. 

Sipping delicate rosé wine may not be expected from one of the greatest rock musicians of our time. But, that is precisely what Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi does with his son: enjoying bottles of their Hampton Water Rosé. In 2018, Bon Jovi and his son, Jesse Bongiovi, launched the brand in collaboration with winemaker Gérard Bertrand (via Hallgarten & Novem Wines). 

The concept was young Bongiovi's idea, which he took to his father after years of enjoying dry rosé wines. The elder Bon Jovi loved the idea and shared his joy of working with his son in a 2019 Wine Spectator interview.

The brand was an instant hit, landing on Wine Spectator's "100 Best Wines of the Year" in its debut year in 2018 with a 90-point rating (via Hallgarten & Novum Wines). Tasting Table was speaking to the rocker's son about the brand when he noted that it was his "dad's drink of choice."

The $20 wine is a blend of grenache, cinsault, and mourvèdre and is produced in Languedoc, a Mediterranean-influenced region in southern France. The area's long growing season with sunshine-filled days ensures the red grapes are intensely juicy and ripe, perfect for this rosé with flavors of golden peach, pink lady apple, and Asian pear. A percentage of the wine (20%) is aged in barrels to enhance its complexity and texture.

Almost 30 years ago, actor Sam Neill planted his first vineyard in New Zealand's central Otago region. With a focus on sustainable farming, his certified organic Two Paddocks brand crafts vibrant, refreshing, cool-climate pinot noir and riesling wines. 

The actor must be doing something right, because the winery just landed on Wine Enthusiast's 23rd Annual Wine Star Award nominee list for "new world winery of the year." This follows the inclusion of the brand's The Fusilier pinot noir ($95) in the magazine's 2021 Editors' Choice buying guide, earning 96 points from the publication. 

Named in honor of Neill's father, Major Dermot Neill, the wine is energetic and bright, with juicy wild strawberry, cranberry, and wildflowers — showcasing the quality of pinot noir produced in the region. 

We like many things about il Palagio, the wine from Sting and his wife, actress Trudie Styler. The foremost is that the brand brings ideal connotations of an enchanted life under the Tuscan sun. The estate within Figline Valdarno, a tiny village south of Florence in Tuscany's Chianti region, is one of the rocker's favorite places on earth. It is a sanctuary. 

Since the 1500s, the historic estate has produced wine, olive oil, honey, and other produce focused on organic farming (via il Palagio). Wines reflect the terroir, representing the sun-drenched rolling hills of the estate. 

The first wine from the estate was Sister Moon, named after Sting's song of the same title — like all its branded beverages. The $53 super Tuscan IGT blend of sangiovese, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon layers floral notes with red and black plum, strawberry, and licorice. It is complex and age-worthy while being food-friendly and approachable when paired with dishes like steak Florentine or a classic ragu alla bolognese. Its flavors will instantly transport you to Italy. 

For singer and rap artist Post Malone, "Rosé is for when you want to get a little fancy." At least, that is what the artist says about his Maison No. 9 wines. Billboard shares that the musician began the brand in 2019, naming it after the artist's favorite tarot card, the nine of swords. 

Wine Enthusiast adds the Méditerranée IGP rosé delivers high quality without the high price point, retailing at around $21. The blend of grenache, cinsault, syrah, and merlot is presented in a tall, thin bottle with "battlements" on the front — a nod to a medieval castle near the brand's vineyards. It is a lovely, light, uncomplicated wine filled with the ripe tropical fruit flavors of mango, pineapple, and fresh berries. We found the wine to be deliciously luscious.

For best friends, actresses, and health advocates Julianne Hough and Nina Dobrev, producing a low-cal, low-carb, all-natural wine was a no-brainer. The concept fits in perfectly with their lifestyle. 

Tasting Table spoke with the actresses regarding their Fresh Vine brand earlier this week, asking why the friends wanted to go into the wine business together. Dobrev says, "Any opportunity we can have that includes chatting and drinking wine is our ideal day." Hough adds, "We wanted to make a product that not only complemented our lives but was also still of premium quality and impeccable taste." The duo shares that they are still learning but are highly involved, taking the time to understand the winemaking process under the guidance of winemaker Jamey Whetstone. Hough adds, "We pay close attention to every gram of sugar, calorie, and carb that goes into each varietal."

A favorite of both Dobrev and Hough, Fresh Vine's cabernet sauvignon recently scored 92 points from Tasting Panel Magazine (via Fresh Vine). We had a chance to try the wine and found it to be a nice balance of fruit and oak, with flavors of blackberry preserves, black licorice, and toasted baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Retailing for $22, the wine has about 100 calories per five-ounce glass compared to a typical serving that clocks about 120 calories (via Healthline). 

Musician Zac Brown lives his life with passion. The connection found over a glass of wine, or when food and the beverage come together, is the heart of why he started Z. Alexander Brown with winemaker John Killebrew (via Z. Alexander Brown). Market Watch reported in 2016 that Nielsen data ranked the drink as the top-selling new wine brand. 

The winery's work focuses on being good stewards of the land, farming clean, recycling, conserving water, and caring for mother nature. The owl on the brand's label honors that, as the owl protects the vineyard from predators that can destroy the grapes. And all selections retail for under $20.

A favorite then and now is the Uncaged proprietary red blend. In trying the wine, we found it full-bodied, rich, and well-rounded. The wine opens with aromas of toasted vanilla, woody herb, and oak leading to a palate of black and blue fruit and toasted spices. It is a bold blend, perfect for toasting as we move from summer into fall. 

We love a wine with a purpose — a beverage that does good for a cause important to the winemaker's heart. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher partnered with Walla Walla-based wintery, Nocking Point, creating Quarantine Pinot Noir, and raised over $1 million for various charities and nonprofit organizations (via Wine Spectator). 

In 2021, the couple released their Outside red blend, consisting of Washington-state-grown cabernet sauvignon and syrah. Wine Spectator reports that Kutcher played a part in every aspect of the wine's creation, from the mix to the packaging. Proceeds from the sales of the $31 wine benefit children's charities, including Kutcher's nonprofit, Thorn, and Tony Hawk's Skatepark Project. 

Nocking Point does big business making custom-label wines for celebrities. They are the brand behind the labels for Nicole Scherzinger, Jason Momoa, and Bravo for "The Real Housewives." Still, with Outside, the winery is focused solely on doing good, which we thoroughly support.