Celebrity wines uncorked: Some of music’s biggest names are bottling their enthusiasm for wine

Smokey Robinson Wines

With dozens of Top 40 hits, singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson’s pop and rhythm and blues songs have made him an icon with music lovers for generations.

While he and his wife, Frances, have enjoyed wine most of their adult life, Robinson’s involvement with winemaking didn’t turn serious until 2014 when he and two partners created Grapevine Ventures.

Adamant that his name not be associated with an arbitrary wine, Robinson was involved from the beginning, collaborating with the winemakers to develop wine profiles, and giving input on the packaging design. The first vintages of Smokey Robinson Wines were launched three years later.

While Robinson doesn’t consider himself a wine connoisseur, he says he does know what he likes. Not a big drinker and practicing a Vegan diet, he wanted to create styles of wine like his music: refreshing and enjoyable. Robinson wanted the red wines to be approachable, with a balance of fruit, tannins and savory characteristics. The whites had to be fresh and easy to drink, with good acidity that paired well with food or were good on their own. Produced in Santa Barbara, Calif., Robinson’s brand includes wines named after his most famous hits, such as “My Girl” Chardonnay, “Being With You” Pinot Noir, “Second That Emotion” Cabernet Sauvignon and “Cruisin” Bordeaux Blend.

The cost per bottle is $19.99-$29.99. There are plans to add a sparkling wine to the portfolio for the holidays. Wines are available for purchase online at SmokeyRobinsonWines.com.

“Wine is like a good song — it can bring people together, no matter their language, location, or current situation; raise a glass and toast.” — Smokey Robinson.

Il Palagio

You may be surprised to know the Police song Roxanne is now also the name of a wine.

In 1997, Rock singer Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, bought Il Palagio, an 850-acre, 16th-century Tuscan estate with vineyards in need of a major restoration. It took seven years to bring the buildings and property back to a majestic state. Sustainability of the vineyards was essential to the couple and all 74 acres were re-planted using organic viticulture.

Styler has always enjoyed a good glass of white wine and Sting will occasionally have a glass of red. They say they’ve learned a lot over the last 25 years as wine producers.

For every vintage they taste all the wines with their winemaker, making the choices for the final blends. Styler also participates in packaging decisions and oversees all the labels. Sting and Styler’s ultimate goal is making wines they enjoy drinking when spending their summers at the estate with family and friends.

Producing 200,000 bottles annually, Il Palagio makes a variety of wines, including “Roxanne” Red Toscana Rosso IGT, “Roxanne” White Toscana Bianco IGT, “When We Dance” Chianti DOCG and “Sister Moon” Toscana Rosso IGT. The winery is releasing a new sparkling wine this fall called “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” made using the traditional champagne method.

Prices range from $19.99-$99 and are available at Wine.com, WineMadeEasy.com and Total Wine & More, Plantation.

“Wine is like a song, it has to tell a story. A good wine like a good song starts with a pleasant note, surprises you in the middle and leaves you wanting more.”- Sting

Z. Alexander Brown Wines

Grammy-award winner Zac Brown has always been fascinated with wine. An avid outdoorsman, he became interested in the connection between wine appellations and the variety of characters different areas bring out in wines.

Introduced through a mutual friend, Brown approached Delicato Family Wines with the idea of developing a wine brand. He went to the Napa winery and met with family member Chris Indelicato and the winemaking team, tasting through dozens of wines and blends. Brown decided he liked the experience, and he began forming a partnership with the family the next day.

Uncaged, the title of Brown’s third album, is also the name of his wines – which he says expresses his intention for how they are made. The owls, which appear on all the wine labels, were also chosen by Brown and are viewed to be guardians of the vines.

Brown, who says he likes wines that are bold and full-bodied, participates in creating all vintages of Z. Alexander Brown wines – even if he’s on the road touring – by having the winemaker overnight sample bottles for his feedback.

The Z. Alexander Brown collection contains five varietals sourced from vineyards throughout California: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. A new addition to the wine lineup late this summer was a second Cabernet aged in whisky bottles.

Prices range from $17-$20. They’re available at The Fresh Market, Total Wine & More, or zalexanderbrown.com.

“Wine is like music, you’ll never master all of it. You never try it all, you can never; but the journey and the people you meet along the way that you get to do those things with and everything, that’s the good stuff in life.” – Zac Brown

LVE

John Legend loves music and wine, so it should come as no surprise the Grammy and Oscar-winning singer shows enthusiasm for both.

Legend had been thinking about making wine before he met Jean-Charles Boisset, owner of Napa Based winery Raymond Vineyards and the JCB Winery collection through a mutual friend. Boisset was somewhat apprehensive about going into business with a celebrity prior to their meeting, but they got along well and a partnership was quickly born. The LVE wines, short for Legend Vineyard Exclusive, released their inaugural Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in 2015. Because Raymond Vineyards also owns wineries in France it only seemed fitting to bring on an LVE Rosé in 2019.

LVE wines are meant to be elegant and balanced with complexity and finesse. Legend is part of the LVE decision process when it comes to making all of them. He determines the style of each of the wines, reviews and approves creative support around the LVE brand and participates in business meetings with distributors and buyers.

Legend brings LVE with him on tour, and has created VIP experiences around the wine for concert goers before the show. Last year, LVE went to Vegas for his “Love In Las Vegas” residency; and, recently, LVE was featured at his “An Evening with John Legend” performance at Ravinia in Chicago.

Legend says his favorite wine is Cabernet Sauvignon, which would explain why there are three in the portfolio. Both he and his wife, model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen, enjoy being in the kitchen and evening meals at home revolve around a cabernet or red blend. However, he wanted LVE to have a range of varietals they liked and could share with friends. Currently the brand offers eight domestic wines and two types of French rosé, a still and sparkling that comes in bottles or cans.

The cost is $20-$110. Available at Total Wine & More and lvewines.com.

“I love wine and I’ve had so many beautiful experiences enjoying it around the world.    I love the rich tradition, the culture of excellence, the subtleties that go into making and appreciating wine.” – John Legend

Peg San Felippo is a certified sommelier who served as a judge at the recent Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirit Challenge, the annual American Fine Wine Competition, South Florida’s home-grown national wine event; and THE Rosé Competition.