The most popular celebrity wine labels

Infusing their own personal flair and star power into new branded labels, certain celebrity wine brands have not only gained industry recognition, but also been embraced by the online wine community.

To find out more, we analysed a variety of online industry data sources to find out which celebrity winemakers have made the biggest splash in the wine industry. Using a weighted rank algorithm, we analysed each wine brand’s impact on social media, number of reviews and proportion of positive reviews to provide an indication on the popularity of each wine. We’ve also paired our research with recommendations on tours which complement these celebrated wines.

When it comes to wine, a celebrity investor isn’t just a footnote, they can be a powerful asset to the marketing and success of the product. By crafting the brand’s narrative and embodying the glamour and sophistication of the label, they can generate instant publicity and widespread interest across social media.

According to our weighted rank algorithm, Brad Pitt emerged as one of the most popular celebrity winemakers, through his investment and ownership of Miraval wines. Miraval enjoys widespread popularity amongst both casual wine drinkers and connoisseurs alike, offering a range of both premium and more affordable wines which are readily available at your local supermarket. Originally a joint investment with Angelina Jolie, the Miraval estate reported annual sales reaching sales up to $50 million.

Jay-Z's Champagne brand, Armand de Brignac, was found to be the second most popular celebrity winemaker. Armand de Brignac generated the largest amount of interest on Instagram, with over 10,000 hashtags surrounding the brand. However, those interested in trying Armand de Brignac for themselves should be prepared for a premium price tag, with most bottles exceeding £300.

Due to the number of different wine labels sold underneath the umbrella of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Ford Coppola was also one of the most extensively reviewed celebrity winemakers in the study, with more than 250,000 reviews identified. The legendary movie director has been in the wine business since 1975, with his winery having almost 80 different varieties of wine. Like his film making Coppola’s winemaking has drawn inspiration from his family, with wine brands named after his daughter, wife, and uncle.

Musicians Jon Bon Jovi and Kylie Minogue secured spots in the top five celebrity winemakers with their respective labels, Hampton Water and Kylie Minogue Wines. Both winemakers have quickly rose to prominence in a short space of time, with Hampton Water becoming one of the fasted selling rosés in the United States in 2021. While Kylie’s self-titled label was recognised with a special commendation at The Drinks Business Awards in 2021 for the Best Launch of the Year.

While a celebrity’s involvement will undoubtedly generate interest in a new wine, true wine enthusiasts will not judge a bottle on its name alone. By examining the wine ratings and reviews, we have gained insight on which celebrity wines might offer the best taste.

For celebrity owned Champagnes, Armand de Brignac, owned by Jay-Z stands out as the highest rated celebrity wine in the entire study. This acclaim extends beyond our research, with the label garnering the attention of critics winning dozens of awards from wine and Champagne publications.

Another notable figure in the celebrity Champagne space is Idris Elba, with our study ranking his Petite Porte Noir Rosé Champagne in a close second position.

The highest rated celebrity rosé in the study was the Muse de Miraval, from Brad Pitt’s winery Château Miraval located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Muse de Miraval is characterized by its pale pink colour, fresh and fruity aroma, and notes of red berries, citrus, and floral undertone. Although a bottle of Muse de Miraval can cost upwards of £500, depending on the year.

Miraval is also renowned for their varieties of white wines, with their Lady Jane Côtes de Provence also earning the top position in the white wine category.

Closely behind was the 2018 Goldie Chardonnay crafted by Kurt Russell’s winery GoGi Wine. The chardonnay, named after his long-time partner Goldie Hawn, offers a delightful experience with aromas of peach and apricot with a sweet soft taste.

Russell’s wine is produced at Ampelos Cellars in Santa Rita Hills, just north of Santa Barbara. If you’re a fan of Californian wines, you might enjoy our California Pacific Coast Tour, which takes you through Santa Barba and Monterrey County – home to other celebrity wine producers with Drew Barrymore’s Barrymore Wines and Gordan Ramsey’s Signature Wines both having wineries in the region.

Francis Ford Coppola’s flagship wine from the Inglenook estate, the Rubicon, was the highest rated red wine in the study. The Rubicon is a unique blend composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, showcasing some of the best flavours of Northern California’s Wine Country’s grape varieties.

Marlborough, New Zealand

Each region has its own unique grape varieties which create very distinct flavours, meaning it’s difficult to define the best region overall, as it comes down to personal preferences.

However, based on the number of regional wine awards, the number of wines produced in each location, and the average review score of these wines, we were able to undercover which region produces the best celebrity wine.

Our study ranked Tuscany for its outstanding performance, with Toscana region consistently earning more regional wine awards than other location and receiving high praise from online wine enthusiasts. The main celebrity wine brand associated with the Toscana region is Sting’s Il Palagio. Our Essence of Tuscany tour highlights the rich heritage and quality of Tuscan wines, which includes vineyard visits and wine tasting experience and in the heart of Chianti, close to Sting’s winery.

The region which produces the most celebrity branded wines included in the study was the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in France. In addition to housing the Miraval estate, the famed wine producing region also produces a rosé from Kylie Minogue Wines and Idris Elba’s Porte Noire.

As the largest vineyard in New Zealand, the Marlborough wine region has become a firm favourite among celebrity winemakers. Marlborough is renowned for its varieties of award-winning Sauvignon Blanc with both Sarah Jessica Parker and Graham Norton choosing Marlborough for their own signature labels. If you’re a wine enthusiast with a fondness of Sauvignon, our 20-Day tour of New Zealand includes a wine tasting experience through Marlborough’s vineyards.

For our analysis we only considered wine brands associated with celebrities aged 50 and above. We collated data from online various online wine distributors including wine retailers and online supermarkets counting the reviews for each bottle.

A weighted rank was created to analyse the wine brands. This metrics used in this rank included:

• The number of reviews

• The average review score

• The number of hashtags on Instagram

A second rank was used to analyse the different wine regions associated with celebrity wine brands.

These metrics included:

• The number of wines produced from this region

• The average review score of wines produced form this region

• The number of regional wine awards