This week, the daughter and granddaughter of world icon, Nelson Mandela, launched their own wine label in the Netherlands. The wines are called the Thembu Collection after Mandela’s Xhosa tribe and are already available in South Africa and other parts of the world. Now, the focus is on Europe.
The idea is to capitalize on a weak rand, growing wine export figures as well as their famous surname. And while it might be more about the name than the wine (not saying there is anything wrong with the quality of course), for many people it is the celebrity that seals the deal.
And the Mandelas are not the first to realise this. We produce a presidential blend for former South African state president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mr FW de Klerk and quite a few celebrities have added their name to wine – whether it is on the label or by association.
For A-listers Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie quality is very important, but celebrity sure helped them sell out the 2012 vintage of their Miraval rosé in five hours!
Other celebrities who own vineyards, have name brands, sell wines in the retail or just enjoy their own wine, include:
- French actor Gerard Depardieu
- British musician Sting
- Drew Barrymore
- Olivia Newton John
- Antonio Banderas
- Eurythmics star, Dave Stewart
- Black Eyed Peas singer, Fergie
- Bob Dylan
- Martha Stewart
- Gordon Ramsay
- Francis Ford Coppola
- Cliff Richard
- Madonna
Sport stars also seem to like their wine and then put their name on it.
Golfers seems to really embrace wine making:
- Popular golfer, Ernie Els owns Ernie Els Wines, with a portfolio of award-winning wines as well as a wine experience at its Stellenbosch home.
- Retief Goosen celebrates his love for wine with The Goose Wines.
- Australian golfer Greg Norman has wineries in both the US and Australia.
- Nick Faldo is another golfer with an Australian wine label.
- David Frost grew up in the vineyards of South Africa and later bought his own estate.
- The Terlato wine group in California produces wine for golfers Luke Donald and Jack Nicklaus.
- South Africa’s Gary Player has a wine brand called Black Knight.
- Arnold Palmer Wines celebrates Arnold Palmer’s golf career as well as his love for wine.
Cricket can also make you thirsty:
- Sir Ian Botham and Bob Willis, former England cricketers, have their own wine, having teamed up with Geoff Merrill in Australia.
- Former South African cricketers Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher launched their wine, The Innings, in 2012.
Springbok rugby legends are known to love their wine:
- Jannie Engelbrecht started Rust en Vrede estate.
- Schalk Burger Senior and Junior are known for their Welbedacht and Meerkat wine ranges.
- Jan Boland Coetzee is the face of Vriesenhof.
- Hempies du Toit is well known for his Annandale wines.
And if you run out of ideas for your wife’s birthday, learn from David Beckham and buy her her own winery!
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