Five iconic gentlemen who own their own vineyards – and the wine they make
The walk the walk, but do they pop the cork?
Words: Joseph Bullmore
There is something both deeply humble and utterly extravagant about tilling your own little patch of hopeful earth in search of liquid gold. There is charm in the idea, yes – but terroir and viticulture are not hobbies, but ways of life, and the artistry of the greatest winemakers makes Savile Row tailors look like door-to-door rag traders by comparison.
So, while anyone can own a car, or a yacht, or a beach house, it takes a certain kind of gentleman to pull off owning a vineyard. Here, we raise a glass or fifteen to the five great gentlemen who have risen to the task.
‘Wine is so much more than a beverage.’ says the Godfather director. ‘It’s a romance, a story, a drama – all of those things that are basically putting on a show.’ Well, his wines certainly fulfill that promise. The Sonoma Valley winery use the Californian climate to full advantage, putting out punchy, sophisticated reserve reds that hark back to Ford Coppola’s European heritage.
The bottles themselves are adorned with the impressionistic art work of film production designer Dean Tavoularis (whom Copolla met on the set of The Godfather), while the winery offers cinematic, behind-the-scenes tours of its Inglebrook estate.
Along with estranged-wife Angelina Jolie, Pitt bought Provence’s historic Chateau Miraval in late 2008. Under the expert eye of master viticulteur Marc Perrin, the house’s own label rosé was voted Best Rose in the World in the esteemed Wine Spectator list of 2013.
Subsequent vintages have gone on to perform even better, with Decanter magazine noting that the Provencal wine tends to possess “a sense of power alongside the elegance … and a delicious mouth-watering finish”.
‘In the morning, it starts at home with champagne or red wine before 10 A.M., then again champagne.’ Gerard Depardieu once explained when asked about his daily routine by a French magazine. ‘Then it’s maybe half a bottle of pastis, followed by food, accompanied by two bottles of wine.’ All in all, the mercurial French actor estimates he consumes about 14 bottles of wine a day.
And with that kind of intake, it makes senses to cut out the middle man. Depardieu’s vineyard, Château de Tigné, is a 13th century estate somewhere between Angers and Saumur, in the Loire region of France. Deeply traditional in his approach, Depardieu’s wines are characterised by full bodies and heavy oak.
The dashing centre forward may have been largely shunned by France’s national football team, but he has been welcomed with open arms by its wine-drinking public. Ginola’s flagship wine is the Coste Brulade, a provencal rose characterised by fresh lavender notes.
A blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes, Ginola’s Coste Brulade won a silver award at the International Wine Challenge in 2009.
The illustrious golfer won 95 tours in a career that spanned five decades, but he might best be remembered for his contributions to the clubhouse bar. Palmer’s name was first given over to a concoction of half iced-tea, half-lemonade that he was famed for ordering at the nineteenth hole, and that has since gone on to become a staple of the American coolbox.
More recently, however, he’s put his esteemed signature on a collection of Californian reds. The resounding favourite is his Cabernet Sauvignon, a Napa Valley stalwart that showcases a Bordeaux-esque balance of deep cherry flavours and robust tannins.
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