With the height of rosé season upon us and celebrity wines flooding the marketplace, this week I hosted a virtual “Celebrity Rosé Deathmatch” to determine which celebrity rosés were worthy of the vinous A-list.
With 471 households logged in via Zoom, I instructed the group on how to evaluate rosé wine and then presented the seven contenders. Under scrutiny were the pink drinks by Pitt & Jolie, John Legend, Francis Ford Coppola, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, and Post Malone. Attendees purchased the wines in advance of the tasting.
Participants voted through Zoom’s online polling system, and the results were as follows:
1] Miraval Rosé 2019 (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie) (29%) (winner)
2] tie) Hampton Water Rosé 2019 (Bon Jovi) (20%)
2] tie) LVE Cotes de Provence Rosé 2018 (John Legend) (20%)
4] tie) Maison No. 9 Rosé 2019 (16%) (Post Malone) (16%)
4] tie) Sofia Rosé 2019 (Francis Ford Coppola) (16%)
6] Sun Goddess Pinot Grigio Ramato 2019 (Mary J Blige) (8%)
7] Invivo X Rosé 2019 (Sarah Jessica Parker) (7%)
The Miraval was prized for its zesty, delicate personality and notes of red berry, melon, and tangerine. One could argue that this gorgeous rosé is one of the best things to come out of Brangelina’s marriage. Jon Bon Jovi and John Legend’s pink rosé also fared well in the competition.
I also asked participants to vote for the best rosé packaging. Francis Ford Coppola’s Sofia Rosé, named for Coppola’s movie-director daughter, won the day with its long, bowling-pin bottle shape and floral label. Close behind were the squat, cognac-shaped designs of John Legend and Pitt & Jolie. Also performing well was the slender, bat-shaped bottle and gothic design from relative upstart Post Malone.
1] Sofia Rosé 2019 (Francis Ford Coppola) (24%) (winner)
2] tie) LVE Cotes de Provence Rosé 2018 (21%) (John Legend)
2] tie) Maison No. 9 Rosé 2019 (Post Malone) (21%)
2] tie) Miraval Rosé 2019 (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie) (21%)
5] Hampton Water Rosé 2019 (Bon Jovi) (16%)
6] Sun Goddess Pinot Grigio Ramato 2019 (Mary J Blige) (11%)
7] Invivo X Rosé 2019 (Sarah Jessica Parker) (3%)
Despite some experts’ disdain for celebrity wine, all of these rosés had charm and refreshment value, even the ones ranked lower.
The next celebrity wine tasting happens on August 18th, when I hosts a “Celebrity White Wine Showdown” in which the white wines of Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Dave Matthews, Sting, Lisa Vanderpump, and Zac Brown will battle it out for supremacy.
Next week, on August 11th, I also host “Mind of a Wine Fraudster” with Peter Hellman, author of the award-winning In Vino Duplicitas. We will discuss Hellman’s research into the motivations behind the crimes of notorious wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan
These virtual tastings are free to those who register. To sign up or to see a full listing of virtual wine tastings, please visit this page.
