Famously good drops

Michael Seresin. Photo / Supplied

What do heiress Paris Hilton, golf pro Greg Norman, crooner Cliff Richard and film director Francis Ford Coppola have in common? They all like a glass of wine or two, so much so they've started up their own wine labels.

There's been something of an explosion in celebrity wines in recent years. Given the strong connection between success and the enjoyment of fine wine it's not surprising that famous folk are keen to associate themselves with the product. And like the American tycoon who liked the shaver so much he bought the company, for some wine-loving celebs who've made their money elsewhere, creating their own special cuvees is an attractive proposition.

Celebrity wines are not all cut of the same glitzy cloth. Some are obviously gimmicky, with a line like Graceland Cellars' Jailhouse Rock Merlot considered almost criminal in serious wine circles. When Elvis was still rocking, such celebrity brand extensions weren't milking merchandising opportunities as they are today, with this set of wines just more personality endorsed products. Some are the vinous equivalent of Hulk Hogan's microwaveable Hulkster Burgers, others acceptable quaffers.

While the contents of Paris Hilton's flavoured prosecco in a can didn't exactly get the wine critics salivating, other well-known figures are putting out wines with substance over celebrity styling. Thankfully, the examples being made on our shores are of the latter persuasion.

Michael Seresin

No one could accuse cinematographer Michael Seresin's eponymous wine venture of lacking gravitas. Working on high profile films such as Bugsy Malone and Harry Potter, Seresin caught the wine bug when living among the vineyards of Tuscany. This motivated him to branch out into wine, in the early 90s establishing Seresin Estate in Marlborough, which swiftly became one of the region's most highly regarded quality focused wineries.

"I believe that wine is synonymous with a civilised life and for me the idea of producing wine was alluring," Seresin explains. "I started Seresin with my heart and cheque book and pretty soon got my head involved."

Driven by the environmental philosophies of Seresin himself, the estate has become one of the region's organic, and more recently biodynamic, wine pioneers. Working with nature now appears as alluring to Seresin as film.

"Mother Nature is a very stimulating and unpredictable mistress, but I love the challenge. Because we're a serious vineyard - it's not a vanity project at this time in my life - I spend as much or more time involved in wine as in film."

As well as tasting good, given his visual talents his wines, unsurprisingly, look great too with bottles adorned with the powerful image of his handprint underscored by his signature beneath it.

Sam Neill

Actor Sam Neill, who founded Two Paddocks in Central Otago well over a decade ago, is a rarity as he already had strong existing ties to wine. "My family had been in the wine importing business since the 1890s and my father always reckoned Central Otago was ideal for grape growing," he reveals.

The plan to plant grapes was hatched between Neill and his old chum and colleague Roger Donaldson. Neill to grow the pinot noir and Donaldson the chardonnay - hence Two Paddocks. "Roger was a bit slow off the mark, so I went it alone," says Neill. "I wanted to make a fine pinot that could be enjoyed by my family and friends. However, we soon realised that it was pretty damn good, so I guess now we make the best wine we can each vintage."

Two Paddocks wines have been put on the map by their quality as well as Neill's celebrity credentials. "There's always a few detractors - the old tall poppy syndrome - but I firmly believe the wine is its own identity and it should stand on its own merits," he maintains.

In Neill's latest film, Dean Spanley, in which he plays the title role, it's a glass of a rare sweet Hungarian tokay that causes Spanley to recall his intriguing past life. It seems for this star, there's no escaping wine!

Dick Frizzell

The visual element is obviously a strong force in the recently launched wine range from iconic Kiwi artist Dick Frizzell.

Before designing the funky packaging for his own wines, he'd already worked on other labels during his time as a commercial artist.

"I've done many labels over the years, even worked on the labels for the Cook's Wine launch back in the late 1970s while working at Bob Harvey's agency," says Frizzell. "With my wine I want to create a sensational package - a label that looks like no other and wine that is sublime."

Frizzell is quick to stress that his Hawkes Bay wine range is more than just a pretty label. While Frizzell's investment in wine doesn't extend to vineyards, he sought out respected winemaker Rod McDonald of Marariki wines to make them.

He says: "I was really keen to create small batches of quality wine and extend my artwork onto the labels and cartons.

"I thought it was about time I did a label of my own where I could not only look after the exterior but keep an eye on what was going on inside the bottle too. After all it is my name on the label!"

Celebrity wine spotting

Film fare

Francis Ford Coppola, the godfather of celebrity wines, has been making wines from his Napa Valley estate since the 70s. These have notched up almost as many accolades as Coppola has for his films.

Hip hop pop

Hip-hop is strewn with references to luxury products, with wine, and more specifically Champagne regularly name checked by rappers like Jay-Z. While it appears many Champagne houses are keen to distance themselves from their hip-hop following and none to my knowledge have yet permitted a hip-hop cuvee to come out of their hallowed cellars, last year rapper L'il John launched his own range of still wines. The merlot, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon released by his Little Jonathon Cellars follows his earlier foray into beverages with his Crunk Energy Drink.

Wine folk

Bob Dylan may have sung that he "started out on Burgundy but soon hit the harder stuff", but his continued interest in wine led to the launch of a high-priced Italian red named Planet Waves after his 1974 album and Visions of J, inspired by his song Visions of Johanna.

Simply Red

Simply Red's Mick Hucknall recently sang his way through some of our vineyards with concerts at Church Road and Villa Maria and he has a deeper connection with wine through the 18th-century Sicilian Estate he bought some years ago.

Made by respected local winemaker, Salvo Foti, the fact that Hucknall called his wine Il Cantante (The Singer) and not Simply Red indicates the seriousness with which he regards this endeavour.

Chateau Cliff

Although Sir Cliff famously dissed his own wine in a blind tasting on chef Gordon Ramsay's The F Word show, with respected winemaker David Baverstock on board, his Vida Nova range from Portugal makes for sound everyday drinking. Cliff's sometime singing partner Olivia Newton John also started up her own Koala Blue wine label back in 1983 - long before fellow celebrities were jumping on the wine bandwagon.

Sporting wine

Golfers seem to have a particular penchant for starting their wine labels, with Greg Norman producing his wines from Australia and California, Ernie Els out of South Africa and Nick Faldo lending his name to a range made by Australia's Katnook Estate. French footballer David Ginola produced an award-winning rose from Provence, and British cricketers Ian Botham and Bob Willis have a wine range made by Australia's Geoff Merrill.