Celebrity Wines

What is left after one has attained fame and fortune? What else but to have your name and/or picture put on a wine bottle, and that is just what happened with several of the well known and famous. A name on a wine bottle is much more that a publicity stunt or a way to gain recognition, it is a tribute to the person named or pictured. As a service to autograph collectors, wine bottle collectors and collectors of all descriptions, we would like to call attention to some of these celebrity adorned wine bottles and the wines inside them.

Arnold Palmer 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($14.99). Arnold Palmer is one of the World’s foremost golfers, so it stands to reason that he would not lend his name to anything that was not up to his very critical standards. This wine reaches that plateau and then some. It is a huge wine of immense character and refinement. The flavors and aromas of currents, blackberries and plum with a background of oak and vanilla followed by a long finish are the hallmarks of this wine. Contrary to most wines of its type, the Arnold Palmer 2007 California Cabernet Sauvignon is ready to enjoy right now and needs no further bottle aging, although the wine will improve over many years to come. This wine is a pure delight and a must for wine enthusiasts and golfers.

Greg Norman 2006 Shiraz ($40). Another great golfer, Greg Norman, took some of the money he made playing golf and invested in his other passion, wine. While shiraz is not a native Australian grape, having originally come from France, it has become the favorite red wine grape of the “Aussies” and the world alike. The wine carries a big berry and fresh peppercorn aroma with a positive background of oak. The flavor mirrors the aroma with the addition of a noticeable but not offensive tannic element. The tannin allows the wine to be set down for additional bottle aging. The Greg Norman 2006 Shiraz is a fantastic wine to accompany the heavy beef meals Australians are famous for.

Newman’s Own 2007 Chardonnay ($12.99). The reigning “king of the white wines” is well portrayed in this offering from one of the silver screens most famous stars and respected gourmets, Paul Newman. It is a bright and open wine that shows off all of the charms of a chardonnay to their fullest. The wine is well oaked, both in the aroma and the flavor, in the style of the classical chardonnays, so if you enjoy wines that have a solid oak backbone, this one is for you. The flavor and aroma encompass the sensations of oak, vanilla, green apples and pears. Unlike many of our modern chardonnay wines, this wine has a positive and lingering fruity aftertaste. With all that has been said and written about chardonnay wines, all we can add is a recommendation to try the Newman’s Own 2007Chardonnay, we are sure that you will not be disappointed.

2007 Marilyn Merlot ($24.99). This beautiful wine reinforces America’s love affair with merlot and the memory of Marilyn Monroe. It is very doubtful that the executors of Marilyn Monroe’s estate would permit her name and photo to be put on a bottle of an inferior wine. Such is the case here. The 2007 Marilyn Merlot is a grand wine that, if she were still with us, she would be proud of. It is well balanced, intense in color, and accents the aromas of ripe plums and dark raisins. The wine also has that elusive cedar aroma found only in the finest of merlot wines. The flavor is a melding of blackberries, vanilla, and oak. There is also a soft tannic structure to ensure many years of life for this wine. The 2007 Marilyn Merlot is a wine we can easily recommend to you as one that is sure to please by what is in the bottle and what is on the bottle.