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When a bottle of Domaine de Terres Blanches Sancerre was briefly spotted in Taylor Swift’s documentary End of an Era earlier this year, the wine was rapidly sold out in the United States. Google searches for “Sancerre” skyrocketed, as fans became curious to know more about “Taylor’s Choice.”
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Wine snobs may sneer at this type of megastar phenomenon, but the association between celebrities and wine does not necessarily equate with blind following. Well-known performing artists and professional athletes – notably Sting, Sam Neill, Dwyane Wade and Yao Ming – are all serious wine lovers who established their own wineries to materialize their passion for wine.
Oscar Best Director winner Francis Ford Coppola came from a family with a long history of winemaking, and currently owns and operates Inglenook Winery in Napa Valley. Even politicians such as former speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi holds two vineyards in California. Correlating celebrity endorsement directly with pure financial gain and inferior wine quality is simply not fair.
In fact, what’s wrong with linking the images of accomplished actors or athletes with wine appreciation? Many producers struggle to find ways to make their products easier to understand. Technical descriptors such as chalky tannin, flabby structure or piercing acidity are too complicated for some customers. On the other hand, non-quantitative terms like “powerful,” “muscular,” “elegant,” “voluptuous,” “energetic” or even “sexy” are subjective, but in a way well accepted by the general audience. In the context of wine, personification sometimes helps.
Amidst a slow market when wine consumption is in a steady decline, the impact of celebrity on wine promotion should be most welcomed. Therefore if sipping a glass of Sancerre makes you feel like being a rock star for a little while, do it every day!
Alice Wong is a certified wine educator based in Hong Kong
