Big Fat Wine

Celebrities & Wine

Many “thank you’s” to all of your suggestions and comments! We’ve added more celebrities to our page and will continue to add more as we find more!

Celebs sure know what to do when they want to enjoy life!  Below is a partial listing of celebrities who own commercial wineries, wine brands or vineyards.

Boz Scaggs
American singer, songwriter and guitarist
Scaggs Vineyards
Oakville, California

(If you are a celebrity who owns a winery, wine brand or vineyard or you know of one that we missed, let us know and we will add you/them to the list)

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The essence and structure of great rock music is built in layers much like the essence and structure of great wine.  When I think of wine it brings images of smoky bars, gatherings of friends and family, wonderful meals, romantic evenings… funny thing is that all of those things are made better by great rock music.  (Epiphany) WINE and ROCK MUSIC make a perfect combination!

When I started doing research for the connection between wine and rock music I was immediately overwhelmed.  There is so much information and I wanted to include it all.  Not going to happen.  It would take me a year just to pull together a decent list of the information to start on.  So I decided to pick one minute detail and get something down.  Here goes…

I love rock and roll!  When I asked Joel what he loves about rock, he said, “It makes me feel connected. Like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.”   I can relate.  The wine lifestyle gives Joel and me that same sort of feeling of connectedness.

Seems that the people at Wines That Rock understand that too.  They have taken 3 classic collections of music and created wines based upon the spirit of those collections.   The three that they have *co-created so far are 2006 Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon,  2007 Rolling Stones’ 40 Licks Merlot, and 2008 Woodstock Chardonnay.

Did These guys crawl into my head? They really get me!

I thought of about 100 albums or songs that I want them to do because they have such strong anchors to important points in my life.  While surfing around on their website I found a link to vote on the inspiration for their next creation, and what-do-you-know, several of the albums that I was wishing for were on the list of possible choices.   I won’t tell you what I voted for (the doors) as I wouldn’t want to influence (the doors) your vote (the doors) in any way.  That (the doors) wouldn’t be right.

I will be following this exciting winery and looking forward to all their new creations.

*I wrote “co-create” in order to give credit to the creative collaboration between the musical artist and the artistry of the winemaker.

As Always,
Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

The weekends have been so perfect here lately, that’s rare. When the sun shines, we look for the biggest wave, leap in and paddle to our hearts content metaphorically speaking. Scheduling as many activities as we can into two days isn’t difficult, actually following through is!

Saturday, we ventured into Burien. Jona grew up was raised in that area but we never seem to visit often. Some good friends mentioned a wine bar there few years ago and we’ve been meaning to go, so off we went. Vino Bello!, It had such a cool name it had to be great, and it was. 152nd in Burien is actually quite quaint nowadays. The little shops and eateries bring a certain charm to the block and it was an awesome summer evening to walk hand in hand down the sidewalk.

Vino Bello Wine Bar was a gem! Bottles and local art  lined the walls and the music was pleasantly unique. We have often discussed the ambiance in wine bars and that we would really  appreciate some music that didn’t make us feel like our parents.  Led Zeppelin played at a socialable level in the background, rock and wine make a perfect combination.  Plus, we enjoyed the tasting, “Wines of Argentina”. These were great big tastes!

The one that stood out for us both was the Tomero Petite Verdot Reserva 2006. The Tomero Wines are made in Argentina and named for the TOMERO. The TOMERO became a part of the vineyard livelihood in 1883 and his presence continues today. His job is the distribution of irrigation water in those vineyards which, by law, are entitled to use the river water.  The TOMERO is hired by the landowners, and his job is to open and close the “Toma De Agua” (water intake channel) of each estate according to the number of water hours assigned.

This wine is reportedly aged in French Oak for 15 months and its  color is a deep dark purplish  black.  Nicely balanced would be an understatement, and quite honestly, that is what made this wine stand out. Full-bodied red with black plum and blackberry aromas.  Very  concentrated but not heavy. Perfect for beefs of all varieties.

We highly recommend Vino Bello in Burien.  We plan on returning soon and taking friends and family with us. The service was perfect! They were there when we needed them and they kept us in their vision in case we had that thirsty look in our eyes. Like I said before, the music was great and it made the wine and evening that much more pleasurable and complete. We ended up keeping our tasting to one hour because we wanted to go get dinner. We could have stayed later but trying to find a good meal after 10pm in Washington is a challenge to say the least. Does everyone really go to bed that early? Can’t we just stay up a little while longer?

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Celebs sure know what to do when they want to enjoy life!  Below is a partial listing of celebrities who own commercial wineries, wine brands or vineyards.

(If you are a celebrity who owns a winery, wine brand or vineyard or you know of one that we missed, let us know and we will add you/them to the list)

Vince Neil
Lead singer Motley Crue
Vince Vineyards (article)Vince Neil Official Site
Sonoma County, California

Francis Ford Coppola
American film director, producer and screenwriter
Rubicon Estate Winery
Napa Valley, California

Fess Parker
American film and television actor /featured in the movie Sideways
Fess Parker Winery
Santa Ynez Valley, California

Tommy Smothers
American comedian, composer and musician
Remick Ridge Vineyards
Sonoma County, California

Sam Neill
New Zealand actor
Two Paddocks
Central Otago, New Zealand

Gerard Depardieu
French actor and winemaker
Chateau de Tigne
Anjou, Loire Valley, France

Mario Andretti
Italian-American world champion racing driver
Andretti Winery
Napa Valley, California

Greg Norman
Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur /Collaboration with Beringer Blass
Greg Norman Estates
South Australia and California

Peggy Fleming
American figure skater who won an Olympic gold medal in 1968 / Founded with her husband, Greg Jenkins
Fleming Jenkins Vineyards and Winery
Santa Cruz Mountains, California

Ernie Els
South African professional golfer / Collaboration with Engelbrecht Els Vineyard
Ernie Els Wines
Stellenbosch, South Africa

Savanna Samson
American pornographic actress / Her first wine Sogno Uno is a red blend consisting mainly of the obscure Italian grape variety Cesanese
Savanna Samson Wines
Tuscany and Lazio, Italy

Jeff Gordon
American race car driver / Collaboration with August Briggs Wines
Jeff Gordon Wines
Napa Valley, California

Raymond Burr
Established by the late actor in 1986. Currently run by his partner.
Raymond Burr Vineyards
Dry Creek Valley, California

Bruce Cohn
Cohn was manager of The Doobie Brothers
B.R. Cohn Winery
Sonoma County, California

John Lasseter
American animator, director and the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Lasseter Family Winery
Sonoma County, California

Diane Marie Disney
Owns winery with husband, former professional football player Ron W. Miller
Silverado Vineyards Winery
Napa Valley, California

Carmen Policy
Attorney and American football executive
Casa Piena
Yountville, California

Tom Seaver
Major League Baseball pitcher
GTS Vineyards
Napa Valley, California

Dan Aykroyd
Also produces a Sonoma County, California, series of wines
Dan Aykroyd Wines
Ontario, Canada

Mick Hucknall
Lead singer of the British band Simply Red / Collaboration with Italian winemaker Salvo Foti
Il Cantante
Sicily, Italy

Olivia Newton-John
Founded in 1983 with business partner Pat Farrar
Koala Blue Wines
South Australia

Cliff Richard
Indian-born English singer, musician, performer and actor / Collaboration with Quinta do Miradouro
Adega do Cantor
Algarve, Portugal

Mike Weir
Canadian professional golfer
Mike Weir Wine
Niagara Peninsula, Canada

Madonna
Collaboration with her father Silvio “Tony” Ciccone
Ciccone Vineyard and Winery
Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan

Wayne Gretzky
Collaboration with Creekside Estates
No. 99 Estates Winery
Niagara Peninsula, Canada

Alex Spanos
Real estate developer and self-made billionaire who owns the San Diego Chargers. Also owns Bell Wine Cellars in Yountville
SpanosBerberian Winery
Napa Valley, California

Dick Vermeil
Collaboration with OnThEdge Winery
Vermeil Wines
Napa Valley, California

Kevin Buckler
American racecar driver and entrepreuener
Adobe Road Wines
Sonoma County, California

Arnold Palmer
Collaboration with Luna Vineyards
Arnold Palmer Wines
California

Mick Fleetwood
Collaboration with Langtry Estate and Vineyards
Mick Fleetwood Private Cellar
Lake County, California

Jonathan Cain
American musician, most known for his keyboards and songwriting roles in the rock band, Journey
delaCain Vineyards
Sonoma County, California

Kyle MacLachlan
Collaboration with Washington winemaker Eric Dunham
Pursued by Bear Wine
Columbia Valley, Washington

Drew Bledsoe
Collaboration with Washington winemaker Chris Figgins of Leonetti Cellars
Double Back Wine
Walla Walla Valley, Washington

Maynard James Keenan
Lead singer of the multi-platinum rock bands Tool and A Perfect Circle / Also owns Merkin Vineyards in Arizona
Caduceus Cellars
Arizona

Richard Childress
NASCAR driver and the owner of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series
Childress Vineyards
North Carolina

Dave Matthews
Blenheim Vineyards
Charlottesville, Virginia

Jason Priestley
The British Columbia born actor is a co-owner in the estate
Black Hills Estate Winery
Okanagan, British Columbia

Antonio Banderas
Anta Banderas
Ribera del Duero, Spain

Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Co-owns winery with brother in law. To avoid a conflict of interest with his wine rating publication The Wine Advocate, Parker delegates the task of rating Oregon wines to another associate.
Beaux Freres Vineyards & Winery
Willamette Valley, Oregon

Dave Del Dotto
Former real estate investor who sold a course he called the “Cash Flow System” through infomercials / In 2007, experimented with fermenting wine in amphorae
Del Dotto Vineyards
Napa Valley, California

Mike Ditka
Collaboration with the Mendocino Wine Company
Mike Ditka Wines
Mendocino County, California

Sting
Sting and Trudie have just bottled their first vintage of wine (though it needs to age for three years before it will be released). Il Palagio’s vineyards.
Il Palagio’s vineyards
Figline Valdarno, Italy

Bob Dylan
Teamed up with Antonio Terni (a life-long Dylan fan) in La Marche, Italy, to produce the Planet Waves (the title of Dylan’s 1974 album) signature label.
Fattoria Le Terrazze
Numana, Italy

Dan Marino
Vintage 13 Marino Estates
California

Charles Woodson
American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers. / Under NFL regulations, Woodson is currently prohibited from endorsing his own wines publicly until he retires.
TwentyFour Wines
Napa Valley, California

Cathy Schembechler
Named after her late husband, former University of Michigan Football coach Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler Wines
California

David Ginola
French international football player who has also worked as an actor and model
Coste Brulade
Côtes de Provence, France

Michael Seresin
New Zealand cinematographer
Seresin Estate
Marlborough New Zealand

Jarno Trulli
Italian Formula One racing driver
Podere Castorani
Abruzzo, Italy

Valeri Bure
Professional ice hockey right winger from Russia. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League / In partnership with his wife – actress Candace Cameron.
Chateau Boswell Winery
Napa Valley, California

Günther Jauch
Prestigious vineyard from at least the 16th century, listed cultural heritage site, since 1805 owned by Jauch’s ancestors. Jauch, one of the most popular Germans, is owner in the seventh generation.
Weingut von Othegraven
Mosel (wine region), Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Frank Sinatra
American singer and actor
Sinatra Family Estates
Napa Valley, California

(If you are a celebrity who owns a winery, wine brand or vineyard or you know of one that we missed, let us know).

We look forward to building this list as celebs enter the lifestyle.

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The members concerts at Chateau Ste. Michelle are one of the highlights of our year.  Because we have duel memberships we get 4 tickets every year and usually attend both events.  This year they set the members events to fall over one weekend.  Woodinville is only about an hour away from home but since we had events both Saturday and Sunday we  booked a room so that we didn’t have to drive home in between (also so we can write about the Willows Lodge in Woodinville, but that’s another blog).

Our two oldest daughters meet us at the winery every year(they are both members too).  After Joel’s surgery Friday I wasn’t sure that we were going to make it, but Joel refused to be kept away.  Spending time with the family is our top priority so we packed up the car and and headed out.  Our timing was perfect.  We arrived, parked and made our way to the line just as the girls walked by.  It couldn’t have been better choreographed if we had planned it ahead of time.

We were also meeting friends and they had gotten in just ahead of us and were setting up our spot just to the left of the stage.   Over the next five minutes we had blankets down, cooler and picnic basket set, plates out and headed up to get our glasses.  The lines for tasting weren’t too bad this year so we had our first tastes quickly.  Over the next two hours we tasted, we talked, we laughed and we enjoyed the perfect day.

Joel bought a couple of bottles of the 2006 Columbia Valley Tempestade – Limited Release  for the concert.

2006 Columbia Valley Tempestade – Limited Release WINEMAKER NOTES
“This is the second Tempestade Red Wine from Chateau Ste. Michelle. Sourced from Portuguese varietals in our Cold  Creek vineyard, this earthy wine delivers pronounced aromas of chocolate, coffee and spice. On the palate, the Tempestade is dense and full, with a rich, layered finish. It is a very bold wine not for the timid.”

And what a bold wine it was.  There were six wines to taste but this was our favorite.  Me, flavors of chocolate and coffee?  You can’t go wrong with that.

The Girls liked the 2009 Columbia Valley Gewürztraminer.

2009 Columbia Valley Gewürztraminer TASTING NOTES
“A fan favorite, this Gewürztraminer is such an enjoyable wine with exuberant fruit and clove spice. This is a lush style of Gewürztraminer with a lot of floral character, yet it still maintains the grape’s natural crisp character. A touch of Muscat offers citrus notes and a deeper spice character. Try this wine with Thai food or any cuisine with a little “bite” to it.” -Bob Bertheau, Winemaker

Natalie MacMaster came on stage and the place lit up.  Ms. MacMaster is entertaining, and plays the hell out of that fiddle. The crowd wanted good music to go with the wonderful day and they weren’t disappointed.  There is something so right about a summer evening, great wine and fiddle music, it just feels natural.

I didn’t know much about Ms. MacMaster before the concert (it never matters who is playing, we always have fun) but I will certainly pick up a couple of CD’s for in-car enjoyment.

We had a wonderful time at this event and this is only the beginning of one fabulous weekend.

As Always,
Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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Saturday evening, we ventured out for someplace new. We arrived in Tacoma at CORK a wine bar! We just barely missed the live music but upon entering, we found the atmosphere pleasant and very inviting. Lots of tables spread out around the floor and since there were not alot of patrons present, we had a good selection of seating.

We ordered the First Class Flight for each of us. Three tastes galore and we enjoyed this so much. Since we are red through and through, we were ready for some swirling, smelling and slurping! Maybe I need new glasses, or subconsciously wanted to be different, but I mistakenly ordered the Root One Sauvignon Blanc with my two reds. This was not a bad mistake though! This turned out to be the best wine we ordered  that evening! The Root One Sauvignon Blanc jumped out with plenty of aroma. Apricots hit our noses right away, together with mandarin oranges and vanilla. This wine went terrific with the meat and cheese plate we ordered and made everything taste scrumptious! Especially the French Brie! We couldn’t get enough. If you have one white set aside for those warm summer days, make it this one!

The service was exceptional and everyone was very helpful. We will definitely be back. We can’t wait to bring friends and family to enjoy the comfortable surroundings. Hopefully we can enjoy the Pear, blue cheese, rosemary, and olive oil Flatbread, which they unfortunately were out of that night.

CORK is located at 3012 6th Avenue in Tacoma and parking on either side of the street isn’t much of a problem. Just plan to stay a few hours!

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