Will you be splashing out £65 on three bottles of Meghan’s new rosé,
To crib an advertising slogan from good old M&S, Meghan Sussex’s first wine offering is not just a bottle of plonk. This is Meghan’s very own, very special wine, the first of a ‘thoughtfully curated’ collection coming our way this summer.
The rosé, which retails at $30 (£22) a bottle, sold out in under an hour when it was launched yesterday, barely giving time for the Duchess of Sussex to treat us to the usual array of marketing images for her As Ever brand.
But no doubt, over the coming weeks, as the next in line – a methode champenoise Napa Valley – approaches, we can expect to see plenty of pictures of the queen of self-promotion dressed head to toe in crisp, white (designer and available via an affiliated link) linen, surrounded by famous friends, a chilled glass of the California sparkling in her hand as she throws her head back to perform her trademark laughing-hysterically-at-nothing pose.
Or, perhaps she’ll be photographed being her authentic self in the grounds of her Montecito mansion. Barefoot on a (designer and available via an affiliated link) picnic rug, as her butler – sorry, husband – Harry lovingly pours her a glass from a bottle dripping with sexy condensation.
According to Meghan’s team, yesterday’s addition to her As Ever range is ‘designed for summer’s best moments – from lunches that turn into dinners and sun-drenched weekends where the only thing louder than the music is the laughter’.
Unlike the jam and pancake mix, she can’t really rope the children into pushing this one on Instagram. Nor can they sell it at that farmers’ market stall where they apparently flog their home-grown fruit and veg.
Brace yourselves for the clever tips she’ll be offering to help you plebs ‘elevate’ your glass of wine, rather than simply chugging it back in front of Netflix like peasants. Pictures uploaded to the As Ever Instagram account earlier this week showed a bottle nestling in a cooler with her famous flower sprinkles scattered over the ice cubes.
The wine itself apparently has ‘soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality and a lasting finish’, as well as offering ‘a roundness and depth of flavour’. Does it also come with an aroma of desperation and a tasting notes of bitterness and revenge?
Not available to buy in a single bottle, shoppers instead had to snap up a minimum of three bottles for $90 (£65), six for $159 (£116) or really push the boat out and go for 12 bottles for $300 (£218) and then pay $20 shipping on top (£15). Orders won’t be shipped until July 9.
Whatever the critical reaction to Meghan’s rosé, she’s following a well-trodden celebrity path.
Remember, a few years ago, when it felt like every celebrity that ever appeared on telly for more than five minutes (including Meghan) had written a children’s book?
Today, it seems that anyone who is anyone in the world of entertainment – from pop stars and models to chefs and sportsmen – is hawking their own brand of vino, with rosés being the runaway bestsellers.
Who’d have thought that former Take That star Gary Barlow would have a rosé stocked by Tesco and Ocado? Or that Hollywood actresses including Sarah Jessica Parker would be pushing pink plonk on the public?
Once regarded as the epitome of naff by connoisseurs, rosé – while still not entirely embraced by wine snobs – has had an upmarket makeover that means it can no longer be dismissed as nasty ‘lady petrol’ consumed by raucous women on hen nights.
‘Historically it was always seen as an afterthought,’ says Emily Brighton, 33, the UK’s youngest female Master of Wine says. ‘It has come a long way from the early pale rosés that, intentionally, didn’t taste of very much because they were made to appeal to people who didn’t really drink wine. Even today, rosé drinkers tend not to be traditional wine consumers and that’s why branding and marketing play a huge part in its success because of its association with glamour, romance and fun.’
Emily cites the success of Whispering Angel as an example of a rosé brand that has linked its product with an aspirational lifestyle. Now the world’s bestselling premium rosé (a million cases a year and counting), a quick glance at its official Instagram page shows image after image of beautiful people sipping Whispering Angel in glamorous locations – from the slopes of St Moritz to the beaches of the Cote d’Azur.
While there’s been a drive to promote so called ‘brosé’ (rosé for men), the pink stuff is still mostly consumed by and marketed towards women, as their go-to summer drink.
‘It’s incredible how much the weather influences its sales,’ says Emily. ‘On a fantastically hot weekend, sales will soar. But if it’s wet and windy, they’ll nosedive.’
Once you throw an A-list name into the rosé mix, you’ve got yourself marketing gold, as pop princess Kylie Minogue discovered. Her rosé has become the bestselling brand in the UK and is stocked by every major supermarket. It’s been such a hit that Aldi even brought out its own lookalike version.
‘Teaming up with a well-known and respected wine producer, as celebrities such as Kylie, Sarah Jessica Parker and Graham Norton have done, is key to success as well,’ says Emily.
‘The wine market is very fragmented, there’s not much brand recognition, and so any hook you can give the consumer is going to help sales.
‘If you’re pushing a trolley around a supermarket and you see celebrity branding on a bottle of alcohol, it’s going to transport you to a more exciting place – there’s a romanticism attached to it.’
It was Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who were among the first to dip their toes into the world of celebrity rosé wine with their label Miraval, bringing out what Emily describes as a ‘an impressive and serious’ wine.
Will Meghan’s wine be considered impressive and serious? She has joined forces with Fairwinds Estate, a vineyard in the Napa Valley, that Emily admits she isn’t familiar with. It certainly has a serious alcohol content at 14.5 per cent.
‘That’s high for a rosé,’ says Emily. ‘Provence rosés are typically 13 per cent. A rosé from the Napa region is pretty unusual, too; it’s an area known for its reds.’
Fairwinds already makes a range called Obbligato in association with singer Barry Manilow as well as a couple of cowboy collaborations: The Duke – produced for the John Wayne family estate – and 1883, the title of a Western drama TV mini-series.
Now it has saddled up with a former royal with a reputation as being a bit of a picky perfectionist. Let’s hope the folks at Fairwinds have thicker skins than their grapes.
From SJP to Kylie and Brad Pitt, our expert’s verdict on stars’ rosés…
Brad Pitt
Miraval, Côtes De Provence Rosé, £19, Sainsbury’s
When Brad and his then wife, Angelina Jolie, bought Château Miraval in 2008, they started the celebrity wine trend. Since their bitter divorce, only Brad retains an interest.
This fabulous, organic estate in Correns, Provence, was already successful. Today, the renowned Perrin family makes the juice from grenache, cinsault and syrah grapes with a splash of rolle and delivers a fine wine. A classic, pale salmon pink in colour, Miraval has subtle notes of raspberry and rose petal with a mineral core and fresh, citrussy finish.
4/5
Idris Elba
Porte Noire Collection Rosé, Provence, £28.80, portenoire.co.uk
Porte Noire is actor Idris Elba’s collaboration with wine merchant David Farber. Launched in 2023, the brand focuses on small-batch, high-quality wines and spirits including stunning champagnes, a cognac and now this Cotes de Provence rosé.
Made with organic grenache and cinsault, this pink has a characteristic, almost chalky, mineral finesse. It’s a wine that says a lot but doesn’t shout it loudly. As sophisticated as the actor who decided not to drape his name across the labels. One for fine dining and gifting.
4/5
Graham Norton
Graham Norton’s Own Rosé, £10.75, Ocado
TV presenter Graham Norton was so vocal about his love for Marlborough Savvy B (sauvignon blanc) that New Zealand wine company Invivo approached him in 2014 to do a fun blending session and, eventually, he made a wine with them.
He has an ever-expanding portfolio of drinks that include red, white, rosé and sparkling wine, as well as two gins. He gets involved in the blending of each new vintage. It flies off the shelves – very commercial and one for flavoursome food from the grill.
3/5
Kylie Vin de Provence Rosé, £12, Sainsbury’s
The pop princess has thrown herself into the winemaking business, launching no less than nine still and sparkling wines of all colours from France, Spain, Italy and Australia. Her bestselling Kylie Rosé is a simple, fruity ‘Vin de France’, made with grapes sourced from all around the country. But this little Provencal pink is a real step up, with a dash of white peach, a smidge of ripe strawberry and a subtle slick of saline.
It doesn’t reach the heady, complex heights that her ‘splash out’ Cru Classé rosé might (£22.40, harveynichols.com), but then, neither does the price tag. Try all three together to understand what those extra pennies give you with each step up.
3/5
Gordon Ramsay
Elegante Rosato, Italy, £10, winedelivered.co.uk
Celebrated chef Gordon Ramsay headed to Italy to find his own style of food-friendly pink and work with his friend and acclaimed winemaker Alberto Antonini.
Rather unusually, it’s a cross-regional blend made with Tuscan sangiovese – which is more famous for red Chianti wine – blended with montepulciano grapes from Abruzzo and merlot from both areas. The result is a rosato (Italian rosé) that captures the moreish, sour cherry tang and herbaceous kick from the sangiovese. It’s unassuming and tart but really comes into its own with food, especially anything with green leaves or tomatoes. Perfect for mid-week meals.
3/5
Sarah Jessica Parker
SJP x Invivo Rosé, £15, winedelivered.co.uk
Like Norton, Sex And The City star Sarah Jessica Parker was a big fan of sauvignon blanc, so much so that in 2019 she teamed up with the same company, Invivo, to create her own take on it. The rosé came along a year later when Invivo joined forces with an established French maison. Both come across a little sweeter and richer than others in their category.
The rosé in particular, with its summer pudding and candied strawberry appeal, make it a great foil for salty snacks and cheeses. It’s prettily presented, too. Great for gifting and summer parties.
2/5
Jesse Bongiovi and Jon Bon Jovi
Hampton Water Rosé, Languedoc, £16, Majestic
When asked why he and his son chose Languedoc rather than the more upmarket Provence for their rosé, rock god Jon Bon Jovi told me: ‘We’re not New York, we’re Jersey!’
Rosés from the Languedoc often have a more easy-drinking fruitiness when compared to their lean and saline Provencal neighbours and this one makes the ultimate poolside pink.
Think ripe strawberries and a dollop of cream, freshened up by a squeeze of grapefruit and sprinkle of salt. Perfect for garden parties.
5/5
Gary Barlow
Sauvignon Blush, £8.25, Morrisons and Tesco
Take That singer-songwriter Gary Barlow’s wines recently had a revamp – and it’s for the better. Once a tad insipid, today the pink offers a punchy blend of sauvignon blanc and grenache, which both hail from South Africa’s Western Cape. You get full-on, cut-grass-and-bell pepper-scented sauvignon with refreshing, smoky grapefruit acidity.
A dollop of grenache brings the colour and adds the faintest hint of red berry fruit. Brilliant for barbecues – or just keeping on the go in the fridge.
2/5
Cara Delevingne
Della Vite D.O.C. Prosecco Rosé, £21.50, Sainsbury’s
The supermodel co-founded this sleek prosecco brand with sisters Poppy and Chloe in 2020. The idea was to bring a fashion-forward flair to their favourite drink, and they delivered that in terms of the look and feel. Getting wine experts on side was a little trickier. Even I have to admit that it’s good though – perhaps the best there is out there with its pear and brioche flavours and elegant mousse.
The rosé followed in 2022 – a pink version with the same iconic, frosted bottle. It’s still good but not as knock-it-out-the park excellent.
4/5
