Have you ever thought how a film or pop star could boost wine sales? Short of having their company for a fleeting visit, the next best idea would be to feature their wines regularly on your list. Increasingly the showbiz world is turning to growing grapes on their estates not just "table" grapes for eating, but "vitis vinifera" grapes for wine making. Offering such wines is innovative with a greater profit potential than for many advertised brands. The promotional opportunities are vast: naming the individual alongside the wine in the list, a tent card and board notice when a new film/play/song is released and suitable photograph to illustrate the entry. Sir Cliff Richard, often referred to as the Peter Pan of Pop, cut his first record in 1958. He has enjoyed a staggering 130 hit singles. Lesser known is his vineyard in the Algarve of southern Portugal. He has planted some 20 acres at Quinta do Moinho near Albufeira. With the help of Australian wine maker David Baverstock, Richard has released Vida Nova, meaning "new life". It is an oak-aged blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira (two well-known Portuguese grapes), Mourvedre and Shiraz. The result is a typically fruity Portuguese red with bags of spice ideal to accompany hearty roasts. There are plans afoot to expand production and even build a winery, rather than truck the grapes some 120km away (John E Fells & Sons 01442 870900). Olivia Newton-John has teamed up with her former singing partner, Pat Farrar, to diversify into wine. An Australian wine firm, Snowdon Wines of Pipers Creek in Victoria is producing the wine under the Koala Blue name. She has two up-front wines: a citrus fruit Chardonnay and a cherry-rich Shiraz (Fuller Smith & Turner 020 8996 2000). Another Aussie selection comes from superstar cricketer Shane Warne. Initially, two wines are offered under the umbrella title of "Shane Warne Collection", both from the 2002 vintage: Chardonnay and a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot, replicating a Claret. Three-years-old Zilzie Wines has made 5,000 dozen bottles of each at their winery in the Sunraysia region, close to Lindemans' Karadoc where Bin 65 Chardonnay is produced. Only small stocks are released for export (Alchemy Wines 01394 460750). Film director Francis Ford Coppola known by cinema-goers for producing The Godfather has been a wine maker for almost two decades. His Niebaum-Coppola vineyard is at Rutherford in California's prestigious Napa Valley. He took over the Inglenook estate, which was started in the 1880s and now has 1,500 acres. Among the range available here is the Francis Coppola Diamond Series, which shows the quality available from America's Pacific coast today (Reid Wines 01761 452645). Ex-Bond actress, Carole Bouquet, has a taste for Bordeaux wine. Her 100% Merlot, made in Lussac St Emilion, is sold under the label "La Croix de Peyrolie". She has technical advice from Bernard Magrez, owner of the illustrious Chateau Pape-Clement (William Pitters 020 7263 5254). Gerard Depardieu, the 54-year-old actor, is developing wine interests around the globe. In addition to Algeria, Argentina, and Morocco, Depardieu has several vineyards in France. In the Loire Valley, Cuvee Cyrano comes from Chateau de Tigne in Anjou. He also offers a light red Groslot, richer Cabernet Franc red and dessert Coteaux du Layon (Burgundy Shuttle 0777 1630826). Songwriter Andy Gill purchased one of England's top wine estates, Nyetimber, last year. On predominantly chalky soil near Pulborough in West Sussex, Gill makes a stunning range of fizz using the traditional method of secondary fermentation in bottle. Look particularly at his 100% Chardonnay for an elegant aperitif and a vintage toasty blend using the same grape varieties as cultivated in the Champagne region of north-east France (Nyetimber 01798 813989).
