Tested
TOP OF THE PLONKS
I tested best-selling celeb wines… winner was a dreamy, satin-like rosé while loser was a rustic £6 red
A cheeky chat show host's wine will make you blush
THERE has been a celebrity wine gold rush in recent years, with no shortage of famous-name plonks now on the shelves.
Pop star Kylie Minogue is currently Spinning Around, with sales of her bottles of vin recently clocking in at ten million units.
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Other starry sips have included tipples from TV host Graham Norton, Living On A Prayer rocker Jon Bon Jovi and West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg – who has just launched a label called Cali.
But when it comes to great grapes, which A-list wines are the best for your buck?
Here, drinks expert Helena Nicklin gives her verdict and awards marks out of five.
Kylie Minogue Rosé
£9.50, Tesco
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WITH her ten-millionth bottle just sold, Kylie’s definitely been So Lucky with her wine range, which was launched in 2020 and includes nine varieties.
However, it is this pretty pink rosé that has been the real superstar.
With more crunchy red fruit and a boggy, metallic tang nowadays, it is not quite the silky, strawberry-scented wine it used to be at the launch, but is still very drinkable for a warm day nonetheless.
Accessible and affordable, the numbers speak for themselves on the popularity of this celebrity offering.
Most read in Money
RATING: 3/5
Team Fabulous puts the latest bottles of rose to the test - just in time for National Wine Day
Snoop Cali Sauvignon Blanc
£12, Asda
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THE US rapper’s new Cali Blanc is Dropping Like It’s Hot – and hats off to the Dogg for getting this grape offering so right.
A sunshine-fuelled Sauvignon with 12% ABV, this is ripe and luscious when you swig, rather like drinking boozy lime wine gums.
It’s super-commercial but well-executed.
And there is no avoiding which VIP has put his dollars into this vino, with a great big picture of Snoop himself on the label for drinkers to admire – and to add a bit of bling.
It is worth a few extra pence – but a £12 tag is a bit too punchy.
RATING: 4/5
SJP Invivo X Sevenly Sauvignon Blanc
£6, Sainsbury’s
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THE Sex & The City actress clearly loves a sweeter-than-average Savvy B as her whole range is flamboyantly on the fruity side.
Still, the sugar suits this New Zealand sauvignon.
SJP collaborated with a top Kiwi vineyard to make it, with the celeb reputedly tasting and blending each new vintage of wine herself.
Currently reduced by £2 at Sainsbury’s, it has a lower-than-average 7% ABV, so it is ideal if you are taking it light.
Lower levels also makes it a good daytime choice.
Carrie Bradshaw would approve.
RATING: 3/5
Post Malone Maison No. 9
£20, Ocado
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THE country superstar and rapper is the big name behind this pastel bottle of plonk.
The Rockstar hit-maker decided to think pink when it came to creating his own wine.
The French contents are made with a mix of grenache, cinsault, shiraz/syrah and merlot, and it is more savoury than some others, with a crunchy cranberry and vine tomato vibe.
But when you sip, the balance is a bit off and the tart factor is high and raspy.
It would be fine if it were a fiver for a bottle.
But it’s not.
RATING: 2/5
Gary Barlow Organic Red
£6, Asda
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FOR a man who proclaims himself a lover of music and fine wines, the Take That star’s self-named bottles hit quite a few bum notes.
This unoaked offering is made with a blend of Spanish red grapes from central Castilla.
Although it is competitively priced, it is a rustic plonk and pretty rough around the edges, with baked fruit flavours and a grippy texture – even though it is described as medium bodied.
Less of a wine you will Never Forget, it is more one you won’t want to remember.
Sorry, Gary.
RATING: 1/5
Bon Jovi Hampton Water
£13.99, Majestic
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ROCKER Jon Bon Jovi did well to partner with a top Langue-doc region winemaker – Gerard Bertrand – in France, alongside his son Jesse, to make this dreamy, satin-like pink.
It screams celebrity pool parties in the fancy US holiday resort of the Hamptons – but there is real substance to it, too.
A constant sell-out whenever it hits UK stores for good reason.
There is no “Le Vin On A Prayer” – this is a famous-name tipple with real taste and quality.
Try a glass and you will be grateful for a bed of these rosés.
RATING: 5/5
Graham Norton Sauvignon Blush
£9, Tesco
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THIS is probably the only time you’ll see cheeky chat show host Graham blush.
His pale pink sipper hails from New Zealand following a collaboration with a well- respected vineyard.
The plonk is crisp and zesty with crunchy raspberry notes and a slick, saline vibe.
It is leaner than expected, but pink Provence fans should like it.
A glugger for sipping on summer nights in the garden, or on the famous red sofa, and the TV VIP connection is a fun talking point.
Well priced at just under a tenner.
RATING: 3/5
Cara Delevingne Della Vite Prosecco
£18, Sainsbury’s
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A SPARKLING vegan wine with a catwalk connection.
The Delevingne sisters – model-turned-actress Cara, socialite, model and actress Poppy, and Cotswolds “It Girl” Chloe – really took a gamble pricing their Della Vite Italian Prosecco three times higher than most brands you can find.
Having tasted it, though, it is much better than similar offerings – and it looks super-sexy.
Reliable fizz and great for gifting – grab a few bottles while it is on offer at Sainsbury’s.
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It is sure to please at parties.
RATING: 4/5
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