There is, and has always been, a somewhat strange, romantic notion surrounding the food and wine industry – owning your own restaurant, or perhaps having a wine with your name on the label is actually a very fashionable idea, or so it would seem.

There are a growing number of Hollywood stars that are putting their names to a wine or vineyard – Francis Ford-Coppola, Dan Ackroyd and Antonio Banderas, to name but a few. Indeed, our very own Cliff Richard (an English pop star from the 60’s), has also put down roots in the Portuguese Algarve, if you’ll pardon the pun. His property, Adega do Cantor, also boasts an English wine maker, Max Birch.

Then only today I discover that the one and only Lady Gaga is thinking of branching out into wine production too (sorry, that pun was not really intended), surveying wine properties in Sonoma, California. In the very same article they mention that actress Drew Barrymore, and pop star Fergie have also purchased vineyards. Now I doubt very much if any one of these will be rolling their sleeves up to do the pruning, or drive the tractors, but they will no doubt, be looking forward to sampling the fruit of their labours. I should mention by the way, that Drew Barrymore’s wine is actually a Pinot Grigio from the Trentino region of Northern Italy, and is described as “fresh, dynamic and fun” reflecting her own style and personality!

If these wines are truly a reflection of the people who make them, then my own wine would have to be old, tired and grumpy!

There is, and has always been, a somewhat strange, romantic notion surrounding the food and wine industry – owning your own restaurant, or perhaps having a wine with your name on the label is actually a very fashionable idea, or so it would seem.

There are a growing number of Hollywood stars that are putting their names to a wine or vineyard – Francis Ford-Coppola, Dan Ackroyd and Antonio Banderas, to name but a few. Indeed, our very own Cliff Richard (an English pop star from the 60’s), has also put down roots in the Portuguese Algarve, if you’ll pardon the pun. His property, Adega do Cantor, also boasts an English wine maker, Max Birch.

Then only today I discover that the one and only Lady Gaga is thinking of branching out into wine production too (sorry, that pun was not really intended), surveying wine properties in Sonoma, California. In the very same article they mention that actress Drew Barrymore, and pop star Fergie have also purchased vineyards. Now I doubt very much if any one of these will be rolling their sleeves up to do the pruning, or drive the tractors, but they will no doubt, be looking forward to sampling the fruit of their labours. I should mention by the way, that Drew Barrymore’s wine is actually a Pinot Grigio from the Trentino region of Northern Italy, and is described as “fresh, dynamic and fun” reflecting her own style and personality!

If these wines are truly a reflection of the people who make them, then my own wine would have to be old, tired and grumpy!