I'd just about gotten used to celebrities having their own clothing line when I heard that Brad and Angelina just released their own wine -- Miraval. Really? They sure didn't have to filibuster or talk about it for 13 hours nonstop to promote the brand. I saw the announcement of the celeb wine debut on the elevator news as I was heading down to the lobby for my morning coffee.
Guess the name of the wine is all about the grapes. Word's out that Brad and Angie have been renting a chateau in the South of France... so does that mean they have their own vineyard?
Can't these celebs just stick to Martha's Vineyard? After all, it's good enough for Carly Simon and Bill Clinton. Why can't Brangelina adapt? Stay on the Vineyard, go to the beach, bring the bevy of kids if you must. But seriously, a wine?
Guess the trend of celebs getting their own clothing line or fragrance is passe. I was more or less adjusting to SJP's Lovely in a bottle and the Kute Kharma of the Kardashian Kollection, K-DASH; I'd barely recovered from Rihanna's Rebelle; Maria Carey's H & M line; J-Lo's Tee-ology T-Shirt game; and talk of Kimye's shoe collection, when word of the wine popped... not to mention the cork. Fast forward to sports. Resigned to Serena's struts and strokes in neon outfits on the tennis court, I 'd almost grown accustomed to her accessories and style, sprouting her ANERES line (Serena spelled backwards, how novel)...
I was even resigned to Kim K's taking Miami; taking over the E! Network; taking us all for a ride before taking on her voluptuous new fragrance as she swings in bikini lingerie and fur wrap in a silver hoop... a true reflection of our pop culture. After all, labels are a girl's best friend.
However, things used to be a tad more understated. When I was a college co-ed, bopping across campus, my Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren logos stayed inside the collar or tucked into my jeans or underneath a sleeve.
Now it's a must see for all to check out and ogle, in bold letters and fonts from Jay-Z Rocawear to Fergie Footwear. Next thing you know, news anchors will follow suit, so to speak. Anderson Cooper will have AC loafers; Bill O'Reilly will have "No Spin Zone" ties; Limbaugh will have men's cologne that promises to give you a "Rush," and Katie Couric will have a lipstick line that lasts longer for women with wide smiles.
If it takes a village to raise a child, guess it takes a vineyard to raise a celebrity wine line. Maybe it's just the pressure of Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux tying the knot that pressed Pitt and Jolie into action... to expand their brand base and go grape.
A mere five hours after Miraval debuted on-line, all 6,000 bottles had sold out. And so, if celebrities are now choosing alcohol as their label of choice, perhaps wine is the new shoe flavor of the week... and Miraval just may be the new Manolo.
Or maybe it's just a case of sour grapes.