It seems that the Soprano’s boys can’t stay out of the public eye for long. They have just launched their own brand of wine and have been doing some heavy promotional work to make sure it’s a hit. The actors Dan Grimaldi, Vinny Pastore, Frank Vincent, Steve Schirripa, otherwise known as Patsy Parisi, Sal Bonpensiero, Phil Leotardo, Bobby Bacala in the smash hit series, launched the wine in New Jersey.
The guys have since been trying to get the word out about their wines and playing host at various celebrity parties around the country. There were no problems getting stars to attend the parties according to a spokesperson. They say wine charms anybody, and celebrities are no different. The new range is known as “Family Made” and represents the core values of tradition and the family unit.Marketing plays a big part in getting wines to sell these days and a celebrity name never hurts. Celebrities who are already in the wine game include actor Sam Neill, singers Sting and Cliff Richard and Hollywood veteran Francis Ford Coppola. All of which have white and red wine ranges on the market
Celebrity wine goes for a higher asking price than their mortal competitors as well. A Nielsen Company report last year found that buyers paid on average $8.50 for a celebrity branded wine, compared to $5.75 for a standard table wine.They are not seeing sales as high as they once did however, according to Nielsen’s client director for beverage alcohol, Brian Lechner. This is likely down to the slowing economic state in which we find ourselves, although wine with a celebrity name is still holding its price better than standard wine sales.
There is a certain amount of stigma attached to celebrity wines, which have classically lacked in flavour and depth. When questioned about whether their wine was gimmick, Vincent who plays the Sopranos crime boss quickly put the record straight. “Not this wine, honey… it’s made in Italy. Grown in Italy. And it’s really for a connoisseur’s taste.” The majority of party goers shared the same view and suggested that the boys from Sopranos may just have another hit on their hands.
