Celebrity wine geeks

The discussion about Lebron James makes me think of a separate topic: which celebrities are big wine geeks?

The ones that come to mind, besides Lebron, include Johnny Depp, Kevin O’Leary, and Neil Degrasse Tyson.

Are there others?

(Note, I’m excluding those that have notoriety because of wine, e.g. Robert Parker)

Geddy Lee - frontman of Rush

Gerard Depardieu - drunk Frenchman

Jay Hack - WSJ celebrity.

He excluded celebrities because of wine! Victor, you need to go back to the ESOL refresher class.

But he just sold his collection at the Zachy’s auction last week.

Forgot to mention Itzhak Perlman. I remember that whenever I went to the warehouse for Carolina Wine Company (before it went bankrupt) there were always cases of wine ready to ship to him.

I don’t think it was his entire collection, but rather just a selection.

Andrew Lloyd Webber - who Michael Broadbent hadn’t heard of when he turned up at an auction Broadbent was running. After a number of high priced lots were taken by ALW, Broadbent stopped accepting bids from him because he thought the guy was a prankster.

David Beckham has a preference for DRC La Tache. A number of (association) football managers enjoy their wine, with Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson notable amongst their number

Bill Koch.

In the banking regulation community, you are a celebrity.

Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and the unnamed Screaming Eagle helicopter guy

Victor should look up the definition of “celebrity”.

Chris Thile, who will be joining our NYC Barolo group for a dinner this Wednesday.

A number of (association) football managers enjoy their wine, with Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson notable amongst their number

What I had in mind.

Drew Barrymore, I hear she’s a winemaker.

As I remember, Tony Soprano had a taste for Pichon Lalande.

Orson Welles
Bartles & Jaymes

Guy Fieri too with his ‘bomb ass pinots’

Sammy Haggar…big time

Winston Churchill was a Champage geek
Richard Nixon preferred 1st growth bdx