Rock Stars Making Critically Acclaimed Wine – Who Knew

Rock Stars with their own clothing lines? Yep!

Rock Stars with their own brand of Tequila? You betcha!

Rock Stars with their own line of... wine? (Insert record-scratch sound effect here.) Wine has become all the rage these days, and even some of our favorite musicians are jumping on board! Here are just a few noteworthy wines with some serious talent behind them.

When I visited B.R. Cohn in Sonoma last year, I loved the wine, loved the custom-made and locally grown olive oils and loved the tasting room. I had no idea that the winemaker was Bruce Cohn... famed manager of the Doobie Brothers. He's been in the business since 1974 and is very well respected in the industry from what I gather.

Remember the group Simply Red? If you survived the 80's you can probably sing "Holding Back the Years" in your sleep, just like me. Well, hold back the giggles because lead singer Mick Hucknall partnered up with Sicilian winemaking great, Salvo Foti, to bottle "Il Cantante", which is Italian for "the Singer". And this wine sings!

OK, so maybe this next one doesn't conjure up "rock Star" in your mind when you hear her name, but to me Olivia Newton-John is a total Rock Star! She is a breast cancer survivor, has lived through some serious personal tragedies, has the voice of an Angel AND she makes wine?! Lets face it, you sing "Physical" sometimes when you work out... it's OK, though, I promise not to tell. And she is Sandy, afer all! Her Koala Blue boutique winery in Australia produces Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays... tell me about it, Stud!

Next up is Madonna... seriously, what can't this woman do?! Madonna is actually not involved in the daily process, but she set her Dad up with Ciccione Vineyards several years ago. If I had made the book, "Sex" and the movie, "Truth or Dare", I would get my Dad liquored up first, too!

OK, not a fan of Madonna, or think ONJ doesn't count as a true Rock Star? How about Carlos Santana? Not only does he play a mean guitar and put out some of the most influential music of our time, but he seems to also have a flair for the Bubbly! Santana teamed up with Mumm in Napa to create a specila release each year. Better get your order in early, though... this one sells out every year!

The next one literally blew me away... Maynard Keegan of the Rock band Tool has a winery in Arizona producing some Sangiovese and Tempranillo varietals. I laughed at first, too, but then I didn't want to be a "tool." I know... I crack myself up.

The moral of this story is this... get out there and let yourself get into wine! Find what you like and enjoy it! If the Rock Stars are doing it, why can't we?

Thank you to Snooth for the inspiration!