It seems the wine industry remains an attractive option for an elite group of porn stars seeking to diversify their brand image and, perhaps, lead on to pastures new.
Indeed, in the last few weeks, French adult film star Liza Del Sierra has joined the likes of compatriot Clara Morgane and Italian-American star Savanna Samson (Natalie Oliveros) in branching out into wine production. Let’s see what else you’ve been missing this week.
French porn star releases red wine
French porn star Émilie Delaunay, perhaps better known by her porn name Liza Del Sierra, has released a limited edition Bordeaux blend in conjunction with a wine estate in her native South West France. Delaunay, who hails from Bordeaux, announced that she had lent her name to the “Culvée Del Sierra” (“culvée” is pronounced the same way as cuvée – the French word “cul”, among other things, referencing the porn industry) on Instagram last month.
The wine is a Merlot – Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Buzet producer Château Moncassin and is adorned with a label best described by Alexandre Abellan (of French wine news website Vitisphere.com) as “representing kama sutra scenes as might have been reimagined by the late American artist Keith Haring”.
“It’s quite out-there,” Delaunay told Vitisphere.com. “It’s not the most straightforward bottle to put on the table for a Sunday lunch with three generations around the table. Or perhaps if you remove grandpa’s glasses.”
Only 3000 liters were produced and, at €25 ($26) a bottle, it is unlikely the wines will be available for long.
The project came together following Delaunay’s sojourn at the château where she recuperated following long shifts during the Covid pandemic. The former porn star and porn director currently works as a nurse. The château also formed the backdrop for one of her latest films: Otages (“Hostages”), released last year.
Delaunay, a self-confessed lover of red wines (and red wines alone), has subsequently received offers of other winemaking collaborations, notably in Champagne, where she would be the second high-profile French porn star to have a bottle of bubbles to her name (former adult actress Clara Morgane famously collaborated with Champagne house Charles de Cazenove to produce Champagne by Clara Morgane).
She has, however, reportedly turned down all other proposed winemaking ventures. Her wine can be found on her website lizadelsierra.fr.
Princess feted with Burgundy – and Albariño
Ever wondered what wine to serve at the coming-of-age party for a princess? Well, the Norwegian government decided that a Rías Baixas Albariño from Cambados-based producer Bodegas Albamar would fit the bill for Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s birthday gala this week, with the red wine covered by Le Fouleur Bourgogne Pinot Noir from Nuits-Saint-Georges producers Dufouleur Frères.
Neither wines are particularly extravagant in terms of public spending with the Albariño priced at around 270 Norwegian kroner (US$27/€25) and the Pinot Noir just under 200 kroner a bottle (US$19/€18).
“It was a surprise when our importer in Norway told us about it and also a source of pride,” Xurxo Alba, of Bodegas Albamar. “There are many wines in the world, and that a Rías Baixas be chosen for an event of this nature is incredible.”
The wines were selected to go with the (vegetarian) dinner held in the princess’ honor at the Norwegian Royal Palace last week. The party fell five months after the Princess’ actual birthday in January as festivities were put on hold due to the nation’s Covid restrictions.
There was no news on the bottles popped at the palace in private.
Metal fans go mad for Muscadet
Here’s an unusual wine match: Muscadet and heavy metal. According to regional newspaper Ouest France, metalheads downed 18,400 liters (the equivalent of 24,500 bottles) at the last edition of the Hellfest music festival in 2019 with the 2022 edition currently underway and numbers expected to follow suit.
The festival is held in Clisson in the Loire-Atlantique department, just southeast of Nantes, and wine consumption in 2019 was “predominantly Muscadet”, according to the newspaper. Perhaps not surprising given Clisson is in the heart of the Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine wine region – and even gives its name to a cru – but still something of an expected match.
In more expected news, a beer “pipeline” connecting bars at the festival with tankers of beer has reportedly been installed by French brewery Kronenbourg. In 2019, metal fans sunk 440,000 liters of beer at the event.
Headliners at the hard rock festival (which ends on 26 June) include Metallica, Guns n’ Roses and Nine Inch Nails. There are 25 bars on site.
More hail hits Bordeaux
Following the hail events across western France (and pockets of the Savoie and Languedoc-Roussillon – see France Counts the Cost of Hail) earlier this month, more potentially damaging hail fell again on Bordeaux on Monday evening.
According to trade drinks publication Rayon Boissons, the hail storm, “swept through the Médoc, the Haut-Médoc, Blaye, the Bourg and the Fronsadais with hail the size of golf balls”.
“The damage is disparate and still difficult to assess according to the Bordeaux Wine Trade Body [the CIVB] but, in places, the vines were completely destroyed,” said the report.
Several vineyards were damaged with Vignobles Gabriel & Co reporting 100 hectares (250 acres) with between 40 and 100 percent damage out of a total of 1000 hectares (2500 acres).
“We’ve lost 30 to 50 hectoliters (3000 to 5000 liters) of our potential harvest […] which is a real blow when the vintage was looking very good,” Eric Hénaux, head of the Tutiac cooperative, told the publication. The Tutiac cooperative has holdings of around 5400 hectares (13,300 acres) across the Bordeaux region.