Some stars shine brighter than others in wine universe

Celebrities' names adorn all manner of merchandise, including fashions and food, exercise programs, charitable causes and weight-loss products. Increasingly, wines are harnessing star power, too.

Wines with ties to celebrities basically fall into three categories: those produced by stars who are personally involved in, and serious about, wine making; those made by an independent company that contracts with a star to use his or her name; and those that are collectibles because they bear a celebrity's name.

Famous winemakers

Well-known personalities such as golfing great Greg Norman, movie mogul Francis Ford Coppola, Fess Parker, aka Davy Crockett, and the iconic Smothers Brothers have been in the wine business for years, producing quality products that sell well.

Among the newest luminaries on the scene is Dan Aykroyd, who partnered with Deloach Vineyards of Sonoma County. He recently visited Haskell's The Wine People, in Minnetonka, Minn., the sister store to Haskell's in Naples, to promote his wines.

Owner Jack Farrell says the line of people wanting to meet Mr. Aykroyd and get an autographed bottle of his wine stretched a mile from the store. The actor/comedian gamely set about giving the people what they wanted.

VERONIQUE VIARDIN Dan Aykroyd and Jack Farrell of Haskell's The Wine People. "He stayed an extra hour-and-a-half to take care of every customer he could," Mr. Farrell says. That included police officers, firefighters and military personnel to whom he gave free autographed bottles. "He gave away about $1,200 that day."

While Mr. Aykroyd's celebrity may prompt wine lovers to buy his wine once, is it good enough that they'll buy it again?

Both the cabernet-merlot blend and the chardonnay are "well-made wines, designed to taste like $40 but selling for $20," Mr. Farrell says, adding that they will soon be available at the Naples store as well.

Francis Coppola bought the Inglenook Winery in Napa Valley in the late 1970s and continues to make wines that have earned the respect of critics as well as consumers. Count Elliot Bolling, a hair stylist at Salon Nicholas in Fort Myers, among them.

"I picked up a bottle of Coppola wine originally because I think he is a great director and I like his work," he says. "I don't think he'd put his name on something that wasn't very good."

Mr. Bolling liked what he tasted and continues to buy the Coppola label.

Name recognition is what launched the Newman's Own line, the creation of legendary actor and humanitarian Paul Newman, which began with salad dressings and branched out over 25 years. His name and smiling face on the labels helped make the company hugely profitable, earning more than $250 million for charity by the time he died in September. He launched his wine label in February 2008, with a cabernet sauvignon and a chardonnay. The wines recently won first place in the Top Ten New Brands of 2008 ranking issued by Information Resources Inc., a leading market research company.

Greg Norman Estates began in the 1990s with well-known wine company Beringer Blass. Today, his wines made in Australia and the United States earn consistently high rankings from Wine Spectator.

Angelo Fantozzi, Haskell's Naples manager, says, "The Norman label does very well because it is a quality wine." The store does a brisk business with the Coppola brand for the same reason.

In name only

Winemaker B.R. Cohn has managed the Doobie Brothers for four decades and offers a trio of labels bearing the Doobie name. A portion of the proceeds are donated to veterans' organizations.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Naples recently held a wine dinner that featured the Doobie Brothers wine. In addition, the restaurant offers Newman's Own, Francis Coppola and Greg Norman wines by the glass.

Many wines that carry stars' name are considered collectibles. The Marilyn Monroe wines top this list. Released continuously since 1986, each vintage has a different label and prices have risen over the years for rare editions.

"If you purchased each release when it came out, and had a complete collection, it would be worth about $20,000 today," says Frank Pulice, owner of Austin's Wine Cellar in Fort Myers. "But they are popular because the wine is good as well as having unique labels."

Others that have appeal as collectibles but vary in quality include labels bearing the likenesses of Madonna, Kiss and Elvis Presley.

In some cases, a famous name may be a deterrent, as in the case of the Smothers Brothers, who have produced award-winning wines since 1977.

Tommy Smothers changed the name to Remick Ridge "because when people heard Smothers Brothers wine, they thought something like Milton Berle Fine Wine or Larry, Curly and Mo Vineyards," Mr. Smothers explains on the winery's Web site.

His may also be the best explanation of why so many celebrities wind up connected to wine.

"Making wine is so close to show business," he says on his Web site. "Wine like comedy, is subjective. Either people like your wine — or your songs, or your comedy — or they don't. Each is a creative process and you're only as good as your last effort."