When Beverly Hills, 90210 star Tori Spelling joined California vintner Kathryn Hall for a virtual happy hour, neither was expecting to collaborate on a marketing campaign starring a lineup of Spelling-selected wines. But when Hall realized the actor and New York Times bestselling author was interested in winemaking, and had an affinity for Napa Cabernet, it became a natural fit.
After their virtual meeting, Spelling visited Napa, touring vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford and Diamond Mountain, and tasting through samples with Hall before determining which wines would make the final cut. The Tori Collection, which is Spelling's first wine partnership, includes five Hall Cabernets, a Pinot Noir from Hall's Walt portfolio and a Zinfandel from the Baca label. Spelling added Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and rosé selections to the mix as well, because "they each pair so well with cheeses, fresh salads and dishes I make with my family." The 11 Tori Collection wines range in price from $24 to $85.
"I visited Napa and sat down with Kathryn to taste through a series of wines in the portfolios," Spelling told Unfiltered via email. "To me, these wines include a diverse selection from very unique vineyard locations—some on the valley floor and others from higher elevation vineyards that make for a richer and more dense wine." And Spelling says she hasn't ruled out starting her own wine label one day.
"I hope through our collaboration we can introduce our wines to an expanded audience," Hall said. "Tori has so many devoted fans who love her and who, like Tori, enjoy wine … I am excited about our partnership and think this will be a win for everyone."
Real Housewives Go to Washington
Whether they’re hosting wine parties in New York, opening wine bars in Atlanta or creating their own wine labels, the stars of Bravo’s The Real Housewives franchise are no strangers to wine. Now, thanks to Washington winery Nocking Point Wines, there are three new “Housewines” for fans to sip while watching tables flip and reunion episodes get really, really awkward.
“Anyone familiar with the show knows the occasional glass of wine is poured during any given episode,” Nocking Point co-founder Andrew Harding told Unfiltered. “Perhaps more than any other product, wine is a natural extension of the franchise.” Harding and his winery got into the Real Housewives game after he became friends with another parent from his children’s school who happened to be a manager for Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules. Soon Nocking Point was making wines for that restaurant-set series. And after hosting a tasting at New York’s BravoCon in 2019, Bravo asked the winery to bottle a fresh batch of Real Housewives wines (synchronized with the premiere of the newest edition, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City). “We put our heads together and it came to life pretty quickly!” Harding said.
Released in October, there are three lead characters in Nocking Point’s Real Housewives line, all made by winemaker Sean Boyd: Sauvignon Blanc Real HouseWhite, Merlot-based blend Real HouseRed and—for beachy Hamptons drama?—Syrah-based Real HouseRosé. “Each bottle is bright, vibrant, just like the characters on [The Real Housewives],” says Harding, “And just like the ladies on the show, each of the wines may appeal to different tastes and perspectives.”
While Harding isn’t certain if the wines will make a TV debut, he emphasized how important they could be for Real Housewives’ many fans at home (according to Harding, one in three social media users in the U.S. follows a Real Housewife). He hopes the wines will enhance viewers’ experiences while watching the show, giving them a taste of its dinner parties, maybe even becoming a collectible bottle for fans. “The Real Housewives franchise is part of the very fabric of pop culture,” Harding observed. “Much like the show, the bottle is a conversation starter, an icebreaker.”
This isn’t Nocking Point’s first celebrity collab. The brand has partnered with charities and sports teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, plus wrestler Chris Jericho, Supernatural star Jared Padalecki, and Mean Girls' Jonathan Bennett, to name a few. “We were lucky enough to continue rolling out new wines alongside interesting people with great stories,” Harding explained. And just in time for the holidays (and on-brand TV content), Nocking Point is running a “12 Bottles of Christmas” promotion … if you can break yourself away from bingeing reality TV.
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