Kylie Minogue is expanding her Wine range with the release of two new Australian wines, a Margaret River Chardonnay and a Yarra Valley Pinot Noir. The pop icon launched her eponymous wine label back in May in collaboration with London-based distributor Benchmark Drinks.
The new additions to the Kylie Minogue wine range come from two of Australia’s best known wineries. The Chardonnay is made by Howard Park’s chief winemaker Janice McDonald. The Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, meanwhile, is being made by De Bortoli Wines, with winemaker Steve Webber looking after the project.
Benchmark’s Paul Schaafsma told the drinks business that Kylie has been “determined” to add Australian wines to her range, in an effort to support the local industry and show pride in the country she was born in.
“We agreed to find a style she enjoyed through tastings and work with winemakers to find a blend,” he told the publication. “She has a fantastic palate. She is honest that she is starting out in wine, but she knows what she likes, what taste and style she’s looking for and it’s been an absolute delight working with her.”
“I gave her a bottle of Howard Park Chardonnay during the rosé tasting and she thought it was the best Chardonnay she’d had in a long time and wondered if they’d be interested in working with her,” he explained. “I thought they’d love to, so we got Jeff Burch on a Zoom call with Kylie, they had a great first chat and it evolved from there,” Schaafsma added.
The Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, meanwhile, was created for Kylie’s parents, who live in Victoria, Australia. “Her dad is a big fan of Pinot Noir from Yarra Valley, so she wanted to create a wine for her mum and dad,” explained Schaafsma.
The new additions to the Wines by Kylie Monogue range are set to become available next year and will be available from Wine Delivered.