One thing is for sure: Sting knows how to send a message in a bottle. In wine expert Mark Oldman's latest celebrity wine competition, "Celebrity War of the Luxury Red Wines," the British music legend once again drew top honors for wine made at his Tuscan estate Il Palagio.
Sting's Il Palagio "Sister Moon" Tuscan red won the day with 32% of the votes, while actress and cookbook author Ayesha Curry, who is the wife of NBA player Stephen Curry, notched second place with her Domaine Curry Cabernet garnering 18% of the votes.
This is the second time that a Sting wine won over voters, with his "Roxanne" wine voted top celebrity white in the white wine competition conducted by Oldman last year.
In the most recent competition, 328 households logged in via Zoom, and Oldman instructed the group on how to evaluate luxury red wine – i.e., wine priced at $50 or more. He then presented the six contenders. Participants voted through Zoom's online polling system, with the following results:
1] Il Palagio "Sister Moon" Tuscany 2016 (Sting) (32%) winner
2] Domaine Curry Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Ayesha Curry) (18%)
3] tie) GoGi "29" Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2016 (Kurt Russell) (16%
4] tie) Yao Ming Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2017 (Yao Ming) (16%)
5] LVE Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2015 (John Legend) (10%)
6] Halleck Vineyard "Find Your Light" Pinot Noir Sonoma County 2016 (Josh Groban) (8%)
Says Oldman: "This was the tightest celebrity wine competition yet, with even the lower rated wines meeting with voters' approval. I wouldn't hesitate to make any of these bottles your Valentine's Day wine."
On the subject of Valentine's Day, Oldman next week is hosting a special virtual event, "Wine & Food for Romance," on February 11.
And more virtual wine tastings: