Top drinks marketing campaigns and news in January

Francis Ford Coppola to unveil new wines at Oscars

Francis Ford Coppola is using his winery’s partnership with the Academy Awards as a launch platform for two new wines, with a limited edition run presented in gold bottles.

The famous director’s Californian winery agreed a partnership with the Academy in 2017, and a new Reserve Chardonnay and Reserve Pinot Noir will be among the estate’s wines being poured at the 92nd Oscars and Governors Ball in LA this month.

The wines are made with fruit from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma, the Chardonnay hailing from Dutton Ranch Vineyard, and the Pinot from King Vineyard. A limited run of the new releases, including those being poured at the film industry’s big event, are being offered in gold-covered bottles, mimicking the famous statuettes.

In 2017 Coppola signed a three-year deal with the Academy Awards to become its official wine sponsor – a natural fit for a winery owned by an Oscar-winning film director.

A range of different custom blends with commemorative labels were made for the 2017 Oscars by Coppola and winemaker Corey Beck. Located on the former Château Souverain Winery, the estate displays several of Coppola’s Oscars, along with memorabilia from his movies, including Vito Corleone’s desk from The Godfather, and a restored 1948 Tucker Sedan that was used in Tucker: The Man and His Dream.