Award-winning music icon Jon Bon Jovi and acclaimed French winemaker Gérard Bertrand have joined forces to launch a premium rosé wine label, named Diving Into Hampton Water – soon to be available on the U.S. market.
The venture was inspired by Bon Jovi's son, Jesse Bongiovi, who played a pivotal role in the brand's creation. The idea to create a wine emblematic of a vibrant lifestyle emerged during the family's time in the Hamptons, a group of exclusive suburbs on Long Island.
Rosé, a popular drink for the Bongiovis, had initially been dubbed "pink juice" by Jon Bon Jovi, until Jesse and a friend inadvertently coined the name "Hampton Water", and an idea was born.
Bon Jovi and his son began exploring this idea as a real enterprise, designing bottles and building on concepts.
They were eventually introduced to Gérard Bertrand by a mutual friend, and the three quickly developed a shared vision – to create a unique rosé uniting the essence of the relaxed lifestyles of the Hamptons and the South of France. "We'd tried rosé from everywhere," says Jesse. "But when we visited Gérard, we realised that there is an entire coastline in France that is producing some of the best kept secrets on Earth."
Coincidentally, Jon Bon Jovi and Gérard Bertrand, both giants in their respective fields, had a lot in common. "We just hit it off immediately," Bon Jovi says of their first meeting. "We found that we shared a love of family, food, friends, and of course, great wine and great music."
Gérard Bertrand hosts a jazz festival at his main wine estate, Château l'Hospitalet, each year. "For me the connection between wine and music is organic," says Bertrand. "I want to create a link between the emotions that spark off a great song and good wine. They elevate each other."
After a number of visits between the U.S. and Bertrand's wineries in the South of France, as well as numerous blending and tasting sessions, the wine is now ready for release. It is described as a fresh and lively rosé, with distinctive minerality, featuring Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre grapes – varietals characteristic of the French Mediterranean region.
Bon Jovi says: "Creating this wine with Gérard was just as creative as collaborating with another songwriter. Gérard uses his talents and wine knowledge just like a gifted musician. And working with my son on this has been an amazing experience".
Diving Into Hampton Water rosé wine is set to hit the shelves before the end of March 2018, and will retail for $25 (~R299).