Everything You Need To Know About Gordon Ramsay's New Wine
Celebrity wines (and other types of booze) are one trend that the pandemic didn't manage to put the kibosh on. While the Trump winery predates the Trump presidency, Snoop Dogg, Post Malone, and Cameron Diaz all released their signature wines in 2020. Notably absent from the wine game, however, have been some of the big food world names – there's no Pioneer Woman Pinot, no Rachael Ray Riesling, no Alton Brown Asti, and no Bobby Flay Bardolino.
Gordon Ramsay was one celeb chef who did get into the name-brand booze game in late 2020, although his initial entry was something a little unexpected: Hell's Seltzer, available in several "f***ing sinsational" varieties including Berry Inferno, Knicker Twist, Mean Green, and That's Forked. Sounds...interesting, and maybe pretty tasty, at that. After all, if Gordon says it's good, who'd dare disagree? Still, these seltzers were perhaps a trifle too informal to accompany his signature beef Wellington, thus necessitating the latest addition to Ramsay's beverage service: Gordon Ramsay Signature Wines.
Why California wines?
Ramsay himself hails from Scotland, a country better known for its whiskeys than for any notable contributions to viticulture. Still, you'd think what with the "auld alliance" that's long existed between his native land and its neighbor, France (said alliance based on a mutual dislike of the English), he might have chosen to partner with a French vineyard. Instead, Ramsay, who maintains homes in London, Cornwall, and Los Angeles (via Closer), has chosen to go with wines from his adopted homeland. As he states on the website, "My time in California has convinced me that Californian wines stand with the best in the world" and speaks of the "passionate winemakers in California's cooler climate regions [who] are producing delicious, balanced wines that complement our cuisine."
So who are the passionate winemakers tasked with crafting wines to Ramsay's undoubtedly exacting specifications? Those lucky vintners would be International Wine Expert Nick Dumergue and Master Sommelier Chris Miller of the sustainable and organic-practicing vineyard Seabold Cellars in Monterey. As Ramsay described the process used to make his wines, it involves minimal intervention techniques such as native yeast fermentation, little filtration, and minimal usage of sulfur (although possibly maximal use of swearing, if Ramsay's involved). Also, good news for anyone eating low on the food chain – no animal products were used for "fining," so these wines are 100% vegan.
Meet the wines
Ramsay, ever the host with the most, did not commission just a single wine, nor even one white and one red. Instead, his signature wine collection consists of 8 different varieties. The whites include a 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2018 Chardonnay, and a 2018 Reserve Chardonnay that uses grapes grown in California's famed Sonoma Valley, a place that may be second only to Napa Valley when it comes to wine country prestige.
For reds, Ramsay offers up a 2018 Pinot Noir as well as 3 different Cabernet Sauvignons: a 2018 pressed from San Benito County grapes, a 2018 sourced from the Santa Cruz Mountains, and a 2018 Reserve where each grape was lovingly hand-picked (or so we like to imagine) from what Ramsay describes as "a Certified Organic and biodynamics-practicing vineyard located in the heart of Napa Valley." Ramsay's line also offers a 2019 rosé made from grapes from two different Monterey vineyards.
Try these pairings
As Ramsay says in his website's welcoming statement, "Food and wine have always been indelibly linked," so naturally he's been thoughtful enough to supply suggested food pairings (and recipes!) for each bottle in his collection. The Sauv Blanc, he says, makes for an ideal apéritif and is also perfect for accompanying lighter fare such as salads, raw shellfish, and sautéed prawns. He suggests the Chardonnay be sipped on its own or served alongside seafood, roast chicken, and cream-based soups, while the Reserve Chardonnay, being more fuller-bodied, can stand up to such sophisticated fare as poached lobster, black truffle pasta, and "exotically-spiced" chicken dishes.
Ramsay describes his Pinot Noir as versatile, suggesting such varied accompaniments as roasted beets, wild mushrooms, pan-seared fish, and game birds such as duck or quail. His San Benito and Reserve Cabernets, he says, are both excellent with beef, though the CabSav from the Santa Cruz Mountains has a more refined taste that makes it suitable for lamb, venison, and partridge. As for the rosé, he says you can drink that all day. No way! Okay, so he didn't resort to any cheap rhymes. Instead, he suggested drinking it either on its own or with "medium-bodied dishes" such as charcuterie, salade Niçoise, poached salmon, and various soups and stews of the heartier variety.
Where you'll be able to get Gordon's wine
So where will you be able to obtain these Gordon Ramsay-branded wines? You can buy them through his website where the prices range from $20 for the rosé up to $60 for the Reserve Cabernet. You cannot purchase the Reserve Chardonnay at all, though, as it is entirely sold out. You will also not be able to order these wines online should you live in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, or West Virginia as the vineyards are unable to ship to those states.
Nevada residents (and visitors), however, have another option for experiencing these wines. According to Food & Wine, Ramsay plans to offer these wines in his restaurants, which means, yes! Hell's Kitchen Las Vegas, as well as the slightly more affordable Gordon Ramsay Steak and Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill. Ramsay's restaurants in Baltimore, Kansas City, Atlantic City, and Lake Tahoe will carry them, too, as well as the ones he owns in various international hot spots. If you're a Ramsay superfan, you can even join his wine club and get invites to special wine events. Will joining boost your chances of getting selected to appear on MasterChef? No, probably not, but at least you'll get a discount on the best wines to sip on as you follow along from home.