“This is something that’s put a smile on my dad’s face because he grew up interested and passionate about wine,” Ricciardo says. “His parents made wine in their garage,but I used to call that vinegar.”
With Ric Red and his D3 wine collection Ricciardo has avoided balsamic comparisons by partnering with respected South Australian vineyard St Hugo in 2021,jumping on a bandwagon packed with celebrity sips.
“It’s definitely a nice little creative outlet for me,” Ricciardo says. “I love racing – it’s obviously my first passion – but I don’t want to be consumed by it every hour of every day. I always look to have a few little positive distractions in my life. Being creative is part of what keeps me going.”
Since Oscar-winnerGeorge Clooney sold his tequila brand Casamigos for $US1 billion ($1.52 billion) in 2017,alcohol has joined fashion,beauty and watches as an essential in any star’s portfolio.
Minogue released a self-titled rosé,chardonnay and pinot noir between herDisco andTension albums,Robbie followed up herBarbie success with Papa Salt gin this year and supermodel Kendall Jenner has 818 Tequila Blanco.
For St Hugo,the obvious benefits of the partnership with Ricciardo are the driver’s fame and 8.9 million Instagram followers. For Ricciardo,the positives stretch far beyond his bank balance.