Just in time for your beach days and summer gatherings, Mary J. Blige is here with new wines to make summer sipping a little more happy.
Today, Mary J. Blige and Fantinel Winery today officially announced the launch of Sun Goddess Wines, an exclusive collection of limited-edition wines featuring a Sauvignon Blanc and a beautiful blush colored Pinot Grigio Ramato – Blige’s favorite wines to sip in the summer heat.
ESSENCE spoke exclusively with Blige ahead of her wine launch, who said R&B crooner and friend Maxwell was who first introduced her to the Fantinel Winery. She felt inspired walking through the Italian vineyards and having tastings with the Fantinel family.
“[Creating a wine] wasn’t something that was originally at the top of my head,” Blige told ESSENCE. “One of [Maxwell’s] friends happened to be Marco Fantinel, from the Fantinel Winery. I was drinking white wine with them all night long, [the Fantinels] asked, ‘do you want to do a wine?’ I didn’t even hesitate.”
The brand name “Sun Goddess” was actually a nickname given to Blige by her sister LaTonya, which she earned for her love of being outdoors and soaking up as much Vitamin D as possible. “When I hang out with my sister and we’ll [vacation] to an island or something like that, I hang out in the sun a little longer than everybody else,” Blige said. “So other people are getting burned and I’m not. My sister will say, ‘I’m not messing with Sun Goddess today. I’m out of here!’ She gave me the name and I ran with it.”
With Sun Goddess wines, you can expect anything but the ordinary oaky white wine flavor you’re used to. With its beautiful pinkish tint, the Pinot Grigio Ramato hits the palette with crisp hints of peach and melon notes. The Sauvignon Blanc is comprised purely of hand-picked Sauvignon Blanc grapes has a pleasant aroma with spicy notes of yellow bell pepper, banana, and melon.
Sun Goddess wine is available for purchase now and ships July 5th.