It seems every celebrity has a side hustle these days, and many of them start in a vineyard.

Earlier this month, Meghan Markle finally released her anticipated As Ever rosé priced at a whopping $30 per bottle.

Our team wasn’t impressed  – we likened it to the kind of wine you would be served at a work happy hour.

However, we believed it wouldn’t be just to critique Megs’ rosé without placing it alongside offerings from other celebrities who have ventured into vineyard ownership or partnerships themselves.

A significant number of stars have explored the realm of rosé wine, including figures like Brad Pitt, Sarah Jessica Parker, and even Jon Bon Jovi, who have all endorsed their own bottles.

And so, we put the most popular to the test – ranking them considering taste, price and overall look.

8. LVE (Legend Vineyard Exclusive), $25 – John Legend

Back in 2015, singer John Legend introduced his own wine collection in collaboration with Raymond Vineyards located in Napa Valley, California. The venture was described on their website as a ‘dream that had been in the works for a long time’ for Mr. Legend.

And sure, we’ll give it to him, because 2015 was a decade ago, so he definitely didn’t get into it just because Meghan did. Legend’s wine is described as having a light taste, complete with ‘crisp light notes of fresh picked strawberry and white nectarine [that] lead to an elegant and lengthy finish.’ 

Upon first glance, we found there was something about the label and bottle that made us believe he thinks he’s too good for rosé. (We wondered: Is it a cologne? Was he too scared to make a hard liquor?)

Other than that, the packaging is really unsuspecting. It’s in a rounded bottle with a small white label on the front, but we would never reach for this on the shelf because we wouldn’t know what we were picking up. There’s no indication that this is John Legend’s rosé.

That aside, we were ready to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, the first sip was sharp, sour, highly acidic and resembled the taste of a dive bar’s house wine without the joy of it being cheap.

Unfortunately, the rosé was also headache-inducing for our team members, and the only wine we couldn’t take more than one sip of without needing to down several glasses of water. 

It tasted more like rubbing alcohol than a nice, crisp rosé. When we were finished, it left a really strong burning sensation in our throats.

We thought it was strong but cheap-tasting – mostly just like alcohol with a tiny hint of citrus. We’d rather drink three bottles of Meghan’s than drink one glass of Legend’s.

7. Forever Young Rosé, $22.99 – Bethenny Frankel 

Former Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel rose to fame and founded Skinnygirl Margarita, a bottled, low-calorie version of the popular cocktail. She sold the alcohol line in 2011 for an estimated $100 million, but decided to get back into the business in 2023 with Forever Young Rosé, in partnership with Provence’s Château Roubin. It’s described as ‘balanced and juicy with light tannins,’ complete with a pop of ‘red fruit, white peaches and citrus.’ She claims it ‘finishes clean with mineral notes of chalk and fresh acidity.’

Not to judge a wine bottle by it’s label, but we were immediately turned off by Frankel’s packaging – it’s covered in flowery vines with a small, gaudy label. Forever Young sounds more like perfume than rosé which would explain the floral explosion.

When we popped it open, we thought the wine itself smelled terrible – like boxed wine that’s been sitting in a cupboard or perhaps if you had caught a whiff of the inside of a wine barrel long after the juice has run out. The wine itself is very acidic, with hints of hangover and acid reflux. 

We thought it didn’t taste like much going down, and to be fair, it was quite smooth – but it left our throats burning.

If you have $22.99 to spend on rosé, we would recommend taking it elsewhere.

6. 19 Crimes, $15 – Snoop Dogg

In 2020, Snoop Dogg released his own line of wines – including a ‘Cali red blend’ and a ‘Cali gold’ – in partnership with Australian brand 19 Crimes. 

Snoop says his wine is ‘fruit forward’ with tastes of ‘fresh raspberry, strawberry and red cherry.’ 

We were instantly drawn to Snoop’s label and somewhat moved by his decision not to shy away from the fact that this is his wine – he put a massive photo of his face on it. 

We found this rosé to be syrupy sweet – it almost tastes like a slightly fermented mixed-berry juice, but perhaps one made with artificial berries that have been sitting in pure sugar.

One taste-tester labeled it ‘one of the worst rosé wines’ they had ever tried. 

We think you are more likely to get a sugar headache than a hangover with this one. There is not a single hint of dryness to it, but it’s an extremely easy beverage to drink.

5. Kylie Minogue Cotes De Provence Rosé, $19.99

Kylie Minogue’s signature rosé collection was released May 2020 in the UK in partnership with Benchmark Drinks and was introduced to stores in the US in 2022.

There are now nine wines in her collection, and over 20 million bottles have been sold worldwide. 

Thé website describes her rosé as a ‘beautifully pale pink shade with delicate, alluring aromas of fresh summer berries and white blossom. Refined and refreshing on the palate with a fruity, crisp finish.’ The rosé is made in Provence, France.

Her label is clean – albite a tad boring – but much like Snoop Dogg’s, we support her decision of being upfront about her foray into wine production. No frills here. 

However, we were less supportive when it came to the taste. We thought it was bitter, sour and sharp, and we couldn’t help but strain our faces with each sip.

Minogue’s wine is somewhat akin to a glass you’d get on a plane  – some notes of strawberry and melon but sadly overshadowed by knowing that you’re likely to end up with a day-ruining hangover if you drink too much of it.

Sorry, Kylie.  

4. As Ever Rosé, $30 – Meghan Markle

In June, Meghan announced she would be introducing the new product in her As Ever lifestyle lineup. Customers were able to purchase three bottles of rosé for $90, six bottles for $159 and 12 bottles for $300 – it sold out within the hour.

If you bought the six-bottle package, Meghan promised 12 percent off per bottle, while a 12-pack got you a 17 percent saving. 

The bottle describes it as a ‘delicately balanced rosé with soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality and a lasting finish.’

This was the rosé our team disagreed on most. Some of us were happily surprised by its smooth taste and pleasant finish, but others thought it was just ordinary, leaving a bitter and acidic aftertaste. 

The perfect way to describe this rosé is that it tastes like something you would be served at a work happy hour. The wine didn’t taste like you bought it at a fancy vineyard, where it’s supposed to be made. Instead, it tasted affordable and ordinary. 

However, if it was served to us at a party, we would definitely still drink it. 

It’s not good, but it’s not terrible. 

3. Miraval, $25 – Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt released their first bottle of Miraval rosé in 2013, with the initial release being a 2012 vintage from their Château Miraval estate in Provence, France. 

The couple separated in 2016, and Jolie sold her shares to wine group Tenute del Mondo in October 2021. 

Right off the bat, we were fans of the minimalistic and somewhat simple label – though it gets lost on the giant bottle.

It’s a very dry wine – probably the driest we tasted – with hints of citrus. It would be excellent to drink over dinner and has a similar after taste to a Sauvignon Blanc. 

The description says that it includes notes of tanginess and fruitiness, which you definitely get – especially the tang. 

This is definitely the most ‘adult’ wine out of the bunch – we thought it tasted like high-end restaurant wine or something you would be served at a wedding. 

Overall, we thought it was definitely worth the $25 price tag.  

2. Hampton Water, $25 – Jon Bon Jovi 

Hampton Water Rosé, by Jon Bon Jovi and his son Jesse, was first released in 2018. The wine, which is supposed to have notes of strawberry and watermelon, is made in the Languedoc region of the South of France – the father-son duo partnered with renowned winemaker Gérard Bertrand. 

The label is the by far best out of all the wines we tasted. The bottle is slightly taller than average, but it made for a very chic look – plus, it’s easy to pick up and pour.

It is sweet enough with hints of citrus and berries and a dry aftertaste, and we think it is one of those wines you can have five glasses of and not even notice you’re really drinking.

Ultimately, we think Hampton Water is delicious and goes down smoothly – plus, there was no acidic aftertaste. 

It’s definitely a go-to wine you could serve for almost any occasion. We think it’s a crowd-pleaser.

1. Avaline Rosé, $24 – Cameron Diaz 

Avaline was founded in 2018 and officially launched in 2020 by Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power, selling reds, whites and rosé. 

The wines are fermented dry, which means there is 0 grams of sugar in each serving, with 100 percent organic grapes grown in France.

As per the website, the tasting notes are light and fresh, channeling melon and zest.

Diaz hasn’t acted in years and if it’s because she’s been focusing on making wine, then we fully support her departure from the big screen.

This wine is organic, and it’s supposed to be a slightly healthier alternative to typical  formulas. 

We thought it was crispy, very light, zesty and super smooth. It’s sweeter than most but with a dry finish making it easy to sip on.

We didn’t have high expectations for this wine, but it was absolutely amazing and our favorite of the day. It would be fantastic over ice on a hot July evening. 

10/10, Cameron Diaz!