Queen Elizabeth is getting into the wine business. There’s a new report that says the Queen is now making her own sparkling wine and is looking to cash in big. British wine retailer Laithwaite’s was granted permission to build a vineyard at the Queen’s Windsor Great Park. Thousands of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier vines were planted on a seven-acre patch back in 2011.
According to descriptions, the Queen’s wine offers ‘richness and finesse’ as well as an aroma of “delicate toasted brioche, apricot and citrus notes.” Just last year, over 3,000 bottles of the Queen’s wine was quickly snapped up at 75 pounds each.
The Queen is looking to expand production by hopefully 20,000 bottles a year. Maybe royal insiders even believe that the wine will be auctioned off at a greater price in the future. So does this mean that Queen Elizabeth is looking to get into the wine craze? That might be the case. After all, the Queen isn’t the first member of the royal family to sell a product of her own. Prince Charles has been promoting his Duchy Originals brand for years now.
The Prince of Wales first grew his own biscuits at his Highgrove House estates back in the early 1990’s. He expanded his brand and even sold a select range of Duchy Original products at Waitrose supermarkets in the UK. Last year, the brand was hit with controversy. British farmers were outraged when they found out that the Duchy brand was selling lamb from New Zealand rather than from the United Kingdom.
Prince Charles’s company always insisted that each and every Duchy product is 100 percent British and organic. Yet, farmers discovered that the lamb chops, cutlets, and legs were from New Zealand and high in fat and overpriced. A representative from Duchy explained that they sell imported lamb when British lamb is not in season.
What’s more, the Queen isn’t the first royal to have her own vineyard. Henry II also cultivated his own grapes at Windsor Castle back in the 12th century. So far, Buckingham Palace has not made any comments about Queen Elizabeth’s new line of sparkling wine. Are you surprised that Queen Elizabeth is making her own wine now?
Let us know what you think by leaving us a line with your comments below. Also, don’t forget to check back with CDL for all the latest news and updates on the royal family right here.
Image credit to Royal Family // via Instagram
