Jon Bon Jovi and Acclaimed French Winemaker Gérard Bertrand Join Forces

Jon Bon Jovi and Acclaimed French Winemaker Gérard Bertrand Join Forces

Award winning music icon, Jon Bon Jovi and acclaimed French winemaker, Gérard Bertrand, have joined forces to launch a premium rosé wine label, Diving into Hampton Water, soon to be available in the US market.

The venture was inspired by Bon Jovi’s son, Jesse Bongiovi, former Notre Dame football player, who played a pivotal role in the brand’s creation. The idea to create a wine, emblematic of a bon vivant lifestyle, emerged during time spent in the Hamptons, between Bon Jovi and his son. Rosé, a popular drink for the Bongiovi’s, had initially been dubbed ‘pink juice’ by Bon Jovi, until Jesse and a friend inadvertently coined the name, Hampton Water, and an idea was born.

Bon Jovi and Jesse began exploring this idea as a real enterprise, designing bottles and building on concepts. They were eventually introduced to Gérard Bertrand by a mutual friend and the three quickly developed a shared vision, to create a unique rosé, uniting the essence of the relaxed lifestyles of the Hamptons and the South of France. “We’d tried rosé from everywhere,” says Jesse.  “But when we visited Gérard, we realized that there is an entire coastline in France that is producing some of the best-kept secrets on Earth.”

Coincidently, Jon Bon Jovi and Gérard Bertrand, both giants in their respective fields, had a lot in common. “We just hit it off immediately,” Bon Jovi reports of their first meeting. “We found that we shared a love of family, food, friends, and of course, great wine and great music.” Gérard Bertrand hosts a jazz festival at his main wine estate, Château l’Hospitalet, each year. “For me the connection between wine and music is organic,” says Gérard Bertrand. “I want to create a link between the emotions that spark off a great song and good wine. They elevate each other.”

After a number of visits between the US and Gérard Bertrand’s wineries in the South of France, as well as numerous blending and tasting sessions, the wine is now ready for release. The wine is described as a fresh and lively rosé, with distinctive minerality, featuring Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre, grape varieties characteristic of the French Mediterranean region.

Bon Jovi states, “Creating this wine with Gérard was just as creative as collaborating with another songwriter, Gérard uses his talents and wine knowledge just like a gifted musician. And working with my son on this has been an amazing experience.”

Diving into Hampton Water rosé wine is set to hit the shelves before spring 2018 and will retail for $25.

About Jon Bon Jovi: Global rock icon Jon Bon Jovi has built a legacy leading one of the most successful rock bands in the world for over three decades. With over 130 million albums sold and more than 2,900 concerts performed in over 50 countries, Jon has earned a place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2009) while his Grammy winning band, Bon Jovi, will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2018.

About Gérard Bertrand: Gérard Bertrand began his life in the vineyard with his first harvest at the age of ten. As a winegrower and owner of flagship estates, he has since acquired a unique expertise of his native Languedoc wine region of southern France. Gérard Bertrand is committed to producing high quality wines and is a passionate advocate for environmental conservation. He is among the leaders in biodynamic wine production.

About Jesse Bongiovi: Jesse Bongiovi is a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he received a degree in Political Science, as well as a minor in Business Economics. A New Jersey native, Jesse has spent nearly every summer of his youth vacationing with his family in East Hampton, New York. This is where his love for the bon vivant lifestyle was born. His lifelong affection for the Hamptons is what motivated him to create Diving into Hampton Water.