31 MARCH 2003
Simply Red star Mick Hucknall has become the latest celebrity to venture into the wine business.

The singer, who owns a vineyard called Il Cantante (The Singer) in Sicily, plans to market his own brand of red wine, Etna Red, a project rooted in his love for vino. "I come from Manchester where we drink only beer," he explains. "When I came to Italy in the Eighties I got to know Italian wine and food. It was love at first sight."

Eight thousand bottles of Etna Red are headed for UK store shelves, reaped from 100 acres of grapes. However, the moniker for the wine wasn't the first choice. "We were going to call the wine Simply Red," said Mick while planning the launch late last year, "But we decided that that sounded a bit 'supermarket'."

The star has added another personal touch to the product – the label, which features a Mick's profile as he looks over the slopes of Mount Etna, was designed by the singer himself.

Though he's ginger-haired and gained fame with Simply Red, the vocalist didn’t choose to produce the deep-hued wine because of his preference for the colour. "I like red wine because it is more sophisticated, more complex and mature," he says. "It's a bit like me – no longer young, but then not old either."

Other celebrities in the wine business include Gerard Depardieu, Sir Cliff Richard and Sting, who owns a vineyard in Tuscany.