Post Malone Debuts New Rosé Wine, Maison No. 9
May 13, 2020: Originally published in Forbes.
This summer, drink like Post Malone.
Post Malone, the Grammy-nominated multi-platinum singer-songwriter behind “rockstar (featuring 21 Savage),” “Better Now” and “Circles”, has unveiled his newest project, Maison No. 9, a crisp French rosé that goes on sale next month.
Malone, his longtime manager Dre London and friend James Morrissey, the successful hospitality and nightlife entrepreneur behind Global Brand Equities, make up the founding team behind the new rosé imprint, which came to life in early 2019 with surprising speed.
The adventure began, as these things do, after wine-fueled hangouts with actor Mark Wahlberg, who co-stars with Malone in Netflix’s “Spenser Confidential.” Malone and Wahlberg struck up a friendship visible throughout 2018 on Wahlberg’s Instagram. “We started going to Mark Wahlberg’s house, and he has this crazy wine collection,” Dre London says. “Post started getting this acquired, expensive wine taste. All of a sudden, he's this expert wine palate drinker guy. It all started with Mark Wahlberg.” (Wahlberg, per a 2017 Instagram post in his massive wine cellar, is a devoted fan of Petrus, Mouton and Sassicaia.)
In Feb. 2019, Morrissey met up with London and Malone before the Grammy Awards, where Malone performed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Morrissey had just returned from visiting a small vineyard in France and told the newly converted wine enthusiasts about it. “The timing just happened to be perfect,” London says. “We began to discuss it.”
“We had dinner that night in LA, and five days later I met the guys in Dublin where they were doing a show,” Morrissey says. “Three days later, we were in the south of France tasting the liquid at the winery. That was 10 days after the first discussion. These guys don’t wait around when they see an opportunity.”
The impromptu visit to MDCV Winery meant a frantic re-structuring of plans, security details and logistics in the middle of a European tour, including a last-minute private plane charter from Paris to the south of France. That summer, Post Malone gave Apple Music’s Zane Lowe a preview of the wine and taped an interview from the winery; the candid conversation aired Sept. 6, 2019, on the eve of his “Hollywood’s Bleeding” release. The winery, located near Saint-Tropez in the French Riviera, makes a cameo in the video for Malone’s “Saint-Tropez,” released days after the Apple Music interview aired.
“I wanted to make something that after a long, anxious day, and you’re working your ass off and nothing seems to be going right, you can sit at home and relax, have a couple of glasses,” the musician told Zane Lowe.
In recent years, launching a new spirits brand is what the perfume or accessory launch was once a generation ago. Jay-Z, Kate Hudson, Drake, and Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston are just a few of the names with partnerships or ownership in spirits and wine brands.
Why go with rosé? “Rosé is a category that ten years ago was just a trend,” Morrissey explains. “People thought it wouldn’t be around for a long time. A decade later, there’s 30% - 50% increase in consumption every year. It’s now a staple of the drinks industry.”
You could also sum up recent rosé trends in a Post Malone lyric: Get more bottles, these bottles are lonely.
The founders worked with acclaimed winemaker Alexis Cornu, winner of fifteen gold medals and creator of seven 90+ point rosé wines, to produce a Provence-style wine with the iconic pale blush hue and an aromatic, fresh palate. The new wine is named Maison No. 9, a reference to the Nine of Swords tarot card. The Grenache-forward blend includes Merlot, Cinsault, and Syrah. It opens with a fresh strawberry-forward nose likened to a French dessert, closing out with a crisp dry finish. The bottle features a sustainable re-usable glass closure, designed to mimic the top of a castle. Opening up the wine, Dre London says, is like accessing “the crown jewels.”
James Morrissey adds, “We didn't want something too sweet. We wanted something you could sip on all day, not only have a few glasses but drink a few bottles.”
The wine will be available via online pre-sale to the general public before it hits stores. Maison No. 9 will be distributed by E&J Gallo and priced at $21.99 (750 mL), $44.99 (1.5 mL), and $89.99 (3L). Consumers can follow the brand’s social platforms or sign up on the website to find out when the pre-sale is available.
“We're doing a pre-sale online before the national launch in June,” Morrissey says. “That’s not traditionally done in the wine industry. That’s similar to something you see in the sneaker or streetwear industry.”
Malone is currently working on a new album in his home in Utah; he recently re-launched his lifestyle brand, Shaboink, with a 40,000 mask donation to frontline workers. The coronavirus outbreak put a hold on all tour plans; Malone’s manager doesn’t expect to see any live performances return until 2021 at the earliest. But that doesn’t mean this is the wrong time to launch a rosé brand.
“This is perfect for everything that's going on right now,” London says. “This is us bringing some light to a dark time, if that makes sense. Let's come together, not too close, and all enjoy a nice wine and a smile again, the way we used to.”