Lights, camera, pour! For the third year running, the fine wines of Clarendelle and Domaine Clarence Dillon will grace the Oscars, bringing a touch of Bordeaux elegance to Hollywood's biggest night.
This year, at the 97th Academy Awards, the celebrated family-owned estate will once again be the official wine partner, ensuring that both triumphs and tribulations are toasted in the most civilised manner possible.
The official line-up
With a portfolio that includes the Clarendelle Bordeaux White 2023 (a delicate waltz of citrus and pear), the Clarendelle Bordeaux Red 2016 (with fruit and floral flair), and the Clarendelle Amberwine 2021 (a modern take on sweet wines), it seems clear that the organisers are doing their best to keep the stars well-hydrated.
New this year to the party: La Clarté de Haut-Brion 2021, an ethereal white Bordeaux so rare that a mere 1,000 cases exist, and Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 2015, a wine as poised and polished as any of the nominees. If there were an award for Best Supporting Wine, these would certainly be in contention.
A family legacy meets the silver screen
Prince Robert of Luxembourg, CEO and president of
Domaine Clarence Dillon, is no stranger to the world of film. Having started his career as a screenwriter, he now sees his wines playing their own starring role. “Before joining the family business, I began my career as a screenwriter, so to have the opportunity to partner with the Oscars for the third consecutive year is truly an honour,” says Prince Robert. “This collaboration is a natural extension of my family’s longstanding commitment and deep connection to film and the arts.”
Clarendelle and Domaine Clarence Dillon wines will not only be poured at the Dolby Theatre but will also feature at the Governors Ball, where attendees can enjoy a glass while Oscar statuettes are engraved. Additionally, the wines will flow at the Official Oscars Watch Party at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, paired with a menu crafted by Wolfgang Puck Catering.
Wine & Cinema
Over the years,
wine has made more than a few cinematic cameos, from Bond’s predilection for Mouton Rothschild 1955 (Diamonds Are Forever) and Dom Pérignon 1953 (Goldfinger) to Hannibal Lecter’s refined taste for Clos Sainte Hune 2001 (though, let us hope, without the accompanying main course). Even in the animated world, fine wine plays its part – Ratatouille famously featured Château Latour 1961 and Château Cheval Blanc 1947.
Films reflect society, and the role of wine in film is often a storytelling device that conveys luxury, sophistication, or even deception. Think of Bond in From Russia with Love, where his antagonist orders a Chianti with fish, immediately revealing his villainous allegiances. Or Hercule Poirot, whose drugged bottle of Pétrus played a key role in Death on the Nile.
If history has taught us anything, wine always finds a way to steal the show.
