Wine has started to become a go-to category for lifestyle licensing programs based on fictional TV shows for adults. The trend makes sense given that wine has been one of the most active categories for licensing and collaborations within the alcoholic beverage space since the pandemic began, while TV show-based lifestyle programs have been going from strength to strength. In addition, many series feature wine-drinking prominently on-screen in some way, making for a logical connection.
Following are some examples of wine and wine-adjacent collaborations involving TV series and franchises:
- Paramount Global collaborated this month with Chamère for Emily in Paris ready-to-drink Kir Royale, made from sparkling wine and cassis flavoring. It also partnered with Lillet in July 2024 for two limited-edition bottle designs, one each for its Blanc and Rosé aperitifs, made from 85% Bordeaux wines and 15% mostly citrus liqueurs. Available in 11 markets, the product was featured in a branded pop-up café in New York in August, inspired by the L’esprit de Gigi café that is a central location in the series. And, in December 2022, Boisset and Shop the Scenes—a marketer of in-world products from TV shows and films—debuted DeLalisse Champère, bringing to life a French sparkling wine the show’s main character pitched to a client. Emily in Paris is set in the world of the French marketing business, portrayed on the show as chic and luxurious.
- Warner Bros. licensed Vintage Wine Estates in 2022 for wines tied to House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel, timed to the premiere of the show and marketed under the dedicated Seven Kingdoms Wines division. The initial offering included a California cabernet sauvignon, a California red blend (featuring cabernet sauvignon with zinfandel, petite verdot, and malbec), and an Oregon pinot noir. Vintage Wine Estates also released three wines tied to Game of Thrones—a cabernet sauvignon for House Stark, a chardonnay for House Lannister, and a red blend for House Targaryen, all three being great houses associated with different kingdoms on the show—for the debut of the final season of that series in 2019. The franchise has also entered the beer category with Mikkeller and Ommegang and the whisky category with Johnnie Walker.
- Banijay Brands licensed Vignobles Bardet in late 2020 for two Peaky Blinders red wines, a Saint-Emilion and a Saint Emilion Grand Cru. They were available in the licensee’s home market of France initially before expanding to other markets in Europe and Asia. The wines were of a 1920s style that would be typical of what the family in the show would have enjoyed. Other alcoholic beverage ventures for Peaky Blinders have included an official pale ale with Thornbridge Brewery in England and an official Irish whiskey with Bushmills of Northern Ireland.
- Paramount Global (then ViacomCBS Consumer Products) paired with Wines That Rock for a collection of wines tied to Star Trek. The products debuted in 2019, and the program is still ongoing. Some of the offerings have included a Klingon Bloodwine cabernet sauvignon, a United Federation of Planets special-reserve sauvignon blanc, a United Federation of Planets old-vine zinfandel, and a red blend, Chateau Picard Cru Bourgeois. (In franchise cannon, the family of Captain Picard owned a vineyard in France.) Some of the offerings are in uniquely shaped bottles, and the Klingon Bloodwine was developed in partnership with the Klingon Assault Group fan club and the Klingon Language Institute and features four separate corks imprinted with Klingon proverbs. Other Star Trek forays into the alcohol space have included craft beers developed by Federation of Beer in collaboration with a variety of brewers.
All kinds of alcoholic beverages have appeared on licensee lists for films and TV shows; just this fall have come cocktail kits tied to Wicked (with Pernod Ricard brands Absolut, Malibu, and Skrewball) and canned cocktails in Japan tied to Squid Game (from Suntory’s Horoyoi brand), among other examples. Wine is one category that has gradually gained prominence as part of the mix.
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