By Frank Rousseau, our correspondant in the United States - Photographs: All Rights Reserved, posted on 07 November 2022
For the erstwhile heroine of ‘The Mask’, ‘Charlie's Angels’ and ‘Something about Mary’, cinema is a thing of the past. After choosing to distance herself from a world of make-believe and rediscover a taste for the simpler things, it was only natural that Cameron Diaz should turn to producing wine. And just like the California belle herself, her wine certainly has character.
Tell us about your close personal relationship with wine
When I was 20 years old, I had a really unique experience. I got to taste an incredible wine and was able to hear experts talk about it. I was immediately fascinated by the world of wine because it very much revolved around passion and doing a job well, patience, tradition and the desire to strive for excellence. These are values that struck a chord with me!
Almost twenty-five years on and here you are, making your own wine. How did that happen?
My friend, Katherine Power – the founder of the fashion website Who What Wear – and I set out in 2014 to create an organic wine brand. Its name is Avaline. Right from the word go, our intention was clear and that was to provide lovers of local products with wines made from quality organic ingredients. For years, I just assumed that all wines were made from organic grapes. It never occurred to me that wine could be made from anything other than beautiful fruit! I can't tell you how shocked I was to discover the ingredients that some wineries could add to it. We supply two types of wine, a white and a rosé. When we started our venture, we had absolutely no knowledge of how the industry worked. But we did know one thing. As lovers of fine wines, we were always surprised by the lack of transparency of certain labels. It was as if they were hiding what was in the bottle and therefore in our glasses!
Avaline fully focuses on transparency…
Yes, we don't conceal anything. From the grapes to the glue on the labels and the products used to clean our facilities, our tanks, everything is organic and non-toxic. The problem in the industry is that you have brands that sometimes add 70 additives to make their wines longer on the palate, give them a more attractive colour... The craziest thing is that they don't even have to tell you about it!
Cameron Diaz with Katherine Power
Do you think that the public has expectations in this regard?
People today want to know what they are paying for and what they are consuming. We really listen to our customers and our retailers, not to mention our winegrowers. We only work with people who love their job and have worked in the industry for generations. This is important because they only want one thing, and that is that their passion continues and shows respect for traditions. Their expertise and the values they share with us have enabled Katherine and I to provide quality wines – wines that are accessible and treat the environment and human beings with respect.
You say that your wines are ‘vegan’. Isn't that a bit of a marketing gimmick?
It isn’t for customers who are and who want to be sure that the wine we supply them is 100% plant-based. It is not uncommon for winegrowers to use certain products to remove particles and residual yeast suspended in the wine. In the wine world, this is called clarification. Some wines contain gelatine, fish glue, egg white and even milk protein! At Avaline we want none of that!
Cameron Diaz
