Supermodel Christie Brinkley Sips BeVeg Vegan Certified Prosecco
The supermodel sips Bellissima, her BeVeg certified vegan, organic Prosecco line.
Some may associate the glamorous life of a supermodel with free-flowing Champagne. What was your relationship with wine before starting Bellissima?
One of the things that I always loved about my mom was that she could turn a regular day into a special day simply because a friend stopped by. She instantly had hors d’oeuvres in the oven and a bottle of Prosecco or Champagne on ice. It made our guests feel so welcome and even a Wednesday feel special! I think we need more of that in the hectic lifestyles that we have.
Why did you decide to go with a Prosecco?
I love the idea of Prosecco for its affordability, and Prosecco is a great drink that mixes with lots of different alcohols to make wonderful cocktails that still have the effervescence to make it special. And, let’s face it, who doesn’t love it when you hear the cork pop? It just says “celebration!”
Can you talk a little bit about similarities and differences between the wine world and the fashion world?
Well, when you get dressed up for a special event in a beautiful gown it just seems natural to be holding a delicate crystal glass with some bubbly… Both fashion and wine set out with the same goal of adding to your experience. Everyone knows the feeling of a good hair day, a good outfit, and Prosecco is made for those days.
Bellissima wears its organic and vegan labels loud and proud. Are those principles you observe in your own life?
I am a lifelong vegetarian, and I always seek out organic produce for my meals. I am proud that the choices I have made are also choices that benefit our planet… From the vegetable dyes we use on the recycled cardboard crates, to our packing and shipping materials, we are mindful of our environmental footprint and that makes me very proud.
How do the bottled spritzes and the aperitif fit in with your vision for the brand?
I love traveling to Italy and France and was introduced to spritzes during work trips and vacations, so I jumped at the chance to introduce the Bella Sprizz line that complement our Bellissima Prosecco so beautifully.
Do you have a specific consumer in mind for Bellissima?
I think that Bellissima will appeal to anyone interested in having a healthier diet. We offer a Zero Sugar expression, which is delicious, and when you pair that with the fact that it is organic and certified vegan that should be very appealing to vegans, vegetarians, people on restricted diets and, in general, health nuts like me!
Is there anything else you’d like Wine Enthusiast readers to know about the brand?
I was once seated at a fancy dinner that was serving Bellissima and a wine connoisseur from Europe said, “this is the best Prosecco I have ever tasted, I must see the label,” and someone said, “well that is Christie Brinkley’s Porsecco” and he didn’t know who I was, and they pointed to me to indicate it was mine. He was flabbergasted that a celebrity had made a wine that was the best Prosecco he had ever tasted. He really had to recover and was in shock! He had to raise a glass of Bellissima to me and I said, “well hey! You shouldn’t just lump all celebrity brands in together!”
This article originally appeared on Wine Enthusiast Magazine. You can read the original article by clicking here.
