When your peers credit you with being a pioneer in your field, it is perhaps the greatest compliment anyone can receive. Such a comment was made by John Lennon, who said that the song ‘Move It’ was “the first English Rock & Roll song”. The artist performing the song half a century ago, was Cliff Richard.Now in it’s 50th year, Sir Cliff’s career is perhaps as broad as anyone’s in the entertainment business. Singing every genre from Rock & Roll, through R&B to Reggae, he has acted in films and on stage, has been a television presenter and represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest.
But here we are interested, not in Cliff Richard the performer, but Cliff Richard the wine buff, owner of Quinta do Moinho and producer of Vida Nova wines. We asked him our half case of questions….
Who or what got you interested in wine?
David Baverstock, the Australian wine-maker from the Barossa Valley, suggested that I might like to plant a vineyard at my quinta in Portugal. I told him I’d just planted figs and he said I had a simple choice: I could produce syrup of figs, or a nice bottle of wine. No contest.... the figs were removed!!
Aside from your own wines, what do you like to drink on a daily basis?
I enjoy flavoured vodkas with tonic water – especially the ‘ruby red’.
What is the best wine you have ever tried?
There have been many wonderful wines but I remember tasting a Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz (from Australia) for the first time and it was fantastic. I would also have to include a Penfold’s Grange.
Do you have a wine cellar? If so, what is your prized possession?
I don’t have a wine cellar, but any Puligny Montrachet (at least six years old) would be prized!
August 29th is the 50th Anniversary of the release of your first single. What will you be drinking to celebrate?
Cristal Champagne.
Name three people, real or fictional, living or dead, that would make your ideal dinner guests, and what wine (price and age no object) would you drink?
Dr Billy Graham; Ivan Lendl; Elvis Presley. I would serve Petrus!
Vida Nova Wines are available from Waitrose
Vida Nova Wines website
Cliff Richard Official Website
Next 6 Questions with....
Dan Connolly
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