The American singer and frontman for rock band Bon Jovi is to collaborate on the launch of a rosé with French celebrity winemaker Gérard Bertrand.

Former rugby player Gérard Bertrand is a major name in the wine business in France’s Languedoc region, where he has campaigned to promote recognition for local appellations. Starting in 2004, the winemaker has organized the “Jazz à l’Hospitalet” festival on his estate, which welcomes internationally renowned musicians: the Glaswegian pop rock band Texas and Israeli singer songwriter Asaf Avidan feature on the program for this year’s event.

It was in this context that Gérard Bertrand met Jon Bon Jovi, who shares his passion for fine wines. Their decision to work together along with the rocker’s son, Jesse, who recently broke the news on his Instagram account, has resulted in a rosé wine set to be launched next spring. The Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvedre based blend, which is typical of the region, will be marketed exclusively in the United States.

The wine has been christened “Diving into Hampton Water”, a reference to the Hamptons area of Long Island in New York State, where Jon Bon Jovi and his son have spent several happy holidays. The strip of land between Peconic Bay and the Atlantic Ocean where the Hamptons are located is also a wine lovers’ destination with several vineyards that take advantage of the temperate climate to produce local vintages that attract numbers of wine tourists.

As to the mention of “water” in the name of this latest tipple, it turns out that “water” is the nickname Jon Bon Jovi often uses for rosé.

Jon Bon Jovi is not the first high-profile U.S. artist to branch out into the wine business, or indeed the French wine business. Let’s not forget that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Miraval rosé has already been hailed by the critics.

For his part, British singer Sting has long sought to share his passion for Italian wines. The frontman for the band The Police is the owner of a Tuscan estate, which produces a vintage named after one of his most famous numbers, “Message in a Bottle”. The singer has recently announced that a new wine christened “Roxane” is due for release in 2018. JB

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