Famous figures & their favourite fizz

From Sir Mick Jagger to Kim Kardashian, or Jay-Z to Leonardo DiCaprio, find out the preferred Champagne brand of famous figures.

Whether it’s wracking up huge bar bills, celebrating birthdays or preparing for a concert, Champagne is linked with luxury, celebrations and festivities and is commonly the drink of choice for celebrities.

Having previously revealed the favourite drinks of world leaders, poets and even despots, you can now find out what is the favourite Champagne brand for a range of celebrities.

Unsurprisingly, these well-known personalities have expensive taste…

Oprah Winfrey – Armand de Brignac

According to Forbes Winfrey’s net worth was US$2.7 billion in September 2012, making her America’s richest self-made woman. Her favourite Champagne is Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, she said recently: “Jay-Z has a head for business, a soul for poetry, and a taste for luxury. He sent me this glorious Champagne, and I’ve since sent 25 cases to friends.”

Jay-Z – Armand de Brignac

American rapper and record producer Shawn Carter is better known by his stage name of Jay-Z. Worth around US$500 million, Carter’s favoured Champagne was Cristal until Louis Roederer’s managing director, Frederic Rouzaud, said he thought the brand’s association with hip-hop could be “detrimental”. Carter said that he thought Rouzaud’s comments were racist and broke off his love for the brand. He turned his attention to Armand de Brignac and as well as sending cases to Oprah, he spent US$250,000 on the Champagne last New Year’s Eve.

James Bond – Bollinger

Although the producers of the last Bond movie, Skyfall, would have us believe that the British spy is now a Heineken drinker, for many Bond will always be a Champagne and a vodka-martini man. Bond has a number of preferred Champagne brands, from Taittinger to Dom Pérignon, but 007 is best known for his fondness for Bollinger. Indeed, last year marked 39 years since Bollinger developed an on-screen relationship Bond, and the fictional character has been seen drinking Bollinger in 12 films of the 23 made in total.

Jack Nicholson –  Veuve Clicquot

With 12 Oscar nominations Nicholson is the most nominated male actor of all time. He won the Best Actor Award for his roles in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and for As Good As It Gets. He also won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Terms of Endearment, but what Champagne did he celebrate those wins with? Nicholson’s favourite non-vintage Champagne is Veuve Clicquot.

Sir Mick Jagger – Louis Roederer Cristal

Jagger’s music career as the lead singer and songwriter with the Rolling Stones has spanned six decades. The band’s first single, Come On, was released in 1963 and last year the band played a series of 50th anniversary shows at London’s O2 Arena. The band did cover the Muddy Waters hit Champagne and Reefer, and Jagger’s favourite Champagne is Louis Roederer Cristal.

Winston Churchill – Pol Roger

Former prime minister Churchill had a famous love of Champagne and it is claimed that between 1908 and 1945 Churchill had 42,000 bottles of bubbles opened for him. His favourite was Pol Roger, and in 1984 the Champagne house introduced the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill in tribute to its famous admirer. After meeting Odette Pol-Roger in 1944 Churchill developed a lifelong friendship and every year on his birthday Odette sent Churchill a case of his favourite vintage, 1928.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Armand de Brignac

Hollywood superstar is currently appearing in cinemas in the Quentin Tarantino film about slavery, called Django. DiCaprio is a big fan of Armand de Brignac, so much so that he spent US$3m on 18 cases of the brand for his birthday last year.

Usher – Champagne De Venoge

The American singer, songwriter and producer has sold over 65 million records worldwide and has also collected seven Grammy Awards. As we reported in early 2012 Usher developed a taste for Champagne De Venoge while he was part-owner of The Grape, a chain of cellars and wine bars, where the Champagne was sold. In an interview the singer said he would like to have a Champagne in his name, commenting: “Usher de Venoge would be nice”. Responding to this news, Gilles de la Bassetière, president of Champagne de Venoge, told the drinks business: “We will contact him to see if we could try and make a cuvée for him, and we will propose the Louis XV [the brand’s prestige cuvée].”

Sadly for De Venoge, this tie-up never materialised.

Kim Kardashian – Armand de Brignac

As we previously reported Kardashian’s favourite drink is a white Russian, but when it comes to Champagne it is perhaps no surprise that she has expensive taste. Kardashian’s favourite bubbles are Armand de Brignac and she chose to serve the Champagne at her wedding to basketball star Kris Humphries in 2011. The couple’s wedding planner Sharon Sacks told Entertainment Tonight: “What was really great is that all of the guests were staying ’til two in the morning and they were drinking the unbelievable bubbly of Armand de Brignac. It is the most famous champagne in the world; it’s the most expensive Champagne in the world. Kim and Kris love the Champagne and Kim said to me, ‘If I’m going to spend money on anything, I want that Champagne.’”

Madonna – Krug Rosé

Singer, songwriter, actress and director are just some of the achievements that Madonna can list as well as being the best-selling female recording artist of all-time, having sold over 300 million records worldwide. Although it has been claimed that Madonna’s favourite Champagne is Louis Roederer Cristal, the singer revealed during a recent appearance on the Ellen Degeneres show that Krug Rosé is actually her favourite Champagne.

And finally

Many celebrities have taken on the role as brand ambassadors for different Champagne houses. Tennis superstar Roger Federer recently became an ambassador for Moët & Chandon and last year Mariah Carey became the face of Angel ‘Heart of Pink’ Champagne. Actress Scarlett Johanssen was previously linked with Moët and model Claudia Schiffer has appeared as the face of Dom Pérignon.