There appears to be a bit of a trend in the wine industry to associate particular bottles with celebrities, both alive and dead. Just in the last ten years we’ve been treated to wines from Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, even Elvis Presley (and a whole host of others).

These celebrities however, although associating their name with the bottles, have nothing to do with the actual production of the wine. That’s where Francis Ford Coppola sets himself apart from the rest of the so-called celebrity winemakers.

Not only does Coppola help produce the wine himself, he takes the whole thing very seriously. After the release and popularity of the first Godfather films, Coppola bought most of Napa Valley’s Inglenook estate. Since this purchase in 1975, Coppola has played a pivitol role in the success and reputation of the Napa Valley as a wine-producing region, receiving a huge amount of acclaim for the wines he has produced there.

If you’re thinking of trying a bottle of Coppola’s critically acclaimed range, grab yourself a bottle or two from the Neibaum-Coppola collection, which not only taste phenomenal but the incredibly original packaging makes them perfect wine gifts.

All of the wines in the collection are wonderfully drinkable, with each one offering its own individual collection of tastes. The red wines are exceptionally fruity and similar in taste to the best French wines. The crisp whites are more reminiscent of Spanish wine, particularly the more expensive varieties.

Coppola isn’t the only celebrity to move into the wine industry proper, but he’s certainly one of the most highly respected. Other well-known winemakers include Shane Warne, Greg Norman and Gerard Depardieu, who makes a range of superb wines with renowned winemaker Alain Paret.

Get yourself on the net and have a search for yourself and you should quickly find some superb wines produced by worldwide celebrities. If you’re going to try and sample just one of the celebrity ranges, you should definitely go for something from the Neibaum-Coppola range.