The chairman of the Italian jewelry and fashion multinational Bulgari has become the latest VIP to try his hand at making top quality wine .
In order to create a new 'Super Tuscan' wine, Paolo Bulgari has bought the 20-hectare Podere Nuovo vineyard, near the spa town of San Casciano dei Bagni. He has also called in Italy's most famous winemaker Riccardo Cotarella to help produce a wine to rival such Tuscan greats as Sassicaia and Brunello di Montalcino .
According to the Wine News, Italy's "pocket wine website", Bulgari intends to invest up to 15 million euros into his new winemaking venture .
Work has already begun at the vineyard, which is next door to the Bulgari family country estate. Existing vines are being replaced with those primarily producing the Sangiovese grapes, which will be the basis for the future Bulgari red. Some Vermentino is being planted to produce a white wine .
Work on a proper wine cellar will not begin until next year and there is no word yet when the first Bulgari wine will make its debut .
Another business tycoon who has caught the winemaking bug is Time-Warner CEO Richard Parsons, who acquired the Tenuta Il Palazzone vineyard in Montalcino and now produces 4,000 bottles of wine a year .
A host of foreign celebrities are also making wine in Italy including Simply Red's flame-haired leader singer, Mick Hucknall. The English rock star has a vineyard on the slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily where he successfully produces a red Nero d'Avola wine named Il Cantante, The Singer .
Jim Kerr of Scottish rock band Simple Minds has a vineyard in Sicily, too, while French actress Carole Bouquet has a one on the island of Pantelleria where she produces the island's famous dessert wine 'passito' .
