Time-Warner CEO Richard Parsons has become the latest foreign big shot to be bitten by the bug to produce his own wine in Italy. Parsons recently acquired the Tenuta Il Palazzone vineyard in Montalcino, which includes 3 hectares of vineyards that produce 4,000 bottles of wine each year.
The vineyard's latest vintage is set to be presented here February 24 and 25 during the Benvenuto Brunello (Welcome Brunello) event. Parsons heads a group which includes Warner Bros, HBO, CNN, Time Inc., New Line Cinema and America-on-Line, but he swears his winemaking activity is purely a hobby.
"Believe me, we keep most of the wine we produce for ourselves and our friends," Parsons told the website. He was backed up by his winemaking partner, Swiss manager Mario Bollag, who said their motto was "Drink as much as you can, and then sell what's left!".
Parsons has joined a growing number of successful foreigners who are trying their hand at making wine in Italy.
Simply Red's flame-haired leader singer, Mick Hucknall,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, also has a Sicilian vineyard.
French actress Carole Bouquet has a vineyard on the island of Pantelleria where she produces the island's famous dessert wine 'passito'. Legendary US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has let his signature to a wine produced at his request that has proved
to be a hit.
Created by the Le Terrazze winery in the Marche, it was named after his 1974 album Planet Waves.
