MF - Rock Star's Second Act (article)

[Livia]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...IG4EQ9F801.DTL

Mick Fleetwood
Rock star's second act
Stacy Finz, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, June 8, 2007


Mick Fleetwood, founder of the rock band Fleetwood Mac, is dancing to the beat of a different drum these days. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has gotten into the wine biz. He's collaborating with winemakers -- many of whom are from California -- to produce wines under Fleetwood's own Private Cellar label, which he's selling at Costco.

Last month he toured the big-box stores throughout Northern California, autographing bottles and giving spiels about his Lake County Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino Cabernet Sauvignon, California Merlot and Petite Sirah.

Fleetwood said he first got into winemaking in 2001 and finds that it's a lot like making music -- a creative process that's born out of passion. We recently caught up with him.

Q: What got you interested in wine?

A: My wife enjoys cooking and putting meals together and finding new wines. I found I really enjoyed it, but didn't know a whole hell of a lot about it. So I started testing my palate. Friends enjoyed my choices. That's when I started toying with the idea of a boutique winery. You just have to trust your instinct and not get intimidated.

Q: What was the first great wine you remember having?

A: It was around 1976. I went on holiday with my then-girlfriend, who I later married and then divorced. But that's a whole other story.

We were in Paris for two weeks exploring all the little eateries. Money was no object, and I did the very rock star thing of walking into a bistro and saying, 'Give me the best wine you have.' They brought out a $5,000 ancient bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild.

At the time I thought, 'You better have more of these,' because in those days I drank to get drunk. A man came out and explained to us the history of the wine, saying that it had been hidden from the Nazis during their 1940 invasion of France. We drank the bottle and it was a euphoric feeling.

Before that experience, I thought the whole wine thing was a whole lot of hogwash.

Q: What wines are you drinking most right now?

A: I will never drink wine unless I'm eating. I've been drinking a lot of my 2004 Merlot. It just works for me.

Q: If you were on death row and the warden let you have one glass of wine, what would it be?

A: It would have to be my 2002 Merlot.

Q: Which is larger, your record collection or your wine collection?

A: My record collection is larger. I have about 3,000 albums. I have 300 bottles in my wine collection.

Q: What was the last wine you gave as a present?

A: I gave about 40 of our six-pack of wines for Christmas last year. It's very personal, like giving someone a drawing. Not to be slushy or anything, but we've put a lot of sweat into those bottles.

Q: What's your favorite wine-food pairing?

A: My spicy Bolognese with a nice red. I'm an Indian curry freak and Riesling works very well with that, I've found.

Q: If you could share one bottle of great wine with a rock star who would it be?

A: Keith Richards, because I know he would enjoy the wine. He's a sweet man, intelligent and very gracious. And he wouldn't be running off to rehab.

E-mail the writer at [email protected].

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...IG4EQ9F801.DTL

This article appeared on page F - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

[Johnny Stew]

we've put a lot of sweat into those bottles.

Nothing worse than a salty wine!

Thanks for posting that, Livia.

[Musicman408]

Livia, thank you for postin.

[golddustwoman77]

Thanks for posting that. Interesting!