Martha Stewart already has a meal kit service. Now, she’s got plans to sell wines that could potentially pair nicely with those home-cooked meals.
The lifestyle guru on Wednesday has announced the launch of Martha Stewart Wine Co., which aims to sell wine lovers a collection of wines that are personally curated by Stewart. The business is also offering monthly wine club and year-long gift subscription services. The initial starter kit on the website is a pack of six bottles of wine for $59.99 and includes wines from Spain, California, Italy and France.
“We believe this new launch of Martha Stewart Wine Co. will become a significant business for us over time,” said Karen Murray, CEO of Sequential Brands. Sequential, a retail licensing company that owns brands including Joe’s jeans and Heelys shoes, paid $353 million for Stewart’s company in late 2015. With that acquisition, Stewart joined Sequential’s board of directors.
Since then, Sequential has been busy extending Stewart’s brand into a category that plays to her strengths: the home. Most notably, Stewart partnered with meal-kit service Marley Spoon last year. The wine business is another delivery focused venture and will feature “Martha’s Favorites”—which are wines Stewart “reaches for first when entertaining family and friends.” Sequential also promises that each delivery will contain a note from Stewart to the recipient.
Sequential has also launched the brand in retailers like Staples (SPLS) and in Canada at Hudson’s Bay.
The wine delivery company intends to work with Chris Hoel, the former sommelier of famed chef Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, to consult vintners to develop the collection. Selections are likely to favor the Bordeaux, Tuscany and coastal California regions.
This isn’t exactly Stewart’s first foray into the wine business—though her prior venture was very different. Back in 2007 when Stewart had a publicly traded company named Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, it partnered with major wine producer E&J Gallo Winery to develop a brand that sold wines for $15 apiece under the “Martha Stewart Vintage” label. That venture didn’t enjoy a long life.
But Stewart’s brand is re-entering the alcohol world at a time when many celebrities—including Justin Timberlake, Sean “Diddy” Combs, and George Clooney—have launched their own ventures in the highly profitable category. Wine has been a particularly popular category for public figures, with brands launched by actors including Drew Barrymore, Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, and singer Dave Matthews.
