Here is another celebrity that has ventured into winemaking, Sam Neill! He's one of my all time favorite actors. I always seem to enjoy whatever role he plays. Piano, for example, was probably one of the best films I remember him in. Movies, though, is not the only industry on this actor's mind. He's looking to branch out into the Asian wine market. Smart fellow!



I saw this posted on Star Plus: Jurassic Park star Sam Neill is serving up a treat to Hong Kong fans - his new boutique red wines. The 59-year-old actor oversees three vineyards in the Central Otago region of New Zealand's south island under the Two Paddocks label. And he has popped the cork on his wine in Hong Kong, which is viewed as a launching pad for businesses targeting the Chinese market.

The Hunt for Red October star signed bottles for customers and posed for pictures at an organic food store which will carry his wine. Although he is expanding his business overseas, he insists that his company is still a small business because it only produces 3,000 cases of wine a year. He adds, "I think if we started expanding into China we'd be swallowed up in a minute."

Also, Raymond Burr, aka Ironsides, aka Perry Mason, is also into wine making. In fact, his vineyards are now teaming up with a new distributor. From Raymond Burr Vineyards Appoints MDM Distribution To Be Its Single Source Distributor:

Since Raymond Burr and Robert Benevides formed a partnership and began producing wines and cultivating orchids in the Dry Creek Valley, the Raymond Burr Vineyards has been a leading winery. In both venues they have been extremely successful, and they have produced award-winning wines since the debut releases in 1992, to include Decanter Magazine Top Wine of the Year For 2003.

MDM Distribution is a woman-owned and operated wine import and distribution company headquartered in San Francisco, California. President Melanie Moffett and has built a successful California sales program, and in 2004, she launched a national sales program. The focus of the MDM Distribution portfolio is on boutique wines, hand-crafted wines from family owned producers and wineries. In 2005, MDM Distribution launched a national sales program focused on providing world-class services to small and medium-sized wineries.

The MDM Distribution team includes:

- Experienced wine sales consultants

- A brand manager

- An information technology specialist

- A wine marketing expert