Regina King Creates a Tribute to Her Son With a New Wine Project

Actor, director and executive producer Regina King has been a major player in film and television for four decades, including her roles in Ray, Jerry Maguire and as Sharon Rivers in If Beale Street Could Talk, which won her the 2019 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In her latest film, she plays a New York City cop in director Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing. Now she’s adding vintner to her resume as she launches her wine label, MianU, beginning with an orange wine sourced from California’s Mendocino County. Pronounced “me and you,” it represents making a connection through shared experiences, she says.

- Chris Cardoso

It’s also a tribute to King’s son, Ian Desduné, who she says knew better than anyone how to share experiences that made life’s ordinary moments extraordinary. King told Wine Spectator. “Ian had this beautiful way of discovering something new and sharing it with me.” Ian died in 2022 at age 26. His name is also reflected within MianU.

King says they taught each other about different styles of wines. “Ian has always been endlessly curious,” she said. “He loved uncovering the narrative behind a bottle and sharing it.” She remembers her first visit to a winery, Chimney Rock, and saving two bottles for them to share together after he turned 21.