GRAPES OF WRATH

Critics of Meghan's new rosé will say she's attention-seeking. But as Hannah Twiggs writes, the launch is part of a bigger, pinker, celebrity-dominated picture that's likely here to stay

- Hannah Twiggs

First came the jam. Then the flower sprinkles. And now, Meghan Markle has turned her attention to something a little more grown-up: rosé. The Duchess of Sussex is launching her first wine, a pale pink bottle of Napa Valley sunshine, which goes on sale tomorrow via her online lifestyle brand, As ever. Given the rate at which her apricot preserves sold out - twice - we can reasonably expect this wine to vanish even faster.

Cue the eye-rolls, of course. Because if there’s one thing more predictable than celebrities releasing wine, it’s the reflexive backlash when Meghan does, well, anything. She could invent a cure for jet lag and people would still say she’s attention-seeking. But here’s the thing: Meghan isn’t doing anything new. In fact, she’s late to the party.

Celebrity wine is no longer a novelty. It’s a full-blown category, a supermarket aisle of famous faces turned vintners. From Francis Ford Coppola to Kylie Minogue, Sam Neill to Sarah Jessica Parker, Graham Norton to Snoop Dogg, there’s scarcely a walk of fame left untouched by fermentation. “What do a Jurassic Park actor, a former Neighbours star and the Doggfather all have in common?” would make an excellent pub quiz question. Answer: they all sell rosé. It is the weapon of choice for the celebrity winemaker – pastel, photogenic and perfectly pitched to the lifestyle-curious shopper who might not know malolactic fermentation from their elbow, but knows they trust Kylie more than they trust Chateau Something-or-other from somewhere they can’t pronounce.

In this context, Meghan’s move makes total sense. She’s curated a personal brand built on soft-focus domesticity, organic lemons and that elusive notion of “authenticity”. Rosé slots in neatly beside all that. It’s light, it’s pretty, it’s shareable. It has Instagram appeal and dinner-party versatility. Frankly, the only surprise is that it’s taken her this long.