Post Malone is one of the hottest artists on the planet today, and he’s also one of the busiest. Three months since his Runaway Tour wrapped in March, raking in more than $95 million, and less than a year since the September 2019 release of his chart-topping album “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” he somehow found time to develop his own rosé brand. Not bad for someone who just celebrated his 25th birthday on July 4.
According to Post, a.k.a. “Posty” (real name: Austin Richard Post), Maison No. 9 was conceived of during a pre-Grammy’s dinner conversation in early 2019 with his manager, Dre London, and spirits entrepreneur James Morrissey. The trio found themselves at a vineyard in Provence 10 days later. There, Post helped guide the final blend of Maison No. 9 — Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Syrah, and Merlot — and he drew up sketches for what would ultimately become the bottle design and label. The “No. 9” is a nod to the nine of swords in tarot symbology, which the soft-spoken singer/songwriter/producer has tattooed on the right side of his face.
Like the music he’s famous for, Post Malone’s rosé has earned fast fans. Despite the unseasonably late June debut (many rosé brands are released as early as March), within two days of its launch, 50,000 bottles of the label were sold. Now posted up in his own mountainside “maison” in Park City, Utah, Post assures VinePair he still has plenty of room for his kegs of Bud Light. Below, the Syracuse, N.Y.-born rapper and international superstar shares what’s behind the curtain (mostly Franzia).
1) You’ve been locked down in Utah during quarantine. How have you been dealing with the notoriously restrictive drinking laws there?
I don’t fully understand it, all I know is that I do most of my drinking at my house. It’s really interesting but it is getting better every day, because they’re realizing that the world is so f*cking crazy and why shouldn’t you be able to get drunk at your own house?
2) What’s your desert island drink?
Bud Light! Come on, man… That’s an easy one.
And that’s pretty much like water, anyhow — so it could replace your need for hydration.
Hey, hey, hey! I’m telling them you said that!
3) What’s the worst and best thing in your fridge right now?
In my bar fridge or my kitchen fridge? Let’s do both. Let’s start with the kitchen fridge: Worst thing is some old milk from last tour, probably. And the best thing is a little Mountain Dew — they have this Liberty Brew, which is absolutely incredible.
And in your bar fridge?
Best thing besides Maison [No.] 9 is Bud Light. And the worst thing — well, it’s not in my fridge, it’s on my bar — is probably some really fancy whiskey. Because whiskey… I had a bad experience in high school, and ever since then I can’t even drink the stuff… unless it’s with Coke.
Actually, yo, the worst thing in my bar fridge is this two-year-old bag of Franzia wine. And don’t get me wrong, Franzia bagged wine is incredible for chugging, but after two years it’s absolutely just shit-gone.
4) You famously spent time drinking with Mark Wahlberg. What did he teach you about wine?
It wasn’t so much of an education as much as it was a kick in the ass in the doorway. [Now] every time me and Dre [London] go to Wally’s [an esteemed wine shop in Beverly Hills] we’ll try the different wines and [talk about] what we taste, and we’ll talk to the sommeliers and follow the [four] steps. But after a couple of bottles those [four] steps go right out the window… the smelling, and the looking, and the tasting… and the swirling.
5) Do you [recommend using] a spit bucket?
Yeah, f*ck it! You just have to start off with the really nice stuff and then just gradually move your way down. Or depending on how drunk you are, maybe you’ll want to buy the Victory Year wine from [Château Mouton] Rothschild and pay 45 grand for a bottle and then say, “you know what… this is alright.” Or start at Wally’s with a 2008 DRC [Domaine de la Romanée-Conti] and then keep going and going, and then later on, you go back home and you slap the bag with some Franzia.
6) You now have the fastest launch in American wine history. Did you expect to find such runaway success in the industry?
Not at all, man. I’ve loved wine for a minute now and me and [manager] Dre London were talking and just said, “Why the f*ck not make our own deal and see how it goes?” We flew to Provence and picked the grapes and made the blend and everything, and I said, “This is something that I really, really like.”
7) What is your favorite style of wine, aside from rosé?
Well, I love red wine. I love a good Bordeaux — that’s my favorite of all time.
