Following in the footsteps of P. Diddy, Jay Z, and Nicky Minaj, Raekwon is the latest hip-hop artist to take a leap into the wine and spirits business. As reported by Wine Spectator, the Wu-Tang Clan rapper (real name Corey Woods) last month introduced his Licataa Lambrusco brand to U.S. drinkers.
The Italian sparkling red is a collaborative project with Lambrusco producer Cantine Ceci, and is currently available at select New York retailers for $35 per bottle. Plans to expand distribution into other states are set for the beginning of next year.
The rapper took a hands-on approach in developing both the wine and the brand, even traveling to Emilia Romagna for the tasting of the final blend, which he describes as: “velvety,” with a “smooth taste that still has a little sparkling feeling to it.”
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The wine’s name, meanwhile, takes inspiration from Licata, a small Sicilian town “where a lot of people that were immigrants to America came from,” Raekwon says.
“What I choose to deliver here is an affordable luxury,” the rapper said at the wine’s New York City launch event. “I don’t believe you need to go into debt just to get a bottle of wine — I still want to reach those people who were with me from the jump — but I still want people to get an authentic experience of the high life.”
