The proud redneck family behind the hit show “Duck Dynasty” made their fortune selling duck-hunting calls, gear and books. And what royal dynasty is complete without its own wine cellar?
The bearded boys of Louisiana behind the mega-popular A&E reality show have begun selling a line of wines called Duck Commander — now available, fittingly, at Walmarts across the country.
The camouflage-decorated label’s first releases, according to CNBC, include a 2011 red blend called Triple Threat, a 2012 chardonnay named Wood Duck and a pink Moscato, Miss Priss, all named after duck calls. The vino, priced at $8.97 a bottle, is made by the same winery that makes Sutter Home and is available in 2,500 stores nationwide, according to a Walmart spokeswoman.
Some of the show’s supporters, however, find the wine idea downright daffy. Some Christian groups, who normally rally around the show’s cast, have criticized the move. A church group in Tennessee last month canceled an appearance by Willie Robertson, one of the show’s stars, noting his family’s wine-making foray made him an inappropriate choice for the young crowd.
But Duck Dynasty is far from alone in the market for absurd tie-in wine labels. Here are some others to barrel you over:
Downton Abbey
Seeing as all the Crawley family ever seem to do on the PBS hit period drama is dine, drink and die suddenly, it’s appropriate for the show to create its own wine label. Released in November, the Downton Abbey Wine Collection includes two blends from the Bordeaux region of France: a “Blanc” white and a “Claret” red, for $15 a bottle.
Sting
When you need to relax after a day of tantric love-making, reach for a glass of Sister Moon — the red blend from pop star Sting. BuzzFeed calls it an “excellent choice for dads and dad-rock appreciators everywhere.” The wine, which costs 36 pounds ($58 American), was released this summer.
AC/DC
For those about to rock, we salute you . . . with a glass of this 2011 sauvignon blanc from the legendary Aussie band. You might not consider the hard rockers behind the song “Big Balls” as oenophiles, but the site Wine and Roll praises the $15 bottles as “harsh like a guitar riff, mellow like a melody, and tight like the AC/DC sound.”
Brangelina
The ultimate celebrity couple released their own wine in March called Miraval, made with organic grapes from their 1,000-acre Chateau Miraval estate in France. The wine was previously produced as a Pink Floyd-branded wine. But unlike other celeb wines, this $25 bottle is winning accolades: Wine Spectator just named it the top rosé in the world.
Train
The gentle pop band released a line of wines named after some of its songs, such as “Calling All Angels” chardonnay and “Drops of Jupiter” red. The $12 bottles, released in 2012, are probably a great wine to drink while falling asleep in your dentist’s waiting room.