Meghan Markle to launch a new wine after As Ever rosé 'sells out within an hour'
Meghan's debut rosé was released this week and sold out in less than an hour
Meghan Markle’s entrance into the wine industry began with a bang as her 2023 rosé sold out in under an hour.
The Duchess of Sussex’s debut rosé from her lifestyle brand As Ever sold out in under 50 minutes on Tuesday.
The £22 ($30) bottle was a 2023 Napa Valley rosé described as “crisp, pale in colour, and effortlessly elegant”.
It was available exclusively in the U.S. and quickly snapped up by fans. The wine came in bundles of three, six, or twelve.
Meghan Markle announces new wine launch
But as the first batch of Meghan Markle’s wine flew off shelves, a new announcement followed: more wines are on the way.
“This debut rosé marks the beginning of As Ever’s thoughtful expansion into wine,” a press release confirmed. “With a Méthode Champenoise Napa Valley sparkling wine planned for the near future, and additional varietals to follow.”
The brand urged customers to enjoy the summer-ready rosé during “lunches that turn into dinners and sun-drenched weekends where the only thing louder than the music is the laughter”.
The rosé has a high alcohol content of 14.5% ABV. It was described as having “soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish”.
Crafted in the style of Provence, it was marketed as ideal for golden-hour gatherings and relaxed luxury. The wine follows Meghan’s earlier product drop: a small-batch apricot jam that also sold out twice earlier this summer.
The Duchess’s brand is quickly developing a reputation for limited runs and high demand.
However, in an episode of her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, Meghan admitted that the quick sellout was not what she was aiming for.
“We planned for a year, and then everything sells out in 45 minutes. Which, yes, amazing. Great news,” she told Tina Knowles. “And then you say, ‘Okay, we planned as best as we could. Are we going to replenish and sell out again in an hour? Or is that annoying as a customer?'”
“I want to move away from that scarcity mentality. I don’t want you to eat that jam once every six months, I want that to be on your shelf all the time.”
As Ever controversy
However, not everyone was celebrating.
Royal expert Kinsey Schofield accused Meghan of “hijacking” Princess Diana’s legacy by launching an alcohol brand on July 1, the late Princess of Wales’s birthday.
Princess Diana died in a 1997 car crash involving a driver under the influence of alcohol.
“Timing an alcohol launch to Diana’s birthday wasn’t just a misstep, it was borderline cruel,” Kinsey told The Sun.
“To claim ignorance here doesn’t hold up. It wasn’t just insensitive. It felt like a betrayal of the very narrative she’s working so hard to craft.”
A palace source reportedly echoed the sentiment.
“It’s not lost on Prince William that Meghan has launched an alcohol brand on his mother’s birthday, the very mum he lost in a drink-driving tragedy.”
Despite the backlash, Meghan’s lifestyle brand shows no signs of slowing down.
With jam and rosé already sold out and a sparkling wine in the pipeline, As Ever seems poised to become a full-fledged gourmet and lifestyle brand.
Read more: Meghan Markle’s true feelings over invites to Jeff Bezos’ star-studded wedding
What do you think of this story? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page.
