An actor, director and executive producer, Regina King has been a major player in film and television for four decades, including her role as Sharon Rivers in If Beale Street Could Talk, which won her the 2019 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Now she’s adding vintner to her resume, launching her wine label MianU, beginning with an orange wine sourced from California’s Mendocino County. Pronounced ‘me and you,’ she says it represents making a connection through shared experiences.
It’s also a tribute to King’s son, Ian Desduné, who she says knew better than anyone how to share experiences that made life’s ordinary moments extraordinary. “There’s no wine experience more meaningful to me than when my son Ian introduced me to orange wine,” King told Wine Spectator. “Ian had this beautiful way of discovering something new and sharing it with me.” Ian passed away in 2022 at age 26. His name is also reflected within MianU.
King says they taught each other about different styles of wines. “Ian has always been endlessly curious,” she said. “He loved uncovering the narrative behind a bottle and sharing it.” She remembers her first visit to a winery, Chimney Rock, and saving two bottles for them to share together after he turned 21.
Later, Ian introduced her to The Prisoner, which she credits with showing her how wines can tell a story. “He didn’t just hand me a glass, he told me the story behind it,” she said. “Whether it was a dish, a lyric, a bottle of wine, he understood that everything had meaning, and that the meaning is what makes it memorable.”
Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and a Lot of Learning
Her wine project has just begun, with 500 cases of one wine—an orange wine blend of Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay. Gewürztraminer forms the larger portion of the blend, fermented on the skins, giving the wine a coppery hue, while the Chardonnay was pressed before fermentation to lend a fresh character. The wine was aged in neutral oak for six months before being blended and bottled.
The grapes were sourced from Mendocino County, with the Gewürztraminer from McFadden Family Vineyard & Farm in Potter Valley and the Chardonnay from Hawkeye Ranch in Redwood Valley. Both vineyards are farmed organically, which was important to King.
King says making wine has been a hands-on process in more ways than just tasting it. “If I wanted to do this right, I had to learn how to navigate the industry—the logistics, the budgeting.”
Although it eventually became about business, she says the soul of MianU remains Ian. “He continues to move through me and inspire me daily.” King believes MianU is something he would love. “This wine isn’t just a product; it’s a continuation of his spirit.” She feels that, like orange wine, he was unfiltered, bright and unapologetically expressive. “[It is] a way for people to feel something of him when they pour a glass and create their own moments together. That’s what MianU is about.”
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