Screenshot: HBO
John Oliver’s foray into the celebrity wine business didn’t last long—because it sold out almost immediately.
Less than 24 hours after Last Week Tonight with John Oliver announced the release of “Cabernet SauvignJohn,” the limited-edition California cabernet sauvignon has sold through its entire online inventory. The wine, produced in collaboration with the show’s team, went on sale Sunday night following Oliver’s on-air reveal.
The label was available exclusively at CabernetSauvignJohn.com, with proceeds from the sale—$50,000 in total—donated to 16 food banks across California. According to the show, the wine was being sold at a financial loss, with the charitable contribution factored into the project’s costs.
“Not only are we selling this at a financial loss,” Oliver said during Sunday’s episode, “but from the sales, we are also donating a total of $50,000 to 16 food banks in California.”
The wine’s unveiling came at the end of a segment in which Oliver explored the long history of celebrity wine ventures, from Orson Welles’ drunken Paul Masson ad shoots to a 1990 instructional VHS titled The Celebrity Guide to Wine, featuring then-spouses Steven Seagal and Kelly LeBrock, to MacLachlan’s Washington winery, Pursued by Bear.
Promotional materials described the wine as being made from “the finest Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with notes of vanilla, cocoa powder, dark fruits, plum, and a hint of leather. Plush tannins, medium-plus body.”
As of Monday afternoon, the wine has sold out. Whether Oliver plans a second run—or a new vintage—remains to be seen.
