Last year, Alecia Moore—better known as P!nk—released her eighth studio album, adding to a career that features three Grammy wins, a string of hit songs and record sales in the tens of millions. But music isn't the artist's only ambition. In 2013 she purchased a 250-acre estate in Santa Barbara County, including 18 acres of vineyards, and established her winery, Two Wolves.
Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth discussed this career shift and more with the world-famous musician during the June 11 edition of Straight Talk with Wine Spectator, an Instagram series sponsored by Wine Access.
Chatting after a day of blending and vineyard walks, Moore explained that winemaking had been a longtime aspiration for her. "I've had two—maybe three—dreams in my life," she said, "One was to make music, the other one was to have my babies and the third was wine." After a plan to purchase vineyards in Healdsburg, Calif., fell through, the artist found her future estate online while on tour in Australia. "I fell in love, just through pictures," she said.
After moving to the estate, Moore quickly found herself embraced by the region's winemakers, who invited her to their barrel rooms and vineyards. "Everyone threw open their doors. Everyone from Star Lane to Grassini to Chad Melville." And in time she learned to cultivate vines on her organic property, finding that she enjoyed the work and her new community. "It's farmers around here. There's a real communal spirit, and I love that."
Today, her vineyards have grown to 25 acres, producing around 1,800 cases of wine each year, including Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Grenache rosé, skin-contact Sémillon and more. Overseeing production with co-winemaker Alison Thompson, Moore focuses on organic and sustainable production. And she actively experiments, which has worked well in her dynamic with Thompson. "The relationship between the two of us is really unique," Moore said, "because I don't know the rules, so I can break all of them. And she knows which ones to tell me I can't actually do."
As she continues to experiment, harvest and travel for inspiration, Moore keeps an eye toward the future, eager to one day pass her estate to her children. And she is hopeful that considering current movements for change, the wine industry can also see greater diversity, moving forward. "I'm really excited to be a part of that," she said.
Watch the full episode with Moore on Wine Spectator's IGTV channel, and tune in to @wine_spectator on Instagram to catch Straight Talk with Wine Spectator, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET.
