From 2016 to the beginning of 2018, somehow the word got out that if you were a celebrity who wanted to start your own booze label, I was one of the guys to call for advice.

It was humbling, but also weird at times because for many of these brands there was nothing I could do to help. The juice was often poor, and there’s no remedy for bad juice other than to simply get rid of it.

The one guy who absolutely had (and continues to have) great taste, however; was Gerald Casale, the co-frontman for the rock group Devo. Not just with wine and spirits, mind you, but with food. The guy is a fantastic cook. When I moved to LA in 2019, Gerald began inviting us over for dinner and—to this day—I can safely say that his homemade wood-fired pizza is among the best I’ve ever had.

As far as celebrity labels go, I don’t consider Gerald’s 50 by 50 Pinot Noir in the same category as other celebrity brands because there’s nothing hokey about it. Made from fantastic Sonoma Coast fruit, the wine drinks as well as any of its competitors for the price, and often times better. In Gerald’s case, I’m always willing to jump in and help because I wholeheartedly believe in his product (and I drink it at home).

But enough explaining; I’ll let Gerald fill you in on the details this Wednesday at 5 PM when we sit down on the @missionliquor Instagram for a live chat.

See you there!

-David Driscoll