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Rock ‘n’ Wine

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Legendary music icon Jon Bon Jovi Brings Puts His Talent to a Good Cause

Rock music and wine may not seem an obvious pairing at first glance, but singer, songwriter and rock star Jon Bon Jovi makes it so. Two years ago, music icon and his son, Jesse Bongiovi, paired with French winemaker Gerard Bertrand to launch their own rosé, Hampton Water.

The fresh and lively rosé, reminiscent of the Hampton’s laid back and artistic idiosincracy, is made up of a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre grapes varieties emblematic of the French region of Languedoc. Since its launch, the label—instilled with a distinctive minerality—has been recognized as one of the Top 5 Rosés in the world.

The wine is aged in French Oak barrels for 30-60 days and has received three consecutive 90 Pt. ratings from Wine Spectator.

The name of the rosé comes from Bon Jovi’s home in East Hampton, New York, where he’s been spending lots of time amid the pandemic, even composing new songs in his home studio.

‘I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU’

The singer recently played some of his famous tunes, as well as new tracks, in a concert directly from his home that was livestreamed on Hampton Water rosé’s Facebook page.

The acoustic show with Bon Jovi’s band, the Kings of Suburbia, was preceded by a virtual rosé tasting hosted by Bon Jovi and his son Jesse.

The live event was not just a good excuse to delight homebound fans with some great music and promote the wine, it was also a way to raise funds for a good cause. A portion of proceeds from the event went to Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen.

The celebrity chef has put his talent and fame to good use, founding the nonprofit organization in 2010 to provide meals in the wake of natural disasters, starting with those left homeless by a devastating earthquake in Haiti and since then has traveled the world helping displaced people, most recently after a massive explosion in Beirut.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this endeavor. World Central Kitchen has served 25 million meals since the beginning of the crisis, feeding frontline workers and unemployed Americans from New York to Little Rock, Oakland to Navajo Nation.

But Hampton Water’s association with World Central Kitchen doesn’t end with the live show. For the entire month of August, $1 from every bottle purchased will go to the nonprofit organization.

‘LIVIN ON A PRAYER’

Bon Jovi’s charitable work pays homage to his famous song, ‘Living on a prayer’. He has spent decades feeding the hungry and food insecure at the JBJ Soul Kitchens in New Jersey, a work that continues today.

“We are proud to have been on the frontlines throughout this pandemic feeding those in need at our New Jersey community restaurants and our Long Island Food bank. It’s a natural extension to team up with my son and his acclaimed Hampton Water to benefit World Central Kitchen,” said Jon Bon Jovi in a press release ahead of his live show.

“When the pandemic started and people were struggling across the country, we knew we needed to do something to help. WCK has created an amazing pathway to not only help those in need, but also bring out of work restaurants much needed business. For us this partnership was a no brainer,” added son Jesse Bongiovi.

Jon Bon Jovi’s activism also extends to his music.

The Rock&Roll Hall of Famer’s new single “American Reckoningspeaks directly to the civil rights activism around the country. The song deals with the death of George Floyd, the massive protests his passing generated and also lends its support to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Proceeds from all downloads of the song through December 31, 2020 will support the Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization based in Montgomery, Alabama, that fights against excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerate innocent death row prisoners, the mentally ill and also helps children prosecuted as adults.

The song is part of the singer’s upcoming Bon Jovi 2020 album that will debut on October 2nd. The album had an original May 15th release, but was pushed back to include ‘American Reckoning’ and Do What You Can’ , which advocates for people to contribute, in any way they can, to help others amid the pandemic.

And in the case of a famous singer, ‘Do What You Can’ means having fun at home after canceling a summer tour. The 58-year-old recently played the part of rock star as he serenaded bottles of his rosé to the tune of his famous song ‘Livin on a prayer’ in his backyard.

The video of his performance made a splash on the social media app TikTok, which you can appreciate on his Hampton Water’s TikTok page. It is also part of #DoWhatYouCanChallenge tied to his recent single.

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