Jesse Bongiovi brought the idea for Hampton Water Wine to his father, legendary rocker Jon Bon Jovi, a few years back. The father-son duo have since turned that idea into one of the hottest rosé labels in the marketplace.
We spoke with Jesse about his journey into winemaking and what makes Hampton Water so special.
Where did the name Hampton Water Wine originate from?
The joke is that rosé is the water of the Hamptons.
One summer night, after my junior year of college, my dad and I were enjoying some rosé on the back porch. It was getting late, and he offered me one last glass of “pink juice” before calling it a night. I told him, no one calls it “pink juice” anymore, you’re out in the Hamptons, it’s Hampton Water. My dad laughed and said “what a great name that would be on a bottle.” That’s when the light bulb went off in my head.
The next morning, I came downstairs and said to him “I am doing this, I’m going to create a rosé called Hampton Water.” He said to me, “You know a lot of successful people, talk to them and educate yourself on how to start a successful business, study the wine industry, specifically rosé, then put together a legitimate business plan, and come back to me.”
Where is your favorite place to experience a new wine?
There isn’t one specific place I like to try new wines, but I definitely am experimenting. I know that when given the chance to learn about a new vineyard or winemaker, I am always excited to give it a try.
What is one wine trend you’ll be embracing this summer?
Hampton Water — though that’s not exclusive to summer.
What is your favorite food to pair with a bottle of Hampton Water Wine?
A family BBQ at home in the Hamptons — enjoying life and making memories with the people you love most.
In your opinion, what about a rosé wine makes it a perfect pairing for the summer months?
Like summer, rosé is fun and it’s approachable, but I don’t like to limit the consumption of rosé to just the summer season. The structure and slight aging process of Hampton Water allows it to be enjoyed year-round, and allows it to pair well with virtually anything. My business partner and I actually started a dinner series, The Pink Bottle Boys Dinner Series, to showcase that Hampton Water is a wine meant to be enjoyed every season.
If you were to build your perfect charcuterie board, what would be on it?
I would go traditional — Italian meats and cheeses.
What steps are your team taking to curate a wine brand that attracts the younger generation (21+) of wine consumers?
We created Hampton Water to share the Hamptons and its lifestyle with the world. The Hamptons has always been a special place for us — it’s where we go as a family to slow down from our busy lives and just spend time together. We call it “the Exhale.”
Essentially, we wanted to bottle up that feeling of enjoying life and making memories with the people you love most. Hampton Water represents that sense of place, not necessarily geographically, but emotionally. We hope people share that same sentiment when they sip a nice glass of Hampton Water, and I think anyone, no matter what age (21+), can relate to that.
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