Earl Stevens Selections
Earl Stevens Selections
Overview
Steve Burch oversaw the whole project.
He's a UC Davis alum who's also created wine products for Adam Carolla and Michelle Branch. The wine was originally crafted at Napa-based California Shiners, but production moved to DFV Wines. The packaging and brand identity were developed by Auston Design Group. The label was printed at Metro Label, on a Belgian Xeikon 3500 digital press, with offline gold foil stamp and emboss/deboss on a Digitt Rhino finishing unit. [6]
E-40 revealed that he was turned on to the wine game by Carlo Rossi himself:[3]
"Carlo Rossi helped me get my own wine.
I said, ‘Hey, let’s connect.
I’m bringing a lot of business your way.’ I brought a new generation to it.
Then, I had the opportunity to get my own wine.
Red wine is my specialty."
Earl Stevens Selections isn't E-40's only foray into the world of alcohol. He created Sluricane, a ready-to-drink rum-based cocktail based on the New Orleans classic. Later, in 2018 he launched E. Cuarenta tequila. [4]
Flavors
There are three wines in the Earl Stevens Selections Collection.
The Mangoscato is 18% alchohol by volume and meant to be consumed as a cocktail. The website describes it as sweet and crisp with hints of citrus and apple. The Function Red Blend is a mix of Lodi Zinfandel and cabernet, it;s mass produced by eschewing barrels and throwing French Oak chips into large tanks instead. The website describes it as "jammy aromas of raspberry and plum with subtle hints of spice and the toasty aromas of oak and vanilla". Finally, the Moscato is a beverage the website describes as having hints of "honeysuckle, gardenia, orange blossom, white cherry, apple, pear and peach" In 2017, the collection briefly sold a Tropiscato flavor.[1][3][5]