The Wine Star Power Behind A New Zealand Export Boom

There are a few certainties in wine: the vintage matters, the terroir counts, and the bottle with the celebrity name on it tends to get a second glance. But what happens when the celebrity bottle doesn’t just sell but leads a global wine movement?

New Zealand wine company Invivo recently secured a strategic investment from Indevin, the country’s largest wine producer. It’s a serious deal and one that strengthens the group’s infrastructure, expands its production scale, and supercharges its global ambition. But behind the headlines and export figures lies something more effervescent: a story of personality, passion, and persistence. And at its heart? Graham Norton.

Graham Norton’s association with wine could have been a novelty label, a seasonal stocking-filler. Instead, it’s become one of the most commercially successful and critically respected celebrity wine collaborations of the last decade.

And drink it they have. According to Invivo, Graham Norton Sauvignon Blanc was the fastest-growing major brand in its category in the UK in 2024 with sales up 396% year on year. In Ireland, it has become one of the country’s top 20 alcohol brands by revenue. Add in consistent distribution across 40+ countries, and Norton’s wine isn’t just a vanity project, but a proven commercial engine.

The partnership began back in 2014 with a light-hearted pitch and a wine-blending session that, by all accounts, went far better than anyone expected. But it’s been the long-term commitment and Norton’s creative input that have given the brand staying power.

The Invivo deal with Indevin makes headlines because it shows how serious New Zealand is about the future of its wine industry but it also highlights just how vital storytelling, collaboration, and celebrity can be in exporting a regional product to a global audience.

“Invivo has never been about doing things the usual way,” says Rob Cameron, Cofounder and Winemaker. “We knew that to break through internationally, we needed more than just great grapes. We needed personality and purpose. Graham brought that.”

And just like that, then came Sarah Jessica Parker.

In 2019, the brand teamed up with the Sex and the City star to launch Invivo X, SJP, a wine range that has received critical acclaim, national U.S. distribution, and three inclusions in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year. It’s sophisticated, commercially potent, and culturally connected and it reinforces Invivo’s ability to blend celebrity with craftsmanship, not just cachet.

But let’s not mistake charm for chance. Invivo’s rise comes as the global appetite for New Zealand wine continues to climb. In the U.S., premium New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (priced $15+) rose by 14.4% in 2024. In the UK, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc now accounts for £1 in every £2 spent on the grape in the off-trade. And among the ten largest sources of wine imports to the U.S., New Zealand was the only one to post growth in 2024.

Why the surge?

Part of it is taste – crisp, fresh, accessible flavour profiles. Part is price – sitting comfortably in the affordable premium bracket. But much of it is marketing. New Zealand wine has become a storytelling category and synonymous with clean land, quality viticulture, and, increasingly, personality-led partnerships.

And here’s where Norton’s impact can’t be overstated.

“He’s not just a face on a bottle,” says Invivo Cofounder Tim Lightbourne. “He’s a collaborator, a connector and frankly, a great taster.”

In a consumer landscape flooded with fast-branding and novelty NPD, the success of GN Wines reveals a different truth: consumers are happy to follow a famous face but only repeatedly when the product delivers, the voice is consistent, and the partnership lasts. Ten years in, Graham Norton’s wine is still on the up.

So where next?

Norton isn’t looking to conquer the sommelier set, but he is open to evolution. “There’s talk of expanding into other styles,” he said. “Rosé’s been huge. Maybe something unexpected next. But whatever we do, it has to feel right. No gimmicks.”

As Invivo’s new chapter with Indevin begins, it’s likely we’ll see broader reach, bigger campaigns, and perhaps new celebrity collabs. But the foundation remains the same: authenticity, access, and a very good glass of wine.

For Norton, it’s always been simple. “The best compliment is when someone says: ‘I didn’t expect to like it so much.’ That’s when you know it’s not just a celebrity wine – it’s a real wine.”

And that, for all the strategy and supply chain synergy, might be Invivo’s most important export of all.