Latest news with #Avaline
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Valley 's Janet Caperna Details Working for Cameron Diaz
Originally appeared on E! Online Janet Caperna is giving the merlot-down on working for Cameron Diaz. The Valley star recently revealed that she was an assistant at the actress' wine company prior to her own rise to reality TV fame. 'I worked for Avaline, which is Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power's wine brand,' Janet said on the May 29 episode of the Virtual Reali-Tea podcast. "That was a job I loved." She added, "I still am obsessed with the wine." During her time as a Hollywood assistant, she even met Zack Wickham, who worked as Nicole Scherzinger's assistant and later became her costar on The Valley. As Janet put it, "The assistants are kind of a small group in L.A." But despite their shared jobs as assistants, the pair hasn't always meshed. Still, Janet shared that she hopes to end their conflict, which has been a point of focus on the Bravo show since the series' early days last spring. "Zach and I, we've been stuck with these same sort of issues for a while, but I do want to get to a place of peace with him," she told co-hosts Danny Murphy and Evan Real. "I think he's hilarious." While the followup to Vanderpump Rules follows longtime reality stars like Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor, Janet is new to the scene. And her road to get there has been less than typical, as it all started after she boldly approached Scheana Shay back in her assistant days. More from E! Online Paige DeSorbo Leaving Summer House After 7 Seasons Dakota Johnson Steps Out Amid Chris Martin Breakup News Kristin Cavallari, Glen Powell's Past Hookup Revealed "Zach and I, we've been stuck with these same sort of issues for a while, but I do want to get to a place of peace with him," she shared. "I think he's hilarious." While the follow-up to Vanderpump Rules follows longtime reality stars like Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor, Janet is new to the scene. And her road to get there has been less than typical: It all started after she boldly approached Scheana Shay back in her assistant days. 'I went up to her and was like, 'You're Scheana from Vanderpump, let's take a picture.' We ended up spending the entire day talking,' she explained on the May 29 episode of The Viall Files podcast. 'We talked about what it's like getting divorced in your 20s, which both of us had done [and] starting over.' Janet acknowledged that while their connection may have been unusual, she's not afraid to be honest. 'Sure, it's odd to start a friendship as a fan and somebody who's on reality TV, but I never felt embarrassed to be a Bravo fan," she added. "That's the truth of how we met." For more on the cast of The Valley, read on. (E!, Bravo and The Valley are all part of the NBCUniversal family.) The Valley Season 2Jax TaylorBrittany CartwrightKristen DouteLuke BroderickDanny BookoNia BookoJanet CapernaJason CapernaMichelle SanieiJesse LallyAaron NoslerZack WickhamBenji QuachJasmine GoodeMelissa Carelli For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cameron Diaz's Ex-Assistant Reveals She Was ‘Obsessed' With Actor's Wine
Cameron Diaz's former assistant allowed a sneak peek into what it's like working for the actor. 'The Valley' cast member Janet Caperna, who previously worked for the star, talked briefly about her professional relationship with Diaz in an exclusive interview with Page Six. She recalled loving her job as part of the team that worked in various aspects of wine-related activities. Caperna worked for the actor's wine brand Avaline, which the 'Charlie's Angels' star co-founded with friend Katherine Power in 2020. Cameron Diaz's ex-assistant Janet Caperna had only good things to say about working with the actor on her wine brand, Avaline. In an exclusive interview with Page Six's 'Virtual Reali-Tea,' she recalled working for Diaz and Katherine Power's company and having a great experience. 'The Valley' star confessed that she 'loved' her role as part of the vino team. Given her work experience, Caperna revealed that she is still 'obsessed' with wine. The Bravolebrity further opened up about a 'small group' of fellow assistants in Los Angeles who frequently stay in touch. She noted that they help each other out, making their jobs relatively 'easier.' Cameron Diaz and her good friend, Katherine Power, co-founded the organic wine brand in 2020, launching it with two new products: Spanish white and French rosé wines. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar in 2022, the two pals recalled that they began the venture to bring an organic essence into wine, just like skincare and household products. Moreover, Diaz and Power took a trip to Europe to meet with winemakers and organic grape farmers to gain a deeper understanding of their vision. They reportedly started Avaline in 2020 amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Avaline continued to grow exponentially, with the brand making over $33.2 million in sales last year, according to a Forbes report. Over time, the company introduced several interesting products, including sparkling wines, red and white blends, and more. Originally reported by Varsha Narayanan on Reality Tea. The post Cameron Diaz's Ex-Assistant Reveals She Was 'Obsessed' With Actor's Wine appeared first on Mandatory.
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Travel + Leisure
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
This Sparkling Wine Is Having a Surprising Comeback—so I Went to Italy to See How It's Made
In the hilltop village of Castelvetro di Modena, they were dancing in the streets. It was mid-September, and the revelers were there for the town's annual Sagra dell'Uva, or Grape Festival. All over the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, winemakers were picking, pressing, and fermenting the latest vintage of Lambrusco, a predominantly red sparkling wine that has been produced there for centuries. In Castelvetro that night, the lines for the bars snaked through the throng of dancers in the main square. A DJ blasted tunes from the steps of the village hall as the light from a giant disco ball strafed the crowd. I had come to Italy to meet a group of winemakers who are changing Lambrusco's international reputation. Outside of Italy, the idea that this wine deserves celebration may come as a surprise. In the late 1960s, Riunite, a wine cooperative, began exporting a dark-red, powerfully sweet version of the drink. Lambrusco became synonymous with that sickly tipple—which bore no resemblance to the refreshingly dry and crisp Lambrusco guzzled by Italians. From Left: The lobby at Relais Roncolo 1888; a glass of Lambrusco at Opera02. Relais Roncolo 1888; Amanda VillaRosa But the world is waking up to the real thing. Lambrusco now appears on restaurant and wine-bar menus from London to Los Angeles, and it has some big-name evangelists. Cameron Diaz's wine brand, Avaline, includes a Lambrusco produced in Emilia-Romagna. My self-driving trip around the region was organized by Travel + Leisure A-List member Matteo Della Grazia of Fuoritinerario–Discover Your Italy. It began at Opera02, a wine and vinegar producer a couple of miles from Castelvetro. Spread across 42 acres of rolling hills dotted with farmhouses, the estate has an eight-room B&B at its center, housed in a converted barn. The minute I entered I was hit by the powerful aroma of fermenting grapes—not from wine, but from hundreds of barrels of DOP-certified balsamic vinegar, which were maturing in a glass-walled loft next to the lobby. I met the owner, Mattia Montanari, on the terrace overlooking his fields. He specializes in a grape called Grasparossa, one of 13 cultivated Lambrusco varieties. Its name means 'red stalk,' and below us waves of crimson were washing through the vines as they darkened into their fall colors. From Left: Lambrusco grapes at Cantina Paltrinieri; Roncolo 1888's cypress-lined driveway. Cantina Paltrinieri; Relais Roncolo 1888 Montanari, who grew up in Castelvetro, does not come from a family of winemakers (his parents were in real estate). He was driven into the business by his love of Lambrusco and his frustration at the scorn it received abroad. 'I felt bad,' he said. 'I knew the real Lambrusco, and I wanted to show it off.' He started his vineyard in 2002 with 10 acres, all organically cultivated, and over the years added to it bit by bit. He opened the hotel about a decade ago to draw more tourists and showcase his wines. He now produces 70,000 bottles a year—about 75 percent of which are sold to the U.S. Part of Lambrusco's appeal, he said, is its versatility. Most often used for sparkling dark reds, it also comes in white and rosé, and can be bone-dry or fruit-forward and aromatic. 'You can have a whole meal with just Lambrusco,' he said. As we chatted he opened a bottle and poured us a couple of glasses. The color was deep and dark—the kind of shade I associate with heavy reds. But this was fresh and effervescent, with soft bubbles, silky tannins, and subtle notes of cherry and blueberry. It was light enough to work as an aperitif, but its cleansing acidity would work equally well with meat. In other words, it was frighteningly easy to drink. Next, I drove 40 minutes north, into the flatlands of the Po Valley, where I met Cecilia Paltrinieri, a fourth-generation winemaker in her mid 20s. Her family's vineyard, Cantina Paltrinieri, was started by her great-grandfather, who made wine for fun. He also built the elegant red-brick buildings clustered around the warehouse where the wine is made today. After a tour of the vineyard—including the towering steel vats where the recent harvest was beginning to ferment—we sat down in the tasting room. The bar at Relais Roncolo 1888's Limonaia restaurant. I asked Paltrinieri to explain Lambrusco's growing popularity. 'We are seeing a big trend for easy wines, and a turn away from rich, complex wines,' she said. 'That's why so many people have been drinking pale rosé.' She brought out a bottle of Radice, one of her rosé Lambruscos. Made from a grape called Lambrusco di Sorbara, which grows in the plains between the Secchia and Panaro rivers, it is tartly acidic and carries hints of orange and rhubarb. Because it is bottle-fermented with natural yeast, it also has that earthy funk beloved by fans of natural wine. With its steel cap and slightly cloudy complexion, it would fit right in at any wine bar in Brooklyn. As the global appeal of Lambrusco has grown, more of Emilia-Romagna's winemakers have turned their vineyards into fashionable destinations. One afternoon I stopped at Cantina Ventiventi, opened in 2018 by Vittorio Razzaboni and his three sons, Riccardo, Andrea, and Tommaso. The Razzabonis are luring visitors with cool, contemporary architecture: the vineyard's main building is a Modernist glass box surrounded by geometric, Japanese-inspired pools and a waterfall, where you can enjoy a crisp glass of Lambrusco in one of the bubble chairs that dot the patio. Inside, the event space (and occasional restaurant) is overlooked by a giant red teddy bear. I was on my way to Relais Roncolo 1888 , a vineyard hotel at the opposite end of the design spectrum. It's part of the 320-acre Tenuta di Roncolo estate, in the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, which dates back to the 15th century. In 2015 it was bought by Julia Prestia, a Viennese ex-financier, and her Sicilian husband, Giuseppe. The couple set about renovating the estate's 19th-century villa and outbuildings, turning them into a sumptuous hotel that mixes original touches like frescoed ceilings with mid-century Italian furniture. My room, tricked out in shades of mushroom, opened onto a hallway covered in its original wallpaper, depicting a sea battle complete with roiling water, boats full of pugnacious sailors, and, in the background, a dusky landscape of ancient ruins. The afternoon I arrived, I walked down the long, cypress-lined driveway to the winery to meet Prestia and the vineyard's experience manager, Vittorio Baghi. As we headed inside, we passed a covered courtyard where several members of Prestia's team were feeding freshly picked grapes into a juicing machine. The estate's previous owners began to make wine there back in the 1970s, and by the 80s the flagship bottle was a rich red Lambrusco called Rubino del Cerro. It is still made today, along with a dizzying assortment of other varieties, including elegant whites with the biscuity fizz of champagne. Prestia has taken an entrepreneurial approach to finding a new audience for her wines. At one point she opened a bottle of the sparkling Lambrusco that she says is her way of 'piggybacking on the rosé trend.' She hopes that it can be a gateway into the world of Lambrusco for those who've never tried it before. 'That's what is so fun about it,' she said. 'It's not one thing. It's such a wide spectrum.' For the next hour, Baghi brought out bottle after bottle until there were about a dozen arrayed on the table, each a subtly different expression. When we finished our tasting, Prestia offered to give me a lift back up the hill to the hotel. But my head was as cloudy as the bottle-fermented Lambrusco I'd just drunk. I needed the walk. A version of this story first appeared in the June 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline 'Italian Revival .'
