Blend It Like Graham: Invivo creates new wine

Eden Park was the very impressive setting for what has become an iconic New Zealand wine collaboration - the making of Graham Norton's new Invivo wine

Following over a year's worth of video calls on small laptop screens, Irish talk show favourite Graham Norton, and Invivo Wines' co-founders Tim Lightbourne and Rob Camerson took over New Zealand's largest screen at Eden Park Stadium to blend their new vintage of wine together.

From vine to field, Graham's larger-than-life personality and expert wine-blending skills shone through on the 40 metre-wide, eight metre-high screen at the sports stadium, as Graham blended seven Sauvignon Blanc samples with Tim and Rob, who were doing their part from the centre of the impeccable rugby field. Over a two-hour lives stream, the trio collaborated to create and sign off Graham Norton's Own Sauvignon Blanc 2021 vintage.

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Graham Norton's collaboration with Invivo & Co is going from strength to strength, with the business partners recently celebrating the production of their 10 millionth bottle of wine together. This vintage is expected to round that number up to 15 million - a significant growth since their first run of 14,000 bottles of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in 2014.

"I'm delighted with this year's new Sauvignon Blanc blend," revealed Graham when the magic recipe was signed off. "It's a classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, it's a grown-up wine that's elegant and delicious. It's surreal thinking that our little collaboration is now all over the world. I'm amazed, and proud of it. I don't just put my name on the bottles; I'm involved and I love being part of the process."

Now the new Sauvignon Blanc has been chosen, the blend will be bottled and sold in Liquorland stores shortly. Graham Norton's wine and spirits range now includes Prosecco, Prosecco Rosé, Graham Norton Irish Gin and Graham Norton Pink Gin.