Entertainment
It's always happy hour when you're you're part of the Real Housewives franchise. And many of ladies of the Bravo juggernaut have proven that they can do more than fill their glasses by actually getting into the spirits business. Ranking the Real Housewives alcohol brands is definitely a spirited task as well.
Their Bravolebrity statuses haven't exactly hurt business either. "Because of people like me ... we made celebrity cocktail brands acceptable and cool," the Real Housewives of New York City star — and Skinnygirl creator — Bethenny Frankel spilled to Forbes earlier this year. "Celebrities used to not hold cocktails in pictures.”
But as with all Housewives ventures, some have proven to be more successful than others. Further commenting on the pitfalls of what she calls a “tricky and amazing business,” Frankel described what it takes to succeed — and places where her colleagues may or may not have fallen short.
“You have to really have it together," she told Forbes. "You can’t get all caught up in your idea. [People] think their ideas are so cute, and it’s going to be successful, but it’s such a hard business. They have to know they have something very compelling on a shelf or behind a bar. It has to solve a problem or evoke an emotional reaction.”
That being said, here's a definitive ranking of the most toast-worthy Real Housewives alcohol brands.
1
Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl Cocktails
No surprise here: Frankel's line — which reportedly sold for $120 million in 2011 — may have started with just low-calorie margaritas but now includes, wines, snacks, sweeteners, and even salad dressings. “It was the first low calorie ready-to-drink cocktail,” she told Forbes. “It was the fastest growing liquor brand at the time.”
2
Lisa Vanderpump's Vaderpump Rosé
LVP took her famous Real Housewives of Beverly Hills tag line — "Life isn't all diamonds and rosé ... but it should be." — a step further when she launched the summer refresher from Côtes de Provence, France, in 2016 with her daughter Pandora. Not a fan of rosé? She sells a tasty sangria as well.
3
Brandi Glanville's Unfiltered Blonde
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum proved she could do more than toss a glass of wine in someone's face when she released her 2015 Sonoma County Chardonnay, which she says won the Bronze Medal in the Celebrity Wine Division at the LA International Wine Awards. Unfiltered is also a motto for the Drinking and Tweeting author who uses the same name for her podcast.
4
Ramona Singer’s Ramona Pinot Grigio
"Your blood type is Pinot Grigio," RHONY cast mate Sonja Morgan once quipped to the white wine fanatic. So it was a natural move for the businesswoman to make it "Turtle Time all the time" with the release of her own vintage, straight from Veneto, Italy. Bragged Singer, "Sommeliers that taste my wine are very impressed.”
5
Heather Dubrow's Collette
"I think it's pretty common knowledge that I LOVE CHAMPS!" The Real Housewives of The O.C.'s Dubrow, who named the Brut after her daughter, wrote when announcing she was making a sparkling wine, in collaboration with Bello Family Vineyards in 2015.
6
Teresa Giudice's Fabellini
"Fall in love with Fabellini" was the The Real Housewives of New Jersey star's prosecco's tag line. And fans certainly did just that, lining up all over the Garden State to get their bottles autographed by Giudice. Andy Cohen, on the other hand, sipped some tea in 2017, instead, telling People: "Somewhere, there is a warehouse full of vats of Fabellini. And I’m not even kidding. Like, it’s there, fermenting."
7
Sonja Morgan's Tipsy Girl Prosecco
How could RHONY fans forget the drama that ensued when Lady Morgan AKA "the straw that stirs the drink" launched a brand that sounded eerily similar to another Housewife's booming business? Frankel went on to call the prosecco that Morgan debuted on the Bravo show a "cheater brand." While her elusive toaster ovens may have been a better choice, Cohen awarded Tipsy Girl the, uh, distinction of "most absurd" Housewife business venture.
So now you know which Real Housewife alcohol brands you must add to your next Real Housewives watch party.
