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'Fifty Shades of Grey' marketing juggernaut now includes wine

'Fifty Shades of Grey' trilogy marketing spinoffs include classical music collections and wine.

The 'Fifty Shades of Grey' trilogy is by E.L. James.
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

Is there no end in sight? The “Fifty Shades of Grey” product line now extends to beverages.

“Grey” author James is debuting a line of wine to go along with her bestselling erotic book trilogy which focuses on the romance between college student Anastasia Steele and billionaire Christian Grey. Grey and winemakers came up with two blended wines, one titled White Silk and the other known as Red Satin. Red Satin is apparently a “decadent blend has flavors of black cherry, cocoa powder, creamy caramel and vanilla, leather and clove spice,” according to the wine website, while in White Silk, “floral aromatics of lychee, honey and pear lead off this white blend, tempered by flavors of crisp grapefruit, mineral and lush pear with a faint hint of butterscotch.” The products are set to appear in stores in October.

“Wine plays an important role in Fifty Shades of Grey, reflecting the sensuality that pervades every encounter between Anastasia and Christian, “ James said in a statement. “I've always had a penchant for good wine, so helping to create the blends Red Satin and White Silk felt like a natural extension of the Fifty Shades Trilogy.  I hope all of you curl up with a glass to savor the romance and the passion.”

Other “Grey” products licensed by James include a classical album and, of course, the upcoming film in which “Sons of Anarchy” actor Charlie Hunnam and “Ben and Kate” actress Dakota Johnson will star. 

Time Magazine writer Melissa Locker didn’t hide her feelings for the new product, titling her article about the wine “50 Shades of Stupid."

Los Angeles Times reporter Carolyn Kellogg seemed to think enough was enough. 

“Could James let the franchising stop?” she wrote. “She earned $95 million last year, according to Forbes, which calculates her as the world's top-earning author for the period. Isn't that enough?”

Apparently not. Our guess is that someone out there somewhere is dreaming up more "Grey" products even as we type.

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