DRIFT

Meghan Markle’s newest venture under her lifestyle brand As Ever has taken an effervescent turn—quite literally. The Duchess of Sussex has officially entered the wine world with a debut Napa Valley rosé that, like much of her recent branding endeavors, is as thoughtful in symbolism as it is in presentation. But this is no mere celebrity-backed label. It is, as the brand’s website puts it, “a love language,” and with this latest release, the message is both personal and poetic.

The As Ever Aesthetic: Warm, Soft, Curated Intimacy

From the beginning, As Ever positioned itself not as a lifestyle brand in the traditional influencer mold, but as a slow-burning poetic offering—imbued with tone, tenderness, and narrative. Markle’s vision combines the nostalgic with the aspirational: small-batch goods, understated visuals, and a literary, almost handwritten tone. The phrase “as ever” itself—once a common closing salutation in letters—carries the intimacy of unspoken connection, of enduring affection across distance and time.

When the brand first launched in April 2025 with its inaugural line of baking mixes, teas, and spreads, the drop sold out in under an hour. Every element—from the stone-colored labels to the tactile, archival typography—reflected the same design language: warm, soft, honest.

The second drop, launched via Instagram just weeks later, followed a similar trajectory. Yet behind these seemingly simple offerings lay deeper stories—Markle’s belief in ritual, resilience, and reconnection. With the third release, a bottle of rosé wine photographed alongside sparkling water and fresh apricots, the brand ventures into even more sensory territory: taste, scent, texture, memory.

The Wine and Its Sentimental Timing

Though official tasting notes have yet to be published, the imagery Markle chose to unveil the wine evokes clear cues. The bottle rests against soft linens, flanked by apricots and crystalline mineral water. The pale salmon hue of the rosé suggests a light, floral-forward profile with notes of stone fruit and citrus. Critics and fans alike anticipate something summery, crisp, and easily paired with the kind of soft-baked scones and preserves As Ever is already known for.

But it’s not just the taste that has stirred curiosity. Observers quickly noted the release date of the wine coincides with a significant anniversary—one tied to Markle’s personal history and possibly to a meaningful private event. Whether connected to the Sussexes’ early days together, a family date, or a moment of creative rebirth, the brand’s refusal to clarify only deepens the intrigue. The implication is that this wine, like much of Markle’s public presentation in the past few years, is designed to invite reflection rather than demand explanation.

The Easter Egg: A Whisper, Not a Shout

In digital marketing parlance, an “Easter egg” is a hidden message or secret reference that rewards close attention. Markle’s wine launch is the epitome of this principle—not in the bombastic or gimmicky way seen in pop culture franchises, but in a quiet, reverent gesture of significance. The brand’s tagline, posted alongside the wine announcement, reads:

“As ever is more than just a brand—it’s a love language.”

These words resonate with a deeper emotional register. They suggest that the act of sharing—wine, recipes, rituals—is not merely commercial but emotional. This wine isn’t just something to sip on a warm evening; it’s a glass of memory, a toast to permanence, an act of enduring affection. Like an old letter re-read under lamplight, or a handwritten recipe passed down generations, it speaks the language of the sentimental.

Markle’s background in acting and storytelling is no minor asset here. She understands emotional cues, pacing, and the use of props and mise-en-scène. This launch isn’t selling wine; it’s selling a feeling. And the wine, subtle and summery as it appears, is the conduit.

Celebrity Wine Culture and the Meghan Difference

The celebrity wine industry is already crowded. Everyone from Brad Pitt to Cameron Diaz has thrown a hat into the vineyard, each with varying degrees of authenticity and branding success. Yet Markle’s entry arrives with a noticeably different tone. There is no overt self-branding here—no oversized logos, no social media saturation, no mass PR blitz. Instead, the wine emerges as just one quiet part of a growing As Ever archive—a kind of unfolding journal of seasonal releases and reflections.

This, too, is strategic. In contrast to loud celebrity-driven products that scream influence, Markle’s wine whispers intimacy. Where many celebrity brands ride the wave of trend, As Ever seeks permanence. It is a brand that could just as easily sit beside a handwritten note as on a dinner party table. Even the bottle’s shape and label are deliberately modest—inviting curiosity, not spectacle.

By doing so, Markle positions herself not merely as a celebrity-turned-entrepreneur but as a kind of curator of modern femininity: calm, poetic, maternal, yet still desirous of beauty and flavor.

The Cultural Language of Rosé

The choice of rosé for the debut alcoholic beverage is no coincidence. Rosé is the wine of in-between moments. Not quite red, not quite white, it exists in the liminal. It’s seasonal, social, and evocative. It pairs easily with both solitary afternoons and shared toasts. It’s casual, but carries elegance.

More than a drink, rosé has become a cultural shorthand for summer, softness, and a particular brand of upscale ease. It aligns perfectly with the As Ever tone: gentle but not fragile, accessible but not ordinary.

Rosé also ties into literary and romantic traditions. Think of Hemingway sipping Provençal rosé under the French sun, or 19th-century European women writing poetry on flower-scented balconies. These associations deepen the aesthetic narrative of Markle’s brand, placing her not in the realm of reality TV consumerism, but in the lineage of women who create meaning through curation.

As Ever and the Modern Revival of Domestic Ritual

Beyond the wine, Markle’s brand seems to be participating in a larger movement: the renaissance of the domestic ritual. As Ever isn’t just selling goods—it’s offering a framework for living. The teas, the baking mixes, and now the wine all act as prompts for moments of personal joy and communal pause. They nudge consumers to re-enter the kitchen, to set a table, to open a bottle not just to drink, but to mark something—an arrival, a memory, a mood.

This ethos resonates especially in a post-pandemic culture where people have reconnected with the physicality of domestic life: sourdough, balcony gardens, tea rituals, hand-written cards. Markle’s product line doesn’t invent this trend; it honors and elevates it.

Through As Ever, she offers a kind of modern femininity grounded not in hustle, glamor, or chaos, but in serenity, timefulness, and slow pleasure.

Wine as Narrative, Branding as Memoir

Meghan Markle’s debut wine isn’t just a product drop—it’s a carefully written sentence in the ongoing memoir of her public evolution. From actress to royal to advocate to entrepreneur, Markle has continually leveraged narrative—not as spectacle, but as intention. With As Ever, and now this Napa rosé, she invites consumers not just to follow her story but to enter it—glass in hand.

In a culture obsessed with immediacy, As Ever is a rare thing: patient, designed, imbued with feeling. The wine is simply the latest page. And like all good pages, it leaves a lingering aftertaste—of something more, something remembered, something lovingly chosen.

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