Learn all about Dolly’s sparkling wine, Southern hospitality, and her feelings on Australia in our exclusive chat with the icon herself.
Dolly. Freaking. Parton. There are few public figures so universally respected and adored. No force of nature more iconic, more quotable, more inspirational – and now, more drinkable. The Queen of Country has her very own sparkling wine available in Australia and we got to ask her all about it. Excuse me while I blast ‘Jolene’ and hyperventilate into a paper bag.
Dolly, now 79, has worn many hats (not just cowboy) over her illustrious seven-decade career – be it songwriter (she’s written close to 3,000), actress, author or philanthropist. One might think she’d now take the chance to sit back, revel in her staggering accomplishments, watch a classic Western or two – but no, Dolly never stops. That’s the magic of Dolly. Well, that and the hair. In 2024 she launched Dolly Parton Wines, releasing a chardonnay in the US, plus a rosé and prosecco in the UK. She blessed us Aussies with a sparkling wine that’s as lively and effervescent as she is. Blending Australian pinot noir and chardonnay, Dolly’s bubbly is super light, bright and easy-drinking. Think dry, fresh fruit and subtle toasty flavours, with a texture that’s oh-so smooth. Truly, if you could bottle the feeling of being rhinestoned head-to-toe, this would be it.
Like much of Dolly’s music, the wine is designed to be enjoyed with friends and family. And just like Dolly, it doesn’t take itself too seriously – but that doesn’t mean it’s not seriously great. It’s available in Dan’s stores around the country right now (retailing at $21.99), so while you’re pouring yourself that cup of ambition, go ahead and pour a glass of Dolly’s sparkling NV, too.
In this exclusive Q&A (excuse me, I’m hyperventilating again), Dolly dishes on why she ventured into wine, how to host like a true Southern belle, and the celebrity she wishes she could share a glass of her brand new sparkling wine with.
- Q.We are so excited to be talking about Dolly Parton Wines with you! Why was it so important to get your sparkling NV to Australia?
“Well, first of all, I love Australia and I love all my fans there. And I've been going there for years, but it's been a long time since I've been there and I thought, ‘Well, what can I give
Australia now? I'll give them some sparkling wine.’ I'm so excited that I've started Dolly Parton wines and that our sparkling wine is our first one there. It's a good wine for holidays, it's a good wine to celebrate with friends, and it's just a good wine for me to say, ‘Hello, Australia’. You know what we call this? High flavor at affordable prices. I can't wait to come back to Australia and thank you all for the love.”
- Q.One of my favourite Dolly quotes is “I'm not going to limit myself just because people won't accept the fact that I can do something else.” And now you’re making wine! Tell us more about the process and what you enjoyed most.
“Well, I have enjoyed every bit of it. One of the things that I enjoy most about my whole life and all the products that I endorse or that I get involved in, are the people that I meet. I love knowing all the different people in all the worlds they work in. And I've always been fascinated with orchards and vineyards. When I used to spend a lot of time in California, I would ride up in wine country, as they call it, and see the beautiful vineyards. And I thought, wow, that would be a wonderful life to live.
“Of course, different people have said to me through the years, you should start your own wine, because a lot of celebrities do. And I thought, well you know, maybe I should start my own wine because I love to have fun. I love to mingle with friends, and I love to combine the music and fun and friends. And you like to have a nice wine for all those occasions, whether it be you're celebrating a birthday or a birth or a hit record or a new movie or an award you just won. So, wines just seem to be the thing for celebrating and mingling.”
- Q.Why did you choose sparkling as the first release in Australia?
“This sparkling reminds me of my own personality. I like to think of myself as happy and fun to be around, so it's only natural that I would want the sparkling wine to be my first one in Australia. I thought it would represent my feelings about Australia and all the fun that I've had there – all the happy, fun times that we've had, and all the sparkling people.
“I've worked there a lot in concert, and I have a lot of fans and made a lot of friends in Australia. And of course, years ago, I was there with Kenny Rogers. We spent five weeks in Australia and we didn't want to come home. We loved it so much. It just gives me a lighthearted feeling to think about Australia and the Australian people. So why not the sparkling? Let it be bubbly. Let it be fun.”
- Q.What makes the Dolly Parton Sparkling NV extra special in your eyes?
“I really think it fits my personality, but I think it fits a lot of people, too. I think it's just light and airy and fun, and it's just a nice, pleasant little drink of wine. What makes it special? Because it's got my name on it. And I made it just for you. But I love it because it's got my little symbol, my emblem of the butterflies. And so it's good. I just love the fact that I have my own line of wines.”
- Q.If this wine was a song, which one of your hits would it be and why?
“Well, I actually did have a hit song years ago, and I had an album out by the same title – it was called ‘Bubbling Over’. It was so funny – I hadn't even thought about it until someone the other day asked me, ‘Do you have a song about wines?’ I said, ‘No, but I have a song called 'Bubbling Over'. And it's like ‘bubbling over, bubbling over, bubbling over, because you love me’, and then it's got the little sounds of the bubbles and all that. So you can look that one up. I bet a lot of my Australian fans already have that one.”
- Q.What’s your favourite dish to pair with sparkling wine when hosting a dinner party? Perhaps something from Good Lookin’ Cookin’?
“Well, you certainly could pair my sparkling wine with many of the dishes from my Good Lookin’ Cookin’ book that I've written with my sister, Rachel. We had a lot of sparkling wine while we were writing the book. In fact, we had a little red and a little rosé and a little of this and that. We had so much fun writing that book. But honestly, I know they say certain wines go with certain foods, but it is my belief that if you like certain wines and certain foods, I think you can have your favorite wines with whatever your favorite foods are. I just think you should enjoy that in your own way.”
- Q.You’re known for your incredible warmth and Southern hospitality – what’s your secret to being the ultimate host and making guests feel welcome?
“Well, I'm just such a downhome person. I'm just the kind of person that if you come into my house, I will wait on you for a while, I will serve you a time or two, but then I'm going to say, ‘Well, you go get it. You know where it is. I laid it all out over there. You go get it.’ So I wouldn't say I'm the ultimate host unless people just love to feel like they're at home – and they do at my house. They know where everything is and they can go do whatever they need to do.
“But honestly, I do try to be a good host. I'm just warm and friendly and welcoming. And if you come to me, I have the kind of house where I don't have the kind of carpet or floors that if you've got something on your shoe, it's going to drive me crazy if you walk in with wet shoes or whatever. And I never leave my things out that are precious to me if there are kids coming in. So everybody knows that they're going to be welcome at my house and you can just be comfortable there.”
Watch: Dolly Parton releases Sparkling NV at Dan's
- Q.How can Aussies make sure their gatherings have that touch of dolly magic?
“Well, they can open a bottle of Dolly's sparkling wine and play some Dolly music and have some fun and talk about me and I'll be loving you.”
- Q.If you were hosting a Dolly Parton-style backyard party, what would be on the playlist?
“Well, a lot of my music, maybe me and Kenny, maybe a lot of Keith Urban, and a lot of the Bee Gees – a lot of all the wonderful artists that come from that part of the world. I would just have a big time drinking the wine and playing the music.”
- Q.What’s one thing that never fails to impress guests when you’re hosting, whether it’s a recipe, a little trick, or a personal touch?
“Well, I think people are just mostly impressed with how much good food we actually have. Because usually when I'm there, I have a lot of my family members with me and we're all good cooks. So they're impressed by how good the food is and how pretty everything looks and how comfortable everybody is and how much fun we are and how much good music they're going to hear, because everybody plays and sings. You come to our house, you're going to have a big time.”
- Q.What's one thing you’d tell people who might feel a little nervous about entertaining at home?
“I would say don't be nervous. If you think you're going to be nervous, don't invite those people. Just don't invite people that you're going to be nervous around. Find some way to have them bring you into their house and let them be the nervous ones.”
- Q.If you could have a glass of your sparkling wine with anyone (living or dead), who would it be and why?
“Well, probably Elvis. I would just love to have known Elvis. I almost got to know him when he almost recorded my song, ‘I Will Always Love You’. He was born in Mississippi, but he lived in Memphis all those years. So I would just like to say, ‘Hey, I wish I could have got to know you. We could have sung ‘I Will Always Love You’ together.’ ”
- Q.What’s one thing people might not know about Dolly Parton when it comes to your personal tastes, whether that’s in wine, food, or even home décor?
“I don't think there's anything people don't know about Dolly Parton.”
- Q.You’re known for your incredible work ethic and creativity – how do you unwind when it’s time to kick back with a glass of wine?
“I kick back with a glass of milk. Well, seriously, I'm not that much of a big drinker. I usually only drink wine if I'm having a celebration or a nice dinner or something. So it is true – I do unwind with a glass of milk. And then I have friends over the next night and we serve all of my sparkling wines and any of the others that we have out at that time. My fans know I'm joking and being silly, but the truth is, it's true.”
