Regina King on creating her wine label MianU to honor her late son, Ian Alexander Jr, who passed away from suicide: “The only way a person fully leaves this place is if they’re forgotten. And so I’m always trying to find ways to make sure Ian’s name is said & so this wine is in celebration of him.”

Now she’s adding vintner to her resume, launching her wine label MianU, beginning with an orange wine sourced from California’s Mendocino County. Pronounced ‘me and you,’ she says it represents making a connection through shared experiences.

It’s also a tribute to King’s son, Ian Desduné, who she says knew better than anyone how to share experiences that made life’s ordinary moments extraordinary. “There’s no wine experience more meaningful to me than when my son Ian introduced me to orange wine,” King told Wine Spectator. “Ian had this beautiful way of discovering something new and sharing it with me.” Ian passed away in 2022 at age 26. His name is also reflected within MianU.

King says they taught each other about different styles of wines. “Ian has always been endlessly curious,” she said. “He loved uncovering the narrative behind a bottle and sharing it.” She remembers her first visit to a winery, Chimney Rock, and saving two bottles for them to share together after he turned 21.

Later, Ian introduced her to The Prisoner, which she credits with showing her how wines can tell a story. “He didn’t just hand me a glass, he told me the story behind it,” she said. “Whether it was a dish, a lyric, a bottle of wine, he understood that everything had meaning, and that the meaning is what makes it memorable.”

https://www.winespectator.com/articles/actor-regina-king-launches-her-wine