By RAY KELLY
Orson Welles was the pitchman for Paul Masson wines in a series of highly memorable television commercials and print ads between 1978 and 1981. Confidently reassuring buyers that “Paul Masson will sell no wine before its time,” Welles raised capital for his film projects and was credited with boosting sales for the California winery by 30 percent.
Given that Paul Masson produced a cheap domestic table wine, there has been understandable speculation that the worldly Welles was not a true fan of the product.
The DDB Needham advertising executive who handled the account has stated Welles enjoyed the cabernet sauvignon and requested it be sent to him.
Apparently, Paul Masson was prepared to provide legal evidence of Welles’ usage if it was challenged.
Collector Jim Mahoney recently purchased a decades-old affidavit signed by Welles stating that he drank and served Paul Masson wines to guests at his home.
“It was apparently required by the Paul Masson company after some doubt arose as to whether he actually drank the wine,” Mahoney speculated.
The typed, single-page notarized document dated July 21, 1980 reads:
ORSON WELLES, being duly deposes and says: I have consumed and served in my home Paul Masson Wines for several number of years. I consider Paul Masson Wines to be excellent. I intend to continue using and serving Paul Masson Wines for the foreseeable future and at least during the term of any agreement I have with Paul Masson.”
While not exactly an enthusiastic endorsement of the California winery, the affidavit provided coverage for the parties involved – particularly with the claims Welles made in one particular TV commercial that year.
In a 1980 advertisement for the winery, Welles straight-faced told viewers, “In my family, we think the wine you drink the most should be the best. We like Paul Masson’s burgundy. It’s smooth and rich. We serve it to our friends, and now a lot of them are serving it to their friends.”
Paul Masson initially hired Welles to pitch their Emerald Dry white wine in 1978, but later used him to promote chablis, burgundy, pinot chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. Welles, who served as the winery’s public face and voice until 1981, had a contract that reportedly paid him $500,000 annually.
There have been reports that Welles could be difficult during the filming of the eight commercials. In recent years, outtakes of the shoots have circulated online. One infamous clip shows Welles seemingly inebriated as he spouts the virtues of the winery’s sparkling answer to French champagne.
Commercial producer and director Peter Shillingford reached out to Wellesnet in 2021 to say that Welles was not drunk that day, rather he was feeling the effects of a sleeping pill taken after an all-night shoot.
“He was not drunk… if you spend a day wired from filming 12 hours, then take a pill it ain’t gonna work… till later!,” Shillingford said.
Shillingford described working with Welles during those commercial shoots as a delight. “I had the pleasure of sitting with him on many lunch breaks and listening to his stories of Hollywood in the 30s through to the 80s.”
During one of the commercial shoots, Welles gave his assessment of Paul Masson wines when he balked at likening them to a Stradivarius.
“Come on, gentlemen, now really!,” Welles said. “You have a nice, pleasant little cheap wine here. You haven’t gotten the presumption to compare it to a Stradivarius violin.”
Sadly, Paul Masson wines are no longer available to sample or judge. The ownership of the brand has changed hands multiple times and the wines have not been produced since 2018, though they are listed as part of the E & J Gallo Winery portfolio.
Welles continued to serve as a commercial pitchman for alcoholic beverages including such brands as Carlsberg beer, Jim Beam bourbon whisky, Domecq sherry, Nikka Japanese G&G whisky and Sandeman’s port wine.
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