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Saultite trades vinting tips with Madonna's dad

During a recent trip to Sutton's Bay, Michigan, a Saultite was tickled to trade vinting tips with Madonna's dad. Lou Sirianni is a regular visitor to Tony Ciccone's Winery since 2004.

During a recent trip to Sutton's Bay, Michigan, a Saultite was tickled to trade vinting tips with Madonna's dad.

Lou Sirianni is a regular visitor to Tony Ciccone's Winery since 2004.

The estate is just a few hours drive away and Sirianni says he looks forward to his time with the father of singing-sensation and American cultural icon Madonna.

He says he has tasted wines with Ciccone, toured the estate and been invited to help pick the grapes this fall.

"I've always been interested in wine and helped my family with it," says Sirianni. "When a mutual friend introduced me to Ciconne we found we had an interest in common."

Sirianni also said that Ciconne, a retired engineer, works very hard to produce a good quality product.

"He strikes me as an ordinary hard-working Italian American," said Sirianni. "Just one with a very famous daughter."

"Sometimes I don't think he even knows how big she is," he said. "They are really just a regular family."

A regular family who is doing business together, now, says Sirianni.

"Mr. Ciccone and Madonna launched a line of wines bearing her image on the label last year and they are doing very well," he said. "I have one in my cabinet but I'm saving it for a special occasion."

Sirianni said the wines are limited edition, numbered and bear autographs from Madonna and Ciccone.

Ciccone Vineyard and Wine Estate produces five limited edition Madonna wines.

The Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio-Ambrato, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc were all bottled in 2005 and sell for $39.95 US, according to the Ciccone website.

Sirianni said they launched the brands to celebrate the release of Madonna's eleventh studio CD, Confessions on a Dance Floor.

A Confessions Limited Edition wine, without mention of its vintner, is also for sale from Celebrity Cellars for $100 a pop.

"The cover artwork for Madonna's 11th Studio Album Confessions on a Dance Floor was created in 2005 with the intention of showing our favorite disco queen going back to her dance floor roots," says the website.

As for Sirianni, he is looking forward to returning Ciconne's hospitality some time over the summer when Ciconne visits Sirianni in the Sault for a home-cooked Italian meal.

With some Sirianni family wine, of course.


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