“I like how wine can be an experience in and of itself, or elevates a meal, or simply brings people together,” states actor Stephen Amell. He knows what he’s talking about. As you undoubtedly recognize the actor from his straight-shooting starring role in TV’s Arrow, you’re probably unaware he’s also a celebrated vintner. But that’s about to change. Last year, Amell partnered with his pal Andrew Harding to form Nocking Point Wines. Once a passion project, it has grown into a legitimate business: a tantalizing wine club that currently features 6,000 members, with nearly that same amount on the wait list.
Amell teamed up with actress-comedian Aisha Tyler for the line’s appropriately named Night Ender, a distinguished bold blend of Cabernet and Malbec that’s the ideal bottle of wine to conclude a beautiful evening. “The original name we had was Boss Bitch,” Amell reveals with a chuckle. “It didn’t quite send the same message, but we’re going to hang onto that one for later!” The actor states that his love of storytelling imbues each bottle. “We hope everyone remembers Nocking Point not just for the wine’s quality, but for the story behind it and the experience they were having when they took it down,” he says. “We’re 100 percent direct-to-consumer, so we get to control the customer’s entire experience from end to end. That’s very uncommon and incredibly important to us.”
Founders of Nocking Point wind club Stephen Amell and Andrew Harding display their wine. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)
Despite his wild success on television, Amell insists there’s nothing more satisfying than taking a passion project with a good buddy and turning it into a real, viable, thriving business that connects with millions of people. “We didn’t buy this winery; it wasn’t handed down to us,” he shares. “We quite literally got our hands dirty in the first few years bottling, labeling, and boxing up our wines so that we could eventually scale and get to where we are today. We have a long road growing Nocking Point’s business, but I’m super proud of what we’ve created so far.”
