Cameron Diaz Takes AD Into Her Kitchen, Wine in Hand

Like most of the world, Cameron Diaz is spending a lot more time at home these days, whipping up new dishes in her kitchen. The former actress recently shared several videos on social media walking fans through her favorite recipes, all while showing off her minimalist kitchen with its open wooden shelving and white-tiled walls. And the one thing the 48-year-old always has on hand while cooking? A glass of wine.

This should come as no surprise considering that Diaz founded a clean, vegan, organic wine brand called Avaline along with Katherine Power of Who What Wear earlier this year. The two released a white and rosé in July, and their newest product, Avaline Red, will hit shelves on October 27.

“We were just so humbled by the very early success with the rosé and white,” Power tells Architectural Digest. “But the one thing that we heard every single day from the consumer was ‘Where is the red?’ It got to the point where we were hearing it so often that we decided to move up [the release date].”

Below, Diaz spills more about her venture into winemaking, her favorite wine pairings when entertaining, and more.

Architectural Digest: Congratulations on the success of Avaline. Being new to the industry, what was the learning process like?

Cameron Diaz: We just started asking questions and taking meetings with anyone and everyone who would speak to us to figure out how it all worked. It was like learning a foreign language.

AD: How hands-on were you in the process?

CD: Katherine and I would meet on the street in the middle of West Hollywood to figure out the exact Pantone green we wanted or the terra-cotta for the rosé. It was literally down to measuring the label, putting it on different bottles, buying other wines that had the same size bottle that we wanted. Piece by piece, we put it together, and it was really fun.

AD: We’ve noticed you’re cooking a lot more recently. Now that you know a lot more about wine, what are your pairing recommendations?

CD: A cheese and charcuterie plate with a glass of red wine is one of my favorite things. A crisp white wine pairs really well with a light vegetable pasta or anything with lemon and garlic, like chicken or fish. Rosé, for me, is something that I’ll have before the evening begins just sitting on the porch, snacking on cheese and crackers.

AD: Do you have a favorite place in your home you like to enjoy a glass of wine?

CD: My ritual is I have a glass of wine while I’m cooking. I love to pour my glass of wine, start my dinner, and have it as my touchpoint. I come back and have a little sip and wind down for the evening. Cooking is very relaxing for me. My Sundays used to be all-day cooking. Now, I have a nine-month-old, so now I do it during nap time or when I put her down for the night.

AD: What are your top entertaining tips?

CD: I have a wine fridge and a wine cellar. If I’m going to have an intimate four-person dinner that’s deep into the food and wine of it all, then I’ll take out vintages of others that I love and open those. But Katherine and I created Avaline because we are everyday drinkers and don’t want to drink a bottle of wine that’s been stored for five years on a daily basis. Those are for a special occasion.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest