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Nikki Bella Reveals What It's Really Like Working With Her Sister On A Wine Empire
Nikki Bella also discussed why she wanted to get involved with the new USA Network series "Barmageddon" in an exclusive interview.
When you've already conquered the world of WWE, what's left to do?
Well, for WWE champions and Hall of Famers Nikki and Brie Bella, that meant turning their skills toward another place near and dear to their hearts: the wine industry.
"I remember on our first trip to Napa, we were hooked and we were like, this could be the rest of our life. It would be the best life ever, so how do we make that happen? We were just determined from that moment on: We are going to be forced to be reckoned with in the wine industry. First, let's go break barriers of WWE. Now we're going to go break barriers in the wine industry," Nikki Bella explained in a recent interview with USA Insider.
That's exactly what the twin sisters have become by launching their wine brand Bonita Bonita with Ryan Hill of Hill Family Estates. Bonita Bonita wines, which includes an assortment of varieties such as a recently launched champagne, has received rave reviews since its debut.
"Our palette is for the sophisticated palette, but also for the beginner palette as well. I have the greatest stories. I will get text messages and DMs and emails from people about how incredible our wine is. I'm talking about top winemakers in our industry, which is amazing ... when you're getting Bonita Bonita, you're actually getting luxury," she said. "We don't add anything. You are purely getting what comes off the vines and from one of the greatest regions in the world for wine."
The love for Bonita Bonita makes sense: Nikki and Brie didn't want to just slap their name on a wine brand and move on. Instead, they were deeply involved in the process every step of the way and determined to deliver an excellent product.
"The first step was finding the perfect partner. We already had such an amazing relationship with Ryan Hill. When we would talk to him about our love of wine and he naturally saw our appreciation of the farm life and the community of Napa and the history of the area and the history of wine, there was a trust there. He's third generation of Napa farmers so he's rooted in the community and has true love for it," Nikki explained. "We really wanted to learn the industry and Ryan's really taught us the ins and outs."
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The sisters are now there from the start of the growing process to the bottling portion: "Brie and I are a part of everything. It's the one place in our lives where we get full control and we love it. It's our baby," said Nikki.
The Bellas aren't done, either. They recently launched their own wine club, Club Bonita Bonita, where those who sign up get three wines chosen specially by Nikki, Brie, and Ryan twice a year. Plans for a wine-tasting room are in the works as well. Naturally, with this kind of sprawling endeavor, you have to really trust your partner, which is why Nikki loves working with her sister so much.
"It's amazing to work together because I trust her more than anyone in this world. Brie and I ... even though we can be so different, it is so fun to experience this with your sister. We've realized that it's almost made our circle smaller because I think that Brie and I realized that as long as we have each other, we're so content ... We laugh hard together, we have fun together, we can cry together. And then when you get to build an empire with that person, it doesn't feel like work ever. You can trust each other and have the venting sessions and all the hard stuff or you can have someone put you in check. I feel blessed to have a sister like Brie and to be able to build this empire with her," Nikki said.
While Nikki is focused on Bonita Bonita with Brie, there is another title she's adding to her lengthy resume: USA Network TV host. Nikki is hosting "Barmaggedon," a unique new game show coming to the channel on Monday, Dec. 5 at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Along with Carson Daly and Blake Shelton, she will be welcoming celebrity friends to Ole Red, Blake's bar in Nashville, Tennessee, to compete in an assortment of wild bar games. The celebs will be playing alongside people who went viral and are now looking for redemption.
"[When I heard about this role] I just remember praying, like, oh, God, I hope I get this hosting job because this is my heaven. Ole Red in Nashville with two amazing men bringing in these celebrities and viral VIPs, we get a drink, we could have fun. I don't have to be scripted. I get to be TMI. This is the best thing ever ... I just feel so honored to be a part of it. Blake and Carson, they are just such cool, down-to-earth, fun guys. Every celebrity that walked in just let their hair down and you get to see the real fun that they're not holding back ... everyone is just having a really good time," she said.
Tune into "Barmaggedon" when it premieres on Monday, December 5 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on USA Network. You can catch up on all things WWE on Peacock now.