Artist Alexandra Grant Made Headlines for Her Hair Color — But Her Latest Project Is All About 'Love' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Piotr Jamsk

Piotr Jamsk

When artistAlexandra Grantunwittingly found herself in the spotlight in the past few years because of who her partner is (actor Keanu Reeves), she says it was odd at first.

“I have to say, I never dreamed that the first article about me in theNew York Times would be about my hair color,” Grant tells PEOPLE with a laugh. But the visual artist who sculpts paints, runs asmall book imprintwith Reeves, and yes, proudly rocks silver locks, says her global upbringing prepared her for almost anything.

Now Grant, who recently wrapped up anexhibition in Poland, is learning about something entirely new: winemaking.

Her new wine launch, a sparkling California Brut that she crafted in collaboration with J Vineyards in Sonoma called"Love," just came out on Feb. 3. She credits her life as a third-culture kid with discovering a passion for food and drink at a young age.

Alexandra Grant’s LOVE wine.J VINEYARDS & WINERY

J VINEYARDS & WINERY

“I think what was interesting about not growing up in the U.S. was being around different ideas about agriculture and family and gatherings and celebrations,” she says.

She continues “I remember being a teen in Paris, going to a restaurant and my mom ordering me a Coke. The waitress came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses for us and said, ‘Coca-Cola is terrible for your daughter!'” Grant, 51, says.

“It wasn’t so much about drinking, but the whole idea of food being a part of the culture. In the French schools, the kids were taught from a young age how to appreciate the land, the seasonal vegetables, and understand nutrition in a way that was a bit lost here.”

Alexandra Grant at the studio in Berlin, 2024.Piotr Jamsk

She’s not poo-pooing the U.S. and its food.

She notes that Love wine isn’t exactly a new idea.

“We know women drink wine,” she says of being thrilled to work with a mostly female team. “I began to think, ‘I want women to be able to enjoy a glass of alcohol and not be at risk, but also know who their money is going towards.'”

As the new friends worked on developing Love wine, Grant learned that winemaking was also an art form.

“It’s similar to making a painting,” she says. “The result is glamorous or beautiful but in reality, they’re very unglamorous to make. It’s a creative, messy, very intensive agricultural process dependent on weather, water, and fire. We’re all so proud of the result.”

She’s prouder still that a portion of the sales will be donated to supporting women in the arts. After attending Swarthmore College, Grant studied fine art at California Academy of Arts, and has made a living both through the sales of her art and through teaching ever since, and gives back through her companygrantLove,which partners with multiple nonprofits, companies, artists, and artist projects to strengthen communities through art.

Alexandra Grant at the Hammer Museum’s Gala in the Garden held at The Hammer Museum on May 4, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

“Arts education for me is less important in the sense that it’s an education for people tobecomeartists,” she said. “It’s more of a civil rights issue of imagination. We look at how music programs and art programs are the first things to go, but so many people have a desire to be creative. I know I need it to survive, and I want to extend that to as many other people as possible throughgrantLOVE.”

As for her newfound visibility? She knows that life has changed a bit.

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“The main thing is that people are happy for us,” she says of her relationship, which is kept mostly private.

Alexandra Grant Opens Up About ‘Kind’ Boyfriend Keanu Reeves: ‘He’s Such an Inspiration to Me’.Stefanie Keenan/Getty

Stefanie Keenan/Getty

She jokes that she also doesn’t hate the occasional glam night out with her partner.

“I always say that artists create in the basement, but love a glass of champagne in the penthouse,” she says. “We work in our muddy clothes in the basement going through the sludge of the process, and I do love that opportunity to take the elevator upstairs and to leave the process behind. But would I want to live in the penthouse drinking the champagne all the time? No, because the best part of life really is the process in the basement.”

LOVE Wine, the limited-release California Brut Cuvée, launches on February 14 2025. It will be available forpurchase onlineand at our Tasting Room for $50.

source: people.com