Australia’s second largest wine group, Accolade Wines, says it is making solid headway with a brand launched six months ago with basketball star James Harden in the United States, a market where celebrity tie-ups have more clout with consumers than in Australia.

The J-Harden wines are a spin-off from Accolade’s Jam Shed brand. Accolade is seeking to use the star power of the 10-time National Basketball Association all-star in a similar way to its larger Australian rival, Treasury Wine Estates, which has built 19 Crimes into a global powerhouse fuelled by American rapper Snoop Dogg.