Julianne Hough Reveals Ex Ryan Seacrest First Introduced Her to Wine Since She Grew Up Mormon

The actress and co-founder of Fresh Vine Wine credits ex-boyfriend Ryan Seacrest for teaching her about wine

Julianne Hough has ex-boyfriend Ryan Seacrest to thank for her love of wine and subsequently, her wine business.

While chatting with Kelly Clarkson on Thursday's episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Hough explained that the American Idol host introduced her to vino while they were together.

"When I was 21, I actually ended up dating your former host and he's very much into wine. He's got a winery in Napa and in Italy," said Hough, now 34, while drinking a glass of her own wine brand, Fresh Vine Wine.

As a self-proclaimed "geek," Hough explains how she enjoyed Seacrest's approach to teaching her about wine. "It was like an education. I love to learn and he taught me all about how to smell, taste and swirl the glass," she said.

The pair met in 2007 when the Dancing with the Stars and American Idol sets were across the hall from each other but started dating in 2011. In an InStyle interview back in 2012, the dancer mentioned the couple's love of wine. "We always have great wine, and I can tell the difference. So I told him, 'You ruined my life because I can't go to a friend's house and drink cheap wine anymore.'"

The pair split in 2013.

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Hough told Clarkson on Thursday how she didn't have much experience with alcohol before meeting Seacrest because of her Mormon upbringing.

"What was so interesting is that growing up LDS, it was usually associated with partying and getting drunk," Hough said of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This is a sentiment that Clarkson relates to because she grew up Southern Baptist. "When I grew up it was no dancing, no singing," the American Idol alum explains. "Very Footloose."

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Nearly a decade after their relationship ended, in 2021, Hough launched a wine company with fellow actress and best friend Nina Dobrev. Fresh Vine Wine offers lower-carb and lower-calorie wine from Napa, Calif. to reflect the friends' "holistic and balanced lifestyles."

When talking to PEOPLE about getting into the wine business, Hough said, "We could also see how people were becoming more health conscious, focusing on their holistic approaches, but they didn't want to compromise on that beautiful experience of a premium tasting wine."

Dobrev continued, "Our wine provides that to the consumer. You don't feel guilty. You can have it and have a good time and also feel good the next day and still work out and still do yoga. It's not one for the other."

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