Posted by Susie Hindle Kher inWineon January 14, 2011
This weekend’s AFC and NFC championship games have us all excited about football. We got to talking about the fact that it used to be that football and beer were synonymous. Nowadays, it’s not surprising to hear football fans talking about the wines they are drinking while watching a game. We love this trend and decided to take a look at five football-themed wines and vintners. We hope you’ll like this list, try some of the wines and share them on LetsPour! And we’ll be watching this weekend and cheering for our Seahawks!
Started by Drew Bledsoe, former quarterback for the New England
Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys. After retiring from the NFL, Drew moved back to his hometown of Walla Walla, Washington, and hooked up with his longtime friend, Chris Figgins, to start Doubleback.
The winery’s first release, 2007 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon, garnered a 95-point rating from Wine Spectator and 93-point rating from Robert Parker. Not a bad start! Doubleback wines are produced in limited quantities and allocated to the winery’s mailing list. We just signed up!
And what is Drew drinking? He says he’s been drinking Pinot Noir lately. His faves: Bergström Cumberland Reserve and a few from Elk Cove (we are huge Elk Cove fans, check out the pours on LetsPour).
Apparently the New York Jets are serious about more than just the game. It seems they’re serious about wine and food as well. The Jets teamed up with Marco DiGiulio, a Napa Valley winemaker, to create a limited release, commemorative wine for themselves and their fans.
Winemaker’s notes for the resulting 2008 Jets Uncorked Cabernet Sauvignon say it offers lush, ripe flavors of red cherries, currants and berries, framed by supple tannins, and just enough oak to add complexity without obscuring the purity of the fruit. The long spicy finish is an invitation for another sip.
And being the foodies that they are, the Jets also have a recipe to pair with this cab: Braised Beef and Cranberry Sandwiches. Make those and serve them with the wine and you’re sure to be the winner on game day.
Woodson has been moonlighting? He’s got his own winery, Twentyfour Wines, named for his jersey number (though an article in the Atlantic said Charles received a citation from the NFL because players are not allowed to endorse alcoholic beverages – so you won’t hear him talk about it).
The tasting notes for the 2006 Twentyfour Cabernet Sauvignon say it reveals dark fruit overtones framed by cedar and spice nuances. Initial impact on the palate is a medley of fruit flavors, joined by dried herbs, crushed rocks and a creamy texture that defines the dense middle. Increasing intensity, velvety tannin, and persistence are synergized in the finish.
Twentyfour Wines are sold out, but the winery is accepting pre-orders for a limited supply of its 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon available after February 15, 2011. At roughly $150 a bottle, you might want to start saving now.
After 25 years of happily toiling in the NFL vineyards, Carmen Policy, former president of the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns, and his wife Gail took up the romantic life of winemaking in Napa Valley.
The 60-something told the Cleveland.com blog that going into the wine business has been both thrilling and satisfying. “Some people buy a motorcycle. Some people go crazy. Here I am a vintner.”
Carmen’s magic on the football field (with the 49ers at least) seems to have transferred well to the vineyards and Robert Parker is a big fan, awarding the 2008 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon 95 points.
Parker describes the Cabernet Sauvignon aromas as unsmoked cigar tobacco intermixed with creme de cassis, camphor, graphite, and some subtle earthiness. Opaque ruby/purple, medium to full-bodied, layered, and opulent, this is a beauty as well. This is an impressive newcomer, so take note! The wine at Casa Piena is aged 20 months in 80% new French oak casks and is virtually 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
What do you do after coaching the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs? Start a winery of course!
Dick Vermeil comes from a family of winemakers, so it’s not entirely surprising to see him, along with winemaker Paul Smith, making damn good wine.
Robert Parker had this to say: “This is the personal wine project of the Super Bowl-winning, renowned NFL head coach, Dick Vermeil. Vermeil was raised in Napa Valley and his initial dive into the wine world is impressive. It goes against the rule-of-thumb that celebrities rarely achieve anything special in the world of wine.”
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