San Francisco Giants' Master Sommelier, Evan Goldstein is Upping the Wine Game

The San Francisco Giants have upped their wine game by offering a curated selection of wine for fans at games. In fact, serving wine at Giants’ games is so popular with fans that, in 2022 they hired their own Master Sommelier, Evan Goldstein. The goal is to enhance the gameday experience and we at CorkRules wholly agree.

Master Sommelier at the SF Giants

Wine writer, educator, and Master Sommelier, Evan his written three books on wine and has been twice cited in the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the U.S. Wine Industry”, by IntoWine.com. Evan’s vision to improve the Giant’s wine program included encouraging Giants fans to learn more about wine by conducting in-person and virtual wine tasting sessions and increasing the selections of wines featured by introducing fans to a variety of regions and profiles.

To expand the Giant’s relationship with the wine industry, he collaborated with current and former Giants players who are involved in the wine industry, and this win-win relationship was further strengthened by curating wine-related programs for the Giants community, including field trips to wine country, member discounts, and other wine-related activations such as wine pairings and Giants’ specific culinary events. In fact, the Trefethern Family Vineyards website clearly welcomes and offers free shipping to SF Giant fans.

Pairing Wines at Baseball Games

Despite the perception that quality wines are best paired with haute cuisine, Evan reminds us that there is no need to be snobbish about pairing wine. It’s all about what taste good to you. A good wine can be paired with hot dogs and traditional game food, yes we said it. Gilroy's Garlic Fries and Gerwutzrtaminer sounds absolutely binge worthy.

As the wine industry grows by popular demand in North America, and more celebrities step into the industry, Evan also sees his role as wine educator and consultant for players who want to invest in a business outside of the game.

The San Francisco Giants are also partial to quality bubbles. They have a long-time partnership with Mumm Napa, and when the SF Giants wone the 2012 and 2014 World Series, Mumm Napa issued a limited-release good luck elixir to celebrate.

The experience at the hot dog stand and sitting in the stalls has just taken a Giant leap forward.

To listen to Evan’s interview on curating wine for the SF Giants, check out Episode 261 of CorkRules.

Evan’s  books are : Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier’s Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food, Daring Pairings: A Master Sommelier Matches Distinctive Wines with Recipes from His Favorite Chefs; and Wines of South America: The Essential Guide.