The world of wine has always been associated with sophistication, elegance, and a sense of refined taste. However, it may surprise you to discover that some of the world&#39;s most renowned NBA players have not only conquered the basketball court but also ventured into the captivating world of winemaking. In this comprehensive article, we will explore the fascinating stories behind NBA players turned vintners, discover their exceptional wines, and uncover the origins of their passion for winemaking.

<ol>
	<li>Tony Parker - TP Wines: NBA legend Tony Parker, known for his illustrious career with the San Antonio Spurs, has also found success in the world of winemaking. Through his venture TP Wines, Parker has established a reputation for producing exceptional wines. The grapes for his wines are sourced from the esteemed vineyards in France&#39;s Bordeaux region. With a focus on Bordeaux blends, TP Wines showcases Parker&#39;s commitment to excellence on and off the court. Critics have praised his wines for their complexity, balance, and remarkable aging potential. Notable releases include the TP Reserve, a bold red blend with dark fruit flavors and velvety tannins, earning an impressive critic score of 93.</li>
	<li>Carmelo Anthony - Melo Wines: Carmelo Anthony, a prolific NBA scorer who has played for several teams including the Portland Trail Blazers, is no stranger to the world of wine. With Melo Wines, he has crafted a portfolio of wines that reflect his appreciation for fine craftsmanship and dedication. Anthony&#39;s wines predominantly hail from Napa Valley, California, known for its world-class wines. One of his standout creations is the Melo 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, showcasing rich black fruit flavors, supple tannins, and a long, satisfying finish. Critics have awarded this wine an impressive score of 92, highlighting its quality and attention to detail.</li>
	<li>Dwyane Wade - Wade Cellars: Dwyane Wade, a three-time NBA champion and celebrated player, has transitioned his passion for winemaking into a successful venture with Wade Cellars. Collaborating with renowned winemaker Jayson Pahlmeyer, Wade produces premium wines that embody his personality and flair. Wade Cellars&#39; flagship wine, the Wade Cabernet Sauvignon, is sourced from the esteemed Napa Valley and showcases the region&#39;s exceptional terroir. With its velvety texture, layers of dark fruit, and refined tannins, the Wade Cabernet has garnered critical acclaim, receiving a remarkable score of 95.</li>
	<li>Channing Frye - Chosen Family Wines: Channing Frye, known for his championship-winning stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, has made a name for himself in the wine industry with Chosen Family Wines. Frye&#39;s passion for winemaking stems from his family&#39;s love for wine, and he channels this enthusiasm into producing exceptional varietals. Chosen Family Wines specializes in small-lot, single-vineyard wines sourced from California&#39;s premier wine regions. The Chosen Family Pinot Noir, with its vibrant red fruit aromas, silky texture, and well-integrated acidity, has garnered critical praise and a commendable score of 91.</li>
	<li>James Harden - 13 Wines: James Harden, an NBA superstar known for his scoring prowess, has ventured into winemaking with his label, 13 Wines. Harden&#39;s wines reflect his commitment to excellence and attention to detail. Sourced from top vineyards in California, the 13 Wines portfolio showcases a range of varietals, including Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

The world of wine has always been associated with sophistication, elegance, and a sense of refined taste. However, it may surprise you to discover that some of the world's most renowned NBA players have not only conquered the basketball court but also ventured into the captivating world of winemaking. In this comprehensive article, we will explore the fascinating stories behind NBA players turned vintners, discover their exceptional wines, and uncover the origins of their passion for winemaking.

When Passion Unites: NBA Players and their Exquisite Wines

Wines from grapes grown in higher altitude areas with cooler climate has become quite the trend recently. This specific growing environment gives intense flavor but elegance and freshness to the final wines. To highlight and champion these conditions more and more winemakers are starting to use alto as a marketing and labelling term to show their grapes were grown in high altitude vineyards.

Decoding the wine label: Alto

Brut is a word often seen on labels for different kinds of sparkling wine. As you may have discovered when drinking these wines, it indicates that the wine is dry, meaning there is no perceived sweetness in the wine. But how about Extra Brut or Dry, what do they mean and are they the same as Brut?

Decoding the wine label: Brut

Semi-sweet Riesling, a type of wine falling out of style. It’s a shame, since these wines are perfect to pair with flavorful cuisines like Asian or Mexican, or simply drink as they come under the summer sun. The higher level of sugar left in the wine also means that the alcoholic fermentation was stopped before finishing, providing a wine with lower alcohol level and therefor easier grabbing a second glass of.

Decoding the wine label: Spätlese

Have you ever heard the word Xinomavro? Most have not. It is however a word on many sommeliers’ lips today, as it happens to be considered the grape variety with the highest quality in Greece, and one that is trending at the moment. The fact that Greece have been making wine for a long time comes as no surprise, but they have never exported an amount to make sure wine lovers around the globe tried it. With the growing wine tourism many have discovered these wines and are serving them in wine bars and restaurants in many countries today.

Decoding the wine label: Xinomavro

Chianti Classico, Valpolicella Classico, Soave Classico… Why do all these Italian wine regions have the Classico addendum and what does it mean? What is the difference for wines labeled as Classico?

Classico is a wine term in Italy seen on a few wine labels and it indicates that the wine’s from the historic center of the region, the heart. Using Chianti and Chianti Classico and their Sangiovese-based red wines as an example, Chianti is a rather large wine district within the Tuscany region. Chianti Classico is located withing Chianti as the central part and the one that originally existed. Back then this smaller region was actually called Chianti, but as the region grew the quality of the wine plummeted and the well-known characteristics of these red wines were watered down. The reputation took a hit and sales diminished. Eventually this led to the creation of Chianti Classico, which would be drawn from the original Chianti borders to recover the typicity of these wines. Today the quality of both Chianti and Chianti Classico have risen a lot due to modern techniques and knowledge about pruning, planting and temperature control in the winery.

Decoding the wine label: Classico

In the rarefied world of fine wine, where bottles can command prices equivalent to luxury cars, authenticity is everything. Laurent Ponsot's gripping memoir "FBI: Fake Bottle Investigation" reads more like a high-stakes thriller than a traditional wine book, chronicling his relentless pursuit of one of the wine world's most infamous counterfeiters, Rudy Kurniawan.

From Burgundy's Vineyards to the FBI's Most Wanted: A Winemaker's Quest for Justice

Chablis – one of the more popular styles of wine today and a region known by many. Most are familiar with the word Chablis and the light, fresh white wine with a touch of minerality it brings. Even though it’s a renowned wine, few knows what it really is.

Decoding the wine label: Chablis

Many grape varieties around the world of wine have names local to the region or country they’re grown in, even though they’re exactly the same. The most famous example would be Syrah in France where the same grape is named Shiraz in Australia. Another variety with two names is Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Gris.

Decoding the wine label: Pinot Grigio

Have you ever seen the term sur lie on a wine label? It’s not a grape and not a wine region, but a winemaking method used to give certain styles of white wine a rounder texture and a more complex flavor profile.

Decoding the wine label: Sur lie

Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier, and Robert Tas review the wine list at Freya in Detroit. 

Wine List Review of Freya in Detroit

Tina Johansson

Freya

Freya 

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!

I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier.

Hi Tina, thanks for being back with us on another episode of CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of your favorite restaurants. We talk with certified sommeliers and wine professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems, value wines, or splurge wines that will take your dining experience over the top.

TJ: Thank you, Robert.

RT: Today we are exploring the wine list in Freya, a Detroit restaurant serving a five-course menu only. The menu has options though so you choose from a few dishes to create your own five course meal. Even though the food is great with a lot of details, the ambiance is warm. In Freya the work hard making all people feel welcome and not uncomfortable like one might feel in some other fine dining restaurants.

TJ: Yeah, the food looks great! The dishes are very fun and creative with a lot of seasonal vegetables and innovating combinations. All is locally sourced of course in line with the current way of cooking. And the wine list is also very fun! Quite short but with exciting bottles to share. And they go further to make everyone feel comfortable with the list as well, as it&rsquo;s sorted under styles like&rdquo; aromatic &amp; fresh&rdquo; or even headings like &rdquo;looking for a pinot noir?&rdquo;.

RT: I like restaurants that dare to do their own thing with the list. So if we&rsquo;re starting with something to drink with the first part of the menu and dishes like roasted sweet potato with muhammara and pomegranate, or apple carpaccio with coconut and pink peppercorns, what do you propose we drink? A nice white perhaps?

TJ: Yes, let&rsquo;s start with white! I&rsquo;m thinking something more full-bodied and flavorful to handle those bold flavors. I&rsquo;d drink the 2019 Domaine Huet Le Haut Lieu. It&rsquo;s a Chenin Blanc from Vouvray in France with richer fruit aromas and a rounder texture to hold up against the muhammara for example.

RT: Off to a good start! Chenin Blanc is certainly a food-friendly grape variety. What else on the list is fun? A style of wine hard to come by?

TJ: Well, have you ever tried wine from the dry-farmed, old vines of Maule in Chile? Because that would by my most exciting style of wine on the list for the curious drinker! The 2021 Garage Wine Co makes their Old Vine Pale from Carignan grapes and it&rsquo;s more like a ros&eacute; than a red wine but bursting with flavor. Dry-farming is becoming more and more common in Maule, but this is a wine unique even within its niche.

RT: Oh, sounds like something quite different from a lot of the wines you would usually find from Chile.

TJ: It is! But the more modern style of wine made in Chile is very exciting for anyone looking to expand their wine horizon a bit. They make a lot of wine from a grape called Pais that used to be for bulk wine only, but in the right hands today it can produce beautiful, light reds that would remind you of a fresh Grenache or a juicy Pinot Noir.

RT: Wow, a wine country to really keep an extra eye on for the moment that is! Always fun to try new wine of course. So, if we pick one more bottle, something special to end the dinner with, what would it be? What would you like to drink in Freya if you were here to celebrate a special occasion?

TJ: How about we go to the different side of the spectrum for the last bottle of wine and go with a heavy red instead? I would celebrate with the 2017 Ashes &amp; Diamonds Red Hen Vineyard, so a Napa Cab that is. Always a good pick and a producer that deliver with every bottle! I&rsquo;m sure it would be a stunning match with the Angus Hanger steak with Peruvian potato and maitake mushrooms on the menu as well.

RT: Well, you know I won&rsquo;t say no to that! Sounds like a great bottle for an amazing time in Freya. Thank you for joining us again, Tina. To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.

If you would like us to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: Info@corkrules.Com or visit our web website where we have a request form available, and we will do our best to get it in the queue as quickly as possible. We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for other episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists wherever you get your podcasts.

And please download our new CorkRules, which has all your favorites restaurant wine lists and lets you connect and learn from your friends. Now available on apple app store.

And finally, drink what you love and please make

sure you drink responsibly.

END

BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

Gap Weekend: A Film Shoot in Wine Country

Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

San Giorgio is a family-owned winery located in Puglia, Italy. It was founded in 1962 by Giovanni De Falco and has been producing high-quality wines ever since. The winery is known for its commitment to sustainable winemaking practices and for producing wines that reflect the unique terroir of Puglia.

Sophisticated wine showroom offering a premium, curated selection, with tastings & other events.

Krasi

Sazon

La Boca

Coppa

Helm Oyster Bar & Bistro

Helm Oyster Bar and Bistro

Ledger Restaurant & Bar

Ledger

Row 34

The Ordinary

The Fig

Harvest

homepage

CorkRules application allows you to discover wines at your favorite restaurants, learn with friends and be confident with price transparency. Order wine with confidence at restaurants and retailers. Get personalized recommendations. #DrinkWhatYouLove

Verve Wine

Available Wines
Total Wines - 4

Domaine de la Cras

Bourgogne Coteaux de Dijon Rouge 2020

Pinot Noir

Bourgogne, Burgundy, France

Domaine Pattes Loup

Chablis Vent d'Ange 2020

Chardonnay

Chablis, Burgundy, France

Domaine Pattes Loup

Chablis Vent d'Ange 2019

Chardonnay

Chablis, Burgundy, France

Domaine Tempier

Bandol Cuvee La Migoua NV

Mourvedre

Provence, France