Page 83 - Wine Spectator (January 2020)

in Napa, told him, “John, all the vint-

ners are 49ers fans. You should start hav-
ing somebody down at every game, and

start to have them pour wine in your
suite.” So he does: six California wine-
makers in the suites at every game.

It is not the only stadium with a robust
wine list. As of this season, 14 teams have

“official” wines, with many available to
enjoy at games. “We do see an increasing
overlap between football fans and wine

fans,” Jaymie Schoenberg, vice president
of marketing for Woodbridge by Robert

Mondavi, says, explaining the company’s
decision to launch a series of 375ml cans
with a gridiron theme in partnership with

the New York Giants, Chicago Bears and
Los Angeles Rams in 2019. “We see a lot
of synergies between football and wine- Dan Marino (left) and Damon Huard

drinking occasions—whether at the sta-
dium, at a bar or at home.” (In a different league, Rams owner in wine: After games, the two would retire to Marino’s Miami home
Stan Kroenke also owns cult Napa property Screaming Eagle.)The to watch movies and dive into the veteran QB’s 5,000-bottle collec-

Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys, New York tion. “I had a fun time robbing Dan’s cellar,” Huard jokes. After both
Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, New Orleans finished their NFL careers, they decided to go pro, founding Passing

Saints and 49ers all announced wine partnerships in 2018 or 2019 Time, a Cabernet-focused winery in Washington, with the 2012 vin-
tage. The name evokes “that football theme, along with family and
as well.
friends drinking wine,” explains Marino. With Avennia winemaker
The blitz for team wines follows a recent relaxation in the NFL’s
Chris Peterson consulting, the wines have quickly gained attention,
rules surrounding beverage advertising and sales. In 2017, Yellow
regularly notching ratings of 90-plus points on Wine Spectator’s
Tail aired a commercial during the Super Bowl (featuring an ani-
100-point scale.
matronic kangaroo, naturally), the first such wine ad during the
big game in three decades. In 2019, the league also loosened rules Wine Spectator: How did you two come to love Washington wines?
that had restricted how wines and teams could co-brand. Dan Marino: Damon came in as a rookie, and he was terrific to me as

The logical end for this drive? An official wine sponsor for the far as helping me as a quarterback. As we started to go out and have
NFL itself, announced midseason. Coming to 12 stadiums, the Pro team dinners, I started trying to turn him on to Washington wines be-

Bowl and the Super Bowl, the Wine of Football is … a canned fizzy cause he was drinking beer, rum and Cokes, and I was like, “You have
rosé called Babe Wine. An unexpected contender for the trophy— great red wine from where you grew up!” I was surprised he hadn’t tried
until one considers that Anheuser-Busch acquired the brand last the wines. Damon ended up coming over to my house for dinner and
other things, and I would break out some Col Solare, DeLille and An-
year. Babe kicked off the partnership with a video of social media
drew Will. I told Damon, “You got to try these wines,” and I got him
personality Kayla Nicole, in full pads, paint and helmet, dismiss-
hooked. As time went on, we talked about maybe creating a winery
ing an overly rhapsodic sommelier with a hard, shoulder-forward
someday in Washington.
side tackle. “Babe: how football does wine,” she proclaims.
But it turns out there are many playbooks. Look for the roster of WS: Did other teammates drink wine as well during your playing years?

football-adjacent wines to expand with additional talent in the Damon Huard: I think most of the guys on the team were drinking Hen-
seasons to come. nessy in Miami, if I remember. Danny and I were into the fine wine! We were
—With additional reporting by Peter Lane good boys. But it’s funny because back then, it wasn’t as big a deal. There

would be beer at the pregame dinners the night before games. Could you
imagine that in this day and age?
DAN MARINO WS: How would you say your personal relationship has helped make
AND DAMON HUARD Passing Time a success?

DM: We both grew up the same way as far as playing athletics, being fam-
ily people and being competitive. You want the best, and if you’re going
Two former Dolphins forged a brotherly relationship to do it, you do it the right way every day. That’s the one thing we have in

and founded Passing Time in Washington common, along with Chris Peterson.
DH: I was the oldest of three boys, so Dan was like a big brother to me
oward the tail end of Dan Marino’s Hall of Fame career, the Mi- that I never had. So I always have had so much respect for him. This has
ami Dolphins quarterback got a new backup, Damon Huard. A been a cool project because although we live far apart we can build a
Tmentor-mentee relationship on the field soon became a friendship brand together and compete.

JAN. 31 - FEB. 29, 2020 • WINE SPECTATOR 77