Former MLB players Vernon Wells, left, and Chris Iannetta named JACK Winery after their kids Jayce, Ashlyn, Christian and Kylie.
wouldn’t drink swill, but to also pair wines with food offered at the yard. So, a hearty cabernet with a spicy polish sausage? What matches up with a pretzel slathered in Gulden’s mustard? His selections include Far Niente Chardonnay, Twomey Pinot Noir and Silver Oak Cabernet. Seaver Vineyards The late Tom Seaver grew up in Fresno, his dad a raisin farmer. As a player, he collected wines and he and his wife were frequent visitors to the wine country. The couple discovered a property on Diamond Mountain in the late 1990s. Though the land had never been developed, Tom was convinced it was suitable for grapes. As a player, Seaver carried a reputation for working hard and not missing starts. That dedication carried over to his wine business. Not content to hire a vineyard manager, Seaver worked the land himself, treading the rows of grapes with his dogs as company, clipper in the back pocket of his jeans. Today, his wife Nancy runs the winery that produces limited run cabernet sauvignon. It’s a family affair as Anne Seaver is CFO and Karen Seaver is manager. The winery produces 400 to 600 cases of wine each year. And there is a waiting list to purchase Seaver wine, with a new vintage each January. Le Carenage Like Seaver Vineyards, Le Carenage produces a small amount of wine that is only available direct from the winery. Stroman has teamed with Matt Naumann of Newfound Wines to helm the winemaking process, accessing fruit from throughout California. The way Stroman explains it, he discovered wine while playing in Toronto. His veteran teammates enjoyed wine with their meals and would share some of the grape with the rookie. The first release of his wines took place in March of this year. Stroman’s wines are only available direct from the winery.
The 33-year-old Stroman has labored for four teams since his debut in 2014 with the Toronto Blue Jays. This year he is part of the New York Yankees rotation and is 10-7 with a 4.03 earned run average at this writing.
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“You spend a good deal of your life gripping a baseball, and it turns out it was the other way around all the time.” —Former Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton That’s my favorite baseball quote, because it’s true. Baseball has always meant more to me than it should. I grew up hearing stories from my dad, Buzz Meagher. Pops was in the Dodger organization with Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella. While he played in Montreal and Cuba, injuries cut his career short before he reached Brooklyn. I played a little as well. I was good enough to get the attention of the Dodgers. I played in a winter league for them at 17 but wasn’t drafted. One hot August night while trying to leg out an infield hit, I tore a hamstring in half in two spots. I played college ball for another year and a half, taking pain killers like M&Ms. I was done but couldn’t admit it. Catchers with just one good leg never go anywhere. I took my last swing at Big Rec in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the same field where my dad was a schoolboy hero. I sat alone in that dugout long after the last out, my broken heart hurting far more than my leg. Failing as a player was lucky for me, making me search for the next thing I could love doing. Turns out writing was it. I’m much better at telling a story than I was at collecting base hits. JACK Winery JACK Winery in Napa was born of a conversation between Vernon Wells and Chris Iannetta over what else, glasses of wine. Wells
October 2024
NorthBaybiz 27
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