A fantastic wine is pleasurable and easy, with an extended, satisfying end. It makes you marvel the place it’s been all of your life.
In different phrases, it’s nothing like the connection between Dave Roberts and Wealthy Aurilia after they have been Nationwide League West rivals.
Each time Roberts stepped to the plate, Aurilia cringed.
Pesky left-handed hitter that he was, Roberts tended to both drag bunt down the first-base line or punch the outlet between shortstop and third base, forcing Aurilia right into a despised shift.
Each time he reached second base, the amiable Roberts, at the same time as a Dodger, greeted the shortstop from the San Francisco Giants, prompting extra uneasiness.
“He would always try to say ‘Hi’ to me,” Aurilia mentioned, “and I would just kind of give a little head nod.”
In 2007, their rivalry took on a brand new type when Roberts and Aurilia grew to become Giants teammates. Followers of cult Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley, they’d deliver wine onto the workforce airplane, seeing who might procure probably the most lip-smacking bottle.
When a knee damage ended Roberts’ profession after the 2008 season, he referred to as Aurilia and John Micek, one other good friend and fellow wine lover, to ask in the event that they wish to go into the wine enterprise collectively. It was a straightforward sure.
Dave Roberts, left, is congratulated by Wealthy Aurilia after Roberts scored in opposition to the Marlins in 2007, after they have been teammates on the Giants.
(Doug Benc / Getty Photographs)
“It’s something where you’re just trying to figure out, what are you going to do after baseball?” Roberts mentioned. “And we wanted to just make great wines.”
The trio fashioned Crimson Sew, the wine label’s title not solely a nod to their beloved sport but in addition the bonds which have held them collectively by means of 17 vintages. Roberts’ two World Sequence titles as Dodgers supervisor have offered the buddies a purpose to toast, even when one of many raised glasses is extra of a salute to the person than his workforce.
“I mean, listen, you don’t see me standing in front of the TV during the playoffs rooting for the Dodgers, I’ll say that,” mentioned Aurilia, now a part of the Giants’ pre- and postgame tv broadcast workforce. “But I do want to see my friend do well; it would be way better if it was for another team, but it is what it is and you try and make the best of it.”
Dave Roberts and Wealthy Aurilia stand within the barrel room at Crimson Sew Wines
(James-Erin and Courtney de Jaure / Courtesy of Crimson Sew Wines)
A number of days after Christmas, a line to fulfill the supervisor of the defending World Sequence champions and have him signal bottles of Crimson Sew stretched to the top of 1 aisle contained in the Los Feliz Costco.
Seated under an image of himself celebrating the Dodgers’ most up-to-date title, Roberts made positive the wait was value it. He warmly greeted every buyer, thanked them for the inevitable congratulations and patiently posed for footage.
One man carrying a UCLA shirt couldn’t resist a lighthearted jab on the supervisor and former Bruins outfielder who had taken a lot guff over repeated playoff stumbles.
“You’re doing a good job,” the person mentioned as he plopped a bottle right into a cardboard field. “I don’t care what anybody says.”
Roberts chuckled as he signed bottles of the 2021 Sierra Mar Winery Chardonnay ($30.09) and 2020 Coombsville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($69.09).
Amongst these on the occasion who had tasted Roberts’ wines was Jeff Woolson, a longtime household good friend who described the Chardonnay as “not buttery but really minerally and clean.” Woolson mentioned he hoarded the Crimson Sew Cabernet Sauvignons and broke them out reluctantly even after receiving a beneficiant family and friends low cost.
Pals aren’t the one ones salivating over these wines. Critics have routinely lavished scores within the low to mid-90 factors (utilizing a 100-point scale) on practically the whole portfolio of Crimson Sew, which additionally contains Pinot Noirs from Sonoma and Santa Lucia Highlands. The Cabernets function luscious fruit and a tannic construction that lends itself to ageability; the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are Burgundian in model, that means they’re elegant and approachable no matter whether or not they’re paired with a meal or sipped alone.
Awarding the 2022 Sierra Mar Winery Chardonnay a 93-point score, which locations it on the excessive finish of its “excellent” vary, Wine Fanatic characterised the wine as exhibiting “enticing layers of Meyer lemon, softened butter, white flower and blanched almond on the nose of this single-vineyard expression. The palate is sharp in acidity and stony in minerality, with a creamy, rich core.”
Roberts’ love of wine goes again to his days taking part in for the Dodgers.
Throughout a visit to Napa Valley with teammate Shawn Inexperienced and their wives in 2002, Roberts discovered himself captivated by not simply the wines but in addition the proprietors and vintners who overtly shared data of their business.
“That really opened up a new world,” Roberts mentioned, “and it’s funny, that’s where my wife coined the term ‘Napa Dave’ because when I’m in the Napa Valley, I’m not worried about my cellphone, I’m not worried about work and I’m present and so for me that’s something that you realize that to be present is so powerful.”
After signing with San Francisco earlier than the 2006 season, Roberts was delighted to search out he was teammates with one other wine nut when he went out to dinner with Aurilia.
Satirically, the wine that helped cement their bond got here from one among baseball’s most polarizing stars. Given a number of bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon by a winemaker as a thanks for a signed bat and jersey, Barry Bonds knew who would respect them most.
From left, Bengie Molina, Dave Roberts, and Wealthy Aurilia are launched throughout a information convention in San Francisco in December 2006. Roberts and Aurilia have been teammates on the Giants in 2007 and 2008.
(Jeff Chiu/AP)
“Barry wasn’t a wine guy, so he walked right over to us, because he knew we were wine guys,” Aurilia mentioned, referring to himself and Roberts, “and gave us like a six-pack of Mi Sueño. We took it on one of the flights and we both really loved it.”
That offseason, Roberts and Aurilia visited Mi Sueño, simply south of downtown Napa, and met with the winemaker, Rolando Herrera. His backstory as a Mexican immigrant who rose from dishwasher to having his wines served at a White Home dinner that President George W. Bush hosted for Mexican counterpart Vicente Fox was the quintessential American dream. The title of Herrera’s vineyard, which implies “my dream,” mirrored his unlikely path.
As soon as Roberts and Aurilia joined forces with Micek, whom that they had befriended at a blind malbec tasting at Micek’s dwelling within the Noe Valley part of San Francisco, it was a straightforward option to go together with Herrera because the winemaker for his or her new enterprise.
However some issues by no means change. At the same time as teammates as soon as extra, Roberts and Aurilia often let their previous rivalry seep to the floor.
“When you watch a Dodgers game with Rich,” Micek mentioned, “there’s a little bit of, God, it’s just ridiculous how they were able to build this team.”
Crimson Sew Wines house owners (from left) Wealthy and Amy Aurilia, Tricia and Dave Roberts, and Noelle and John Micek.
(James-Erin and Courtney de Jaure / Courtesy of Crimson Sew Wines)
Every winter, the scene repeats itself as a part of a cherished custom.
As if following a baseball superstition, the Crimson Sew companions and their respective wives — Tricia Roberts, Amy Aurilia and Noelle Micek — take the identical seats on the identical desk at Herrera’s vineyard for his or her annual Cabernet Sauvignon mixing session.
Resting in entrance of them are 5 empty wine glasses. On the credenza to the correct are half-bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon, every representing a pattern of wine from lots inside one among three vineyards. Every bottle is labeled solely with a letter, A by means of E.
Over the subsequent 5 hours or so, they are going to blind style every lot, taking notes as they go. There’s no speaking apart from possibly a couple of jokes about dinner from the earlier night time.
Are they sipping or spitting?
“I think the answer is yes — a little bit of both,” John Micek mentioned. “I think at one point, one of us might have received a T-shirt that said, ‘My stomach is my dump bucket’ but in reality, this is about families and friends and I think that’s what makes this wine so special.”
As soon as everybody has prioritized their favourite heaps, Herrera begins creating totally different blends, that are rated anew. The method continues till the workforce feels that nothing extra will be carried out to reinforce the mix.
It’s then that Herrera reveals the proportion every winery contributed to the ultimate mix, however solely after inserting a previous classic of Crimson Sew into the combination unbeknownst to the tasters. With out fail, the group picks it as its favourite.
“You see people starting to smile,” John Micek mentioned of figuring out a earlier classic of their wine, “and they’re trying not to say anything.”
The group will reunite three months later as soon as the wine has been put into barrel to make the ultimate mix, including a tiny proportion of Malbec or Petit Verdot to reinforce the flavour and guarantee it aligns with the Crimson Sew model.
“They’re approachable, I think that they’re all age-worthy,” Dave Roberts mentioned when requested to explain his wines, “and I think that there’s balance and there’s good acidity with all three” varietals.
For a number of years, Crimson Sew produced solely a Cabernet Sauvignon, making about 100 circumstances.
Development got here unexpectedly, like a normal supervisor calling a minor league prospect to say he had made the large leagues.
Winemaker Dan Kosta referred to as Aurilia throughout one harvest to inform him that Gary Pisoni and Gary Franscioni, two of the world’s foremost grape growers, could be prepared to promote a few of their prized Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands in central Monterey County.
“The offer just kind of jumped in our laps,” Aurilia mentioned, “so we took advantage of it.”
As soon as the Crimson Sew house owners needed to host dinners and occasions that includes their wines, they realized they didn’t wish to serve another person’s white wines. Thus originated their Chardonnay out of Santa Lucia Highlands, later joined by Pinot Noir from Sonoma County.
Since Crimson Sew makes use of solely bought grapes, they have to be schlepped to Herrera’s winemaking amenities as a part of a closely orchestrated course of. In previous vintages, fruit generally picked after midnight was hauled by refrigerated truck to keep away from warmth spikes that might trigger the grapes to retain an excessive amount of sugar and lift the alcohol degree to tipsy-after-a-glass vary.
Beginning with the 2024 classic, the Crimson Sew Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is hauled to Sonoma as a part of the label’s transition for these varietals to winemaker Erich Bradley, who related Micek with Roberts and Aurilia by means of mutual conversations resulting in their first joint tasting. (Herrera will proceed to make the label’s Cabernet Sauvignon.)
Case manufacturing has soared to 1,500, which stays comparatively small by business requirements. There have been discussions about making a pink mix at a cheaper price level to broaden the label’s attraction and entice distributors provided that Crimson Sew is offered in simply seven states.
“We’re pretty much a little mom-and-pop shop,” Aurilia mentioned, “but we get it done.”
Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts shares fun with Rays first base coach Michael Johns earlier than a sport final season.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
Contemplating his day job, Roberts has ceded the enterprise aspect of the operation to his co-owners, taking up extra of an envoy position. He readily shares Crimson Sew together with his gamers and retains a stash inside Dodger Stadium.
“My office is being redone as we speak,” Roberts mentioned on the Costco occasion in late December, “so the wine fridge needs to get bigger.”
At a time when his workforce was making one huge acquisition after one other, Roberts mentioned there have been parallels between making a great wine and managing a championship workforce.
“With wine,” Roberts mentioned, “it’s about Mother Nature, it’s about the soil, it’s about the weather and as a winemaker you want to stay out of the way and when you’re not talking about the winemaker, you’re doing your job.
“As a manager, it’s about the players and when you let the players shine and not intervene too often and make it about the players, the team flourishes.”
Prosper the Dodgers have, resulting in some grudging acceptance from that longtime Large.
“When you have a partner whose team goes out and wins the World Series,” Aurilia mentioned, “it’s not going to be a bad thing for your brand.”
