An important wine is pleasurable and clean, with an extended, satisfying end. It makes you surprise the place it’s been all of your life.
In different phrases, it’s nothing like the connection between and Wealthy Aurilia after they had 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.
At any time when he reached second base, the amiable Roberts, whilst a Dodger, greeted the shortstop from the San Francisco Giants, prompting extra uneasiness.
“He would at all times attempt to say ‘Hello’ to me,” Aurilia mentioned, “and I’d simply form of give a little bit head nod.”
In 2007, their rivalry took on a brand new kind when Roberts and Aurilia grew to become Giants teammates. Followers of cult Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley, they’d carry wine onto the staff airplane, seeing who may procure probably the most lip-smacking bottle.
When a knee harm ended Roberts’ profession after the 2008 season, he referred to as Aurilia and John Micek, one other pal and fellow wine lover, to ask in the event that they wish to go into the wine enterprise collectively. It was a straightforward sure.
“It’s one thing the place you’re simply attempting to determine, what are you going to do after baseball?” Roberts mentioned. “And we wished to simply make nice wines.”
The trio fashioned Pink Sew, the wine label’s identify not solely a nod to their beloved sport but additionally the bonds which have held them collectively via 17 vintages. Roberts’ two titles as supervisor have supplied the chums a purpose to toast, even when one of many raised glasses is extra of a salute to the person than his staff.
“I imply, hear, you don’t see me standing in entrance of the TV in the course of the playoffs rooting for the Dodgers, I’ll say that,” mentioned Aurilia, now a part of the Giants’ pre- and postgame tv broadcast staff. “However I do need to see my pal do properly; it could be means higher if it was for one more staff, however it’s what it’s and also you attempt to make the perfect of it.”
A couple of days after Christmas, a line to fulfill the supervisor of the defending and have him signal bottles of Pink Sew stretched to the tip of 1 aisle contained in the Los Feliz Costco.
Seated beneath an image of himself celebrating the Dodgers’ most up-to-date title, Roberts made positive the wait was price it. He warmly greeted every buyer, thanked them for the inevitable congratulations and patiently posed for photos.
One man sporting 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 great job,” the person mentioned as he plopped a bottle right into a cardboard field. “I don’t care what anyone 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 pal who described the Chardonnay as “not buttery however actually minerally and clear.” Woolson mentioned he hoarded the Pink Sew Cabernet Sauvignons and broke them out reluctantly even after receiving a beneficiant family and friends low cost.
Buddies 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 Pink Sew, which additionally contains Pinot Noirs from Sonoma and Santa Lucia Highlands. The Cabernets characteristic luscious fruit and a tannic construction that lends itself to ageability; the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are Burgundian in type, 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 “wonderful” vary, Wine Fanatic characterised the wine as exhibiting “attractive layers of Meyer lemon, softened butter, white flower and blanched almond on the nostril of this single-vineyard expression. The palate is sharp in acidity and stony in minerality, with a creamy, wealthy core.”
Roberts’ love of wine goes again to his days taking part in for the Dodgers.
Throughout a visit to Napa Valley with teammate and their wives in 2002, Roberts discovered himself captivated by not simply the wines but additionally the proprietors and vintners who brazenly shared data of their trade.
“That basically opened up a brand new world,” Roberts mentioned, “and it’s humorous, that’s the place my spouse coined the time period ‘Napa Dave’ as a result of after I’m within the Napa Valley, I’m not frightened about my cellphone, I’m not frightened about work and I’m current and so for me that’s one thing that you simply notice that to be current is so highly effective.”
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.
Mockingly, the wine that helped cement their bond got here from considered one of 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, knew who would respect them most.
“Barry wasn’t a wine man, so he walked proper over to us, as a result of he knew we had been 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 many flights and we each actually cherished 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 identify of Herrera’s vineyard, which suggests “my dream,” mirrored his unlikely path.
As soon as Roberts and Aurilia joined forces with Micek, whom they’d befriended at a blind malbec tasting at Micek’s house within the Noe Valley part of San Francisco, it was a straightforward option to go along 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 outdated rivalry seep to the floor.
“Whenever you watch a Dodgers recreation with Wealthy,” Micek mentioned, “there’s a little bit little bit of, God, it’s simply ridiculous how they had been in a position to construct this staff.”
Every winter, the scene repeats itself as a part of a cherished custom.
As if following a baseball superstition, the Pink Sew companions and their respective wives — Tricia Roberts, Amy Aurilia and Noelle Micek — take the identical seats on the similar 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 fitting are half-bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon, every representing a pattern of wine from rather a lot inside considered one of three vineyards. Every bottle is labeled solely with a letter, A via 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 aside from possibly a couple of jokes about dinner from the earlier night time.
Are they sipping or spitting?
“I believe the reply is sure — a little bit little bit of each,” John Micek mentioned. “I believe at one level, considered one of us might need acquired a T-shirt that mentioned, ‘My abdomen is my dump bucket’ however in actuality, that is about households and buddies and I believe that’s what makes this wine so particular.”
As soon as everybody has prioritized their favourite heaps, Herrera begins creating totally different blends, that are rated anew. The method continues till the staff feels that nothing extra may be achieved 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 Pink Sew into the combo unbeknownst to the tasters. With out fail, the group picks it as its favourite.
“You see folks beginning to smile,” John Micek mentioned of figuring out a earlier classic of their wine, “and so they’re attempting to not say something.”
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 share of Malbec or Petit Verdot to reinforce the flavour and guarantee it aligns with the Pink Sew type.
“They’re approachable, I believe that they’re all age-worthy,” Dave Roberts mentioned when requested to explain his wines, “and I believe that there’s steadiness and there’s good acidity with all three” varietals.
For a number of years, Pink Sew produced solely a Cabernet Sauvignon, making about 100 circumstances.
Progress got here unexpectedly, like a basic 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 provide simply form of jumped in our laps,” Aurilia mentioned, “so we took benefit of it.”
As soon as the Pink Sew homeowners wished to host dinners and occasions that includes their wines, they realized they didn’t need 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 Pink 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 will trigger the grapes to retain an excessive amount of sugar and lift the alcohol stage to tipsy-after-a-glass vary.
Beginning with the 2024 classic, the Pink 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 via 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 trade requirements. There have been discussions about making a purple mix at a lower cost level to broaden the label’s enchantment and entice distributors provided that Pink Sew is offered in simply seven states.
“We’re just about a little bit mom-and-pop store,” Aurilia mentioned, “however we get it achieved.”
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 Pink Sew along with his gamers and retains a stash inside Dodger Stadium.
“My workplace is being redone as we communicate,” Roberts mentioned on the Costco occasion in late December, “so the wine fridge must get greater.”
At a time when his staff was making one massive acquisition after one other, Roberts mentioned there have been parallels between making a great wine and managing a championship staff.
“With wine,” Roberts mentioned, “it’s about Mom Nature, it’s concerning the soil, it’s concerning the climate and as a winemaker you need to keep out of the best way and whenever you’re not speaking concerning the winemaker, you’re doing all of your job.
“As a supervisor, it’s concerning the gamers and whenever you let the gamers shine and never intervene too typically and make it concerning the gamers, the staff prospers.”
Prosper the Dodgers have, resulting in some grudging acceptance from that longtime Large.
“When you will have a accomplice whose staff goes out and wins the World Sequence,” Aurilia mentioned, “it’s not going to be a foul factor to your model.”
