I just came across this, the MLB Club Series wine, which I don’t think I have seen discussed yet on WB. I’m curious if anyone has tasted any of these and if so, are they worth seeking out. Are these just bulk juice with a fancy marketing machine to justify the price (~$20 - $60/per 750mL)? Most of the wines come from CA/WA. I would have expected that that for novelty’s sake, they would have at least sourced grapes locally (although I can’t image many people would spend the $20+ for a Chardonnay from Tampa Bay).
They are all created by “Wine by Design”, a “Lifestyle Marketing Agency”
I have no affiliation, I am just curious as it would be fun to purchase a case of your favorite team for Opening Day, Playoffs, etc., but certainly not if this is just a step above the average grocery store wine.
The description:
MLB® Club Series is a wine collection created by Wine by Design. Selective sourcing from distinct vineyards, exceptional winemaking and expert blending from high quality grapes results in excellent wines customized for each team market, including bold Cabernets, Bordeaux styled reds, sensational whites, and an artisanal Pinot Noir.
I personally would stay away from combining hobbies/interests. I never join wine clubs that supply random wines of their choice. In my experience, they’re rarely a good deal, and don’t provide wines of interest. Perhaps it’s something to do if you’re just getting into wine drinking and want some random bottles to try and compare. In that case, I’d go with something like the NY Times club, which has an interest in maintaining its reputation, and employ knowledgeable wine professionals.
I would expect it to be very poor, and definitely not to be sourced from the team’s locality at all, given that (a) most teams are not in wine producing areas and (b) the people who make and who buy this stuff couldn’t give a crap about that anyway.
You’ll be paying for the marketing and MLB brand, not for what’s in the bottle. If you want one to stick on your shelf of Colorado Rockies memorabilia or something, that’s cool, but if you’re a wine person, I wouldn’t go beyond that.
Sorry if that’s overly blunt or if it’s snobby, but it didn’t seem like it would be helpful to pussyfoot around it either.
I figured that it would be a folly to put some MLB wine in my rack…I like the idea. I am a Detroit Tigers fan so having a Michigan winery work with MLB to produce a Michigan wine with a Tigers logo would have been fun. Oh well…I’m still interested in TN’s if anyone is brave enough to buy/taste. Thanks!
I once offered the Red Sox a barrel of wine with proceeds going to the Jimmy Fund. I think it had something to do with Manny Ramirez and not trading him (long before they actually did). No takers.