成人X站

Wine has always been in the Iannetta blood, going all the way back to Italy. So it’s little surprise that Mariners catcher Chris Iannetta got his first taste for vino from his grandfather.

鈥淏ack in Italy, everyone in town made wine, just for their personal consumption. When he came over here he did the same thing. He would go to the farmers market and buy grapes imported from Napa,鈥� Iannetta said.

But it wasn’t until Iannetta made it to the majors that his own love of wine 鈥� and connection to his past 鈥� was awakened.

鈥淲e started going out to 鈥榖ig league dinners鈥� at a steakhouse and I鈥檇 have a glass of wine. I didn鈥檛 really drink before then but it was a way for me to reconnect with him,鈥� he said.

What started as a passing fancy for the Mariners new catcher turned into a passion. When he was with the Angels back in 2012, a dinner with teammate Vernon Wells that included some high-end wine would spark a new direction for the pair 鈥� starting their own winery

鈥淚t kind of materialized. My financial advisor had some contacts in Napa, we got hooked up with our winemaker, Grant Long Jr.,鈥� Iannetta said.

Choosing the wine was a process. Long brought grapes and samples for the baseball duo to sample and their business went from there. It is serious stuff 鈥� especially the Cab.

And that鈥檚 how Jack Winery was born.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 want it to be baseball related. We wanted it to just be wine. We wanted to detach ourselves from the baseball scenario,鈥� Iannetta said. 鈥淲e took our kids鈥� initials and it spelled 鈥楯ack.鈥� So that鈥檚 cool, we get to model it after our kids who we love and adore. We get to immortalize them by putting their names on a bottle.鈥�

Two bottles actually 鈥� a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc.

For now, the vintners are not digging in the dirt or stomping grapes in bare feet.

鈥淲e don鈥檛鈥� have an actual vineyard yet 鈥� that might be something happening pretty soon,鈥� he said.

Aged in French oak barrels for 22 months, Iannetta describes his wine as bold and rich, with briary fruit characteristics, boasting undertones of herbs, mocha and 鈥� appropriate for a baseball player 鈥� hints of tobacco.

鈥淚 am biased and unbiased. From a biased standpoint I love it. From an unbiased standpoint, it鈥檚 really good,鈥� Iannetta said. 鈥淚t carries a taste and flavor and the ability to lay it down much higher than what our price point is.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e got rave reviews,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can check my twitter account 鈥� you can see, not to brag, there鈥檚 some pretty high profile people that really like it and they are all wine drinkers. It鈥檚 not just our opinion. There鈥檚 some unbiased people out there and they really like it.鈥�

That includes Mariners great and hitting coach Edgar Martinez, who recently stocked his cellar with a couple of cases of Jack.

鈥淗e makes good wine. It鈥檚 a very good wine. It鈥檚 a young wine but it is very good,鈥� he said.

Despite his success with grapes, don’t expect Iannetta to entirely trade his cleats for corks anytime soon.

鈥淩ight now it鈥檚 a hobby 鈥� because we are not making a profit,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun hobby, and we鈥檒l try to grow it slowly and if it goes in the right direction we鈥檒l do it for a long time. We鈥檇 love to grow it into something spectacular.鈥�

For now, you can only buy Jack wine in limited quantities by allocation on their website or in higher end restaurants.

And if his career with the M’s gets better with age, just like his wines, Iannetta just might have to change his allegiances and start incorporating Washington-grown grapes into his future bottlings.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a few wineries out here that I grew up liking. I know the area as a big wine nation,鈥� he said. 鈥淗opefully, they won鈥檛 be insulted that I鈥檓 a Napa, but I鈥檇 really love for people to try it. I think they鈥檒l really enjoy it.鈥�