Audio By Carbonatix
If you’re anything like me, you haven’t caught many Dolphins games this fall, which is the 25th anniversary of the team’s undefeated season. But if you’re anything like me, you have caught some of those 1972 Dolphins — on a bottle of wine, that is. Delicato Vineyards in Manteca, California, has introduced a whimsical vintage called Gridiron Cuvee, whose bottles feature retired football players representing thirteen different regional teams. You’d need a wine cellar to collect them all; the series numbers about 50 bottles, with portraits of the players drawn by well-known artists. Senior brand manager Lee Nordlund says widening wine’s audience, not collecting, is the point. “This is a proprietary blend, fruity with some oak components, which took us six months to develop,” he tells me. “It’s serious enough for wine drinkers, but it’s also meant to go with hot dogs and chips.” In other words he wants you to drink it while you tailgate. Four bottles honor the ’72 Dolphins, namely: Dick Anderson, Jim Kiick, Jim Langer, and Paul Warfield. Gridiron Cuvee retails for about ten dollars at local Walgreens Liquor Stores.
