Tag: Wine

Constellation Brands acquires minority stake in Cristie Kerr’s wine business

Constellation Brands, Inc., announced on Thursday that it has acquired a minority stake in Kerr Cellars’ super-luxury portfolio of wines.

Cristie Kerr heads to Scotland on Friday for the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon. Before the two-time major champ could take on the historic track, however, there was business to take care of back home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Constellation Brands, Inc., announced on Thursday that it has acquired a minority stake in Kerr Cellars’ super-luxury portfolio of Napa Valley and Sonoma County wines. Constellation’s brands include Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Premier, Modelo Especial, Robert Mondavi Brand Family, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Casa Noble Tequila and High West Whiskey.

Kerr Cellars will remain independently owned and continue to manage, produce, market and sell its award-winning wines. The 42-year-old Kerr, a 20-time winner on the LPGA, launched Kerr Cellars in 2013 in partnership with Helen Keplinger.

“We believe Kerr Cellars has significant runway for success,” said Jennifer Evans, vice president, Constellation Ventures, “and look forward to working closely with their team to strategically expand their resources and strengthen their position within fine wine.”

The investment was made through Constellation Brands’ Focus on Female Founders program, which backs female-founded and female-led businesses.

“It gives us access to a lot of fruit sourcing,” said Kerr of the new partnership, “allows us to have more of a position of strength in the marketplace … it gives us some capital to be able to grow the business.”

(Cristie Kerr/Courtesy Kerr Cellars)

Kerr’s wines have received high marks from industry-leaders including 96-100 points from Robert Parker, Wine Advocate and reliably earn 90+ points from Wine Spectator, Antonio Galloni, and James Suckling.

“It’s like saying we’re in the top 3 on the money list year in and year out,” said Kerr when asked to explain the super-luxury portfolio. “It’s the highest-end of the highest end of the wine market.”

That being said, Kerr would like to explore the idea of creating an additional brand that would allow more people to experience high-quality wine at a lower price point.

During the LPGA’s lengthy break from competition, Kerr noted that her team had to find new ways to generate revenue with virtual tastings and virtual dinners.

“It kind of forced us to rethink how the business would operate,” said Kerr. “We’re nimble and we’re small, and we had a great first quarter because we were able to adjust.”

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CJ McCollum turned his NBA Bubble hotel room into a wine cellar

His room is EXTRA cold, but it’s worth it.

CJ McCollum might be the league’s wine king. He’s got the credentials.

McCollum actually created his own wine label called McCollum Heritage 91 through a partnership with Adelsheim Vineyards. Anytime you check his Instagram story, he’s probably pouring up a bottle or two.

He loves wine — point blank. That’s why it makes total sense that he brought 84 bottles with him to the NBA’s Disney World bubble to drink while they’re quarantined and playing games.

What doesn’t make quite as muchsense is McCollum turning his own room into a wine cellar. He keeps the temperature in his room at 60 degrees (!!!) when he’s inside it and in the mid-to-high 50s (!!!!!!) when he’s not just to keep those bottles cool, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.

“He keeps the temperature around 60 degrees when he’s inside it and in the mid-to-high 50s when he’s not, all in an effort to protect the 84 bottles that he keeps in boxes, out of the light. For the most part, McCollum shipped in pinot noir from Oregon, where he is a member at several local wineries, along with the first bottling of his own recently released wine, McCollum Heritage 91, also an Oregon pinot noir.”

Yo. That is FRIGID. My goodness.

Though, it might be totally worth it. McCollum has been able to keep his wine cool enough to share with everybody. In fact, according to Holmes’ story, for Damian Lillard’s birthday McCollum was able to dish out wine to members of the Blazers’ staff and Lillard himself for their celebration.

It looked like a great time AND there was definitely mad wine in the building.

Now, that’s what I call being a great teammate. Shoutout to CJ.

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Paired to perfection: Champions Retreat raises the bar for fine dining near Augusta

EVANS, Ga. – The Food Network might be missing a major opportunity near Augusta. Champions Retreat Golf Club is best known as the host site for the first two rounds of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, run in conjunction with that other high-end …

EVANS, Ga. – The Food Network might be missing a major opportunity near Augusta. 

Champions Retreat Golf Club is best known as the host site for the first two rounds of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, run in conjunction with that other high-end private club 30 minutes away by car. But while winner Jennifer Kupcho and runner-up Maria Fassi stole the show in the inaugural ANWA in April, there might be an even better presentation on tap any given night at Champions Retreat. 

Call it the “Rouchi and Ross Dinner Show.” The Iranian-born Fariborz Rouchi and Englishman-via-Scotland David Ross trade congenial jabs as easily as they describe whatever deliciousness is presented on their plates and in their glasses. 

David Ross, left, and Fariborz Rouchi at Champions Retreat (Courtesy of Champions Retreat)

“I’m not sure who let him outside, but the fresh air doesn’t suit him very well, does it,” Ross, the executive chef at the club, says with a sly smile within earshot of Rouchi. “And good thing he knows about wine, because he sure doesn’t know how to dress.”

“Hey, Dad, isn’t it your bedtime? Time to go home!” Rouchi, the club’s new director of food and beverage, retorts. “Shouldn’t you at least be in the kitchen where you can burn something? … We’re only supposed to let him outside twice a day.”

Their ease of banter is flawless, clearly deserving a prime-time cooking show or at the least a YouTube channel. It’s somewhat surprising that Ross joined the club in 2018 and Rouchi arrived in May of this year – it might be expected that it would take years to perfect a routine like this. 

Even better than the laughs is the dining program, but that’s to be expected from two such pros – both of whom, interestingly, started as engineers before turning to food and beverage.

Rouchi (pronounced like Gucci), a master sommelier, joined the club after more than a decade at Lake Shore Country Club near Chicago, which followed various stints that included general manager roles at Spago and Club Macanudo.

Ross most recently was tournament chef at Berckmans Place at Augusta National, a well-heeled retreat near the fifth hole open during Masters week. Before that, Ross was proprietor and executive chef of the popular, French-inspired 5oclockbistro in Augusta, and he has taught at Le Cordon Bleu international institutes in Atlanta and New Hampshire.

The Grill House at Champions Retreat (Courtesy of Champions Retreat)

They and their staff are accustomed to handling everything from intimate dinners in Champions Retreat’s palatial “cottages” to wedding-size functions at The Barn, the club’s new red-roofed facility that can seat 250 people. Want a post-golf libation after playing one of three nines designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer or Gary Player? They have you covered. Want to blow the minds of your C-suite corporate staffers? They can do that, too. 

Everything is taken to a different level in April, when out-of-towners rent the cottages as Champions Retreat becomes one of Augusta’s best places to see and be seen during the Masters. Normally a private enclave, the club accepts outside play (contact the club for information) that week, and the grounds host numerous parties and events. It’s up to Rouchi and Ross to surprise and thrill their guests, that week and every other. 

“The definition of culinary arts leans heavily on the arts,” Ross said. “It’s not just simply cooking or searing. It’s about thinking beyond that, thinking three dimensionally. … It’s like the best possible job, because I’m being paid to be an artist. It just happens to be with food. The textures, the colors, the flavors: It’s just so much fun.”

Rouchi can talk for hours about ideal dining experiences, bringing laughs the whole time while making his listeners think about flavors and scents in new ways. He will guide a table of guests through their meal, the diners at rapt attention. 

A seafood dish at Champions Retreat (Courtesy of Champions Retreat)

“A lot of it has to do with envisioning the whole journey and putting ourselves in place of the guest to make sure every detail is met,” Rouchi said. “It should come across as effortless. At the end, the show is smooth and perfect.”

A recent dinner for a group of golf writers – hey, who let these guys in here? – included a charcuterie board with house-smoked duck pastrami, sesame-crusted ahi, arugula salad sourced locally, Chilean sea bass with jasmine coconut rice and jalfrezi curry sauce, followed by a chocolate Napoleon. The wines came from around the world. O.B. Keeler, Bobby Jones’ longtime biographer, likely never had it so good. 

“This isn’t just about food and drink; it’s a whole experience,” Rouchi said. “When the experience is perfect, you know it. That is our goal.”