Talking Sports & Wine with Nocking Point
Nocking Point Wines | Walla Walla, Washington
Would you expect the official wine of sports to knock you off your feet? If you think it should—it does. But only metaphorically if you’re drinking responsibly. Enter Nocking Point. Wine and sports might not be the pairing that you see coming, but more and more athletes are getting involved in wine and the results so far are a hit. Hope these wine + sports puns are landing for everyone, we’re working hard on them. The goal for everyone should be to make wine feel a little more approachable and inclusive—so what better way than to share a glass and compare tasting notes with Super Bowl champions, skate legends, and barrel riders.
Brandon Marshall
Investor, NFL All-Pro
You have to pair a wine (any wine, any grape) with your most memorable moment in sports: What’s the moment?
When I broke the NFL single-game record for most catches it was smooth and easy like Nocking Point’s GameTime rosé.
You’re looking for a bottle of wine, where are you heading to buy it?
Nocking Point makes it easy and fun.
In your opinion, what’s the most memorable sports moment in history?
It’s impossible to pinpoint just one. The great thing about sports is that we experience those moments every year.
If you could compare yourself as an athlete to a type of wine, what would it be?
Strong like a Merlot. When will Merlot make its comeback?
Brandi Rhodes
Pro-Wrestler
How would you describe the flavor of the Nocking Point Gametime Red wine you’re currently tasting?
Smooth with a little hint of spice.
You have to pair a wine (any wine, any grape) with your most memorable moment in sports: What’s the moment?
I would pair rosé with my first wrestling match. The match was awful, and was televised so that was excellent (sarcasm) but to balance out awful, we’d get that semi-sweet perfection of rosé and down the whole bottle in one sitting to try and forget that awful match that the Internet will always remember. And hey, let’s throw some bubbles in it and make it sparkling … the match was bad.
In your opinion, what’s the most memorable sports moment in history?
Tom Brady winning the Super Bowl every year.
If you could compare yourself as an athlete to a type of wine, what would it be?
I stick to what I know, but I’m capable of more than people think… I’m a Sauvignon Blanc.
Andrew Harding
Co-Founder Nocking Point Wines
How would you describe the flavor of the Nocking Point Gametime Red wine you’re currently tasting?
Bright, crisp rosé — a true patio pounder. The lighter and clearer, the better.
You’re looking for a bottle of wine, where are you heading to buy it?
If I can’t be in Sicily again with my wife, Jen, and family to get some Pinot Nero at one of a handful of beautiful restaurants or wine shops we visited there a few years ago (a truly magical place in the world) then I get my wine sent to me by my sister, Sarrah (who is the Nocking Point GM in Walla Walla), from Nocking Point headquarters, or I order it from GoPuff so it comes to my door in less than 30 minutes. That’s actually how I do it.
If you could compare yourself as an athlete to a type of wine, what would it be?
Smooth like a Pinot, I suppose. I didn’t have speed, I didn’t have power, but I could play a little shortstop. Guess that makes me smooth? Or maybe I should say I’m like a corked wine because I got hurt a few times, couldn’t put it all together, and never made it past a couple years in college?? That sounds about right. Corked!
In your opinion, what’s the most memorable sports moment in history?
I’m a baseball guy first, and I love history and tradition in sports. I got to take my dad onto the field at Wrigley in 2017 just before my son’s birth. Dad was a giant fan of the Cubs growing up and watching the curse go down was incredible.
Lonie Paxton
Chief Strategy Officer, Husband Of 1, Father Of 4 and 3x Super Bowl Champion
You have to pair a wine (any wine, any grape) with your most memorable moment in sports: what’s the moment?
I would pair GameTime Red and rosé with the color of the confetti that fell on us during the 2001 Super Bowl celebration. It was a hectic year with the passing of a coach, a 9/11 plane leaving directly out of Boston and the Drew Bledsoe injury that led to the beginning of Tom Brady’s GOAT legacy. We were massive underdogs playing the “Greatest Show on Turf” and my favorite team as a kid, the Rams. The game came down to the last seconds and I was able to do my job and help Adam Vinatieri kick the game-winning FG, then proceed to do turf angels in the end zone in front of millions of TV viewers! BOOM!
You’re looking for a bottle of wine, where are you heading to buy it?
www.nockingpointwines.com
In your opinion, what’s the most memorable sports moment in history?
The Patriots vs Raiders “Snow Bowl.”
If you could compare yourself as an athlete to a type of wine, what would it be?
I’d say I’m like a glass of sparkling rosé. Always happy with a little bit of a sunburn!
Paige Alms
2x Big Wave World Champion and Passionate Organic Gardener
How would you describe the flavor of the Nocking Point Gametime Red wine you’re currently tasting?
Fruity.
You have to pair a wine (any wine, any grape) with your most memorable moment in sports: What’s the moment?
I’d probably pair some sort of Champagne to be popped as I was coming out of the barrel at Jaws for the
first real paddle barrel by a woman. Champagne’s for celebrating, so that would be a fun way to share the stoke with everyone.
You’re looking for a bottle of wine, where are you heading to buy it?
A local grocery or liquor store.
In your opinion, what’s the most memorable sports moment in history?
I love watching sports and love playing them, but I don’t keep up week to week. I mean, how many Super Bowls has Tom Brady won? Because every time I’ve seen that it’s been monumental. And since I’m a surfer, you have to say watching Kelly Slater win his 11th world title and Layne Beachley winning her 7th were pretty impressive.
If you could compare yourself as an athlete to a type of wine, what would it be?
I’d probably be a Cabernet Sauvignon. Just like it’s diverse growing climate, I find myself a mix of a
lot of different flavors. I’d say I’m pretty full-bodied (haha) and have a hint of fruity here and there. And I like to say that I can go with the flow and blend in as well.
