MLB Veteran Chris Iannetta Talks His Jack Winery And LeBron James‘ Taste In Wine
LeBron James and veteran catcher Chris Iannetta have plenty in common. They’re both professional athletes in their 30s who like to drink wine and share their enjoyment of it with others.
Iannetta, 37, signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees in January and was doing well in spring training while competing for a spot as the backup catcher. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The 35-year-old James was having an MVP-caliber season and had led the Lakers to a 49-14 record and first-place spot in the Western Conference when the NBA season was suspended.
That leaves more time for hobbies and other gigs. And wine.
Iannetta is the co-founder of Jack Winery, a high-end winery based out of Napa, and who better than another experienced athlete to dissect the kind of wine James drinks.
James posted about a 2016 bottle of Chanin Chardonnay from Santa Barbara on an Instagram story during the pandemic, and Iannetta weighed in on it.
“I think it shows that he’s not just a casual wine drinker,” Iannetta said. “If you look at the post he’s talking about pairing white wine with fish. He’s very cognizant of his palette. He understands what he likes and what foods he likes to pair his wines with.
“I think it really shows he’s elevated his love for wine just like his game. He’s done the research and homework to understand what he likes and what pairs well with certain foods.”
We all know James loves Taco Tuesdays. When most people think of tacos, a margarita or beer comes to mind, but what kind of wine goes best with tacos?
“Everyone likes to go down that rabbit hole of ‘I want to pair wine with food’ and that’s great,” Iannetta said. “There’s a lot of really good wine and food pairings. For me, it’s all about, ‘what do I like?’ I want to drink what I like.
“If I’m having tacos or I’m having a hot dog or if I’m having a steak, no matter what it is, I want to drink what I like. I’ll pick the wine that I truly enjoy drinking that really complements the meal. There’s some chefs and there’s some Sommeliers that are really good at making those pairings that can accentuate certain things and flavors out of both the food and the wine but for me, I just like to enjoy what I want to drink. ... If you’re thinking about making tacos or thinking about making a meal, don’t over-think it. Just enjoy the wine that you really like to drink.”
James posted a photo of six wine bottles on Instagram and here’s what caught Iannetta’s eye from those bottles.
“For me it was Sassicaia. It’s an Italian wine and one of the best wines in Italy,” Iannetta said. “I’ve had the opportunity to try that one, and it’s phenomenal. That picture really speaks to his level of commitment, his level to try diffferent regions, different wines and he’s definitely trying some of the best wines from some of the best regions, for sure.”
Southern California baseball fans no doubt remember Iannetta from catching Jered Weaver’s no-hitter With the Angels in 2012. It was also during his stint with the Angels that he and then-teammate Vernon Wells came up with the idea for Jack Winery when they were both injured.
They co-founded the business in 2012. For Iannetta, the label honors his connection to family.
“For me, Jack wine is all about family and conversation,” Iannetta said. “I grew up in an Italian-American household. My parents were born in Italy, and wine was always a part of the Sunday dinner and was always on the table, followed by a bunch of conversation.
“That’s what kind of inspired me to start our label. When I met Vernon when I was with the Angels we wanted to start something and we had both developed a love of wine. I got my love of wine from always being around it and my family and my connection with my grandparents who made their own wines in their garages at home, along with their Italian social clubs and they would banter about who had the best wine. For me, it was a way to re-connect with them every time I had a glass of wine, made me remember them and the stories and life lessons they taught me...”
The name "Jack" comes from the first initial of their children’s names - Jayce Wells, Ashlyn Iannetta, Christian Wells and Kylie Iannetta.
DurIng the pandemic, Iannetta has been hosting 45-minute virtual wine tastings with customers. They buy the wine tasting online, the wine is shipped to their home and a tasting is scheduled over Zoom or Skype.
“It’s actually something we started last fall,” Iannetta said. “We just had the idea (because) travel is getting so expensive. Napa Valley is an awesome place. I fell in love with the Valley, and that’s why I really wanted to start this.
“It’s getting more and more expensive to come up to Napa. There’s two kinds of people. There’s people that come to Napa as a vacation and other people that come strictly to buy hard-to-find wines to go on a journey and find some wines off the beaten path you can’t buy in your local store. I started thinking, how can we reach more people? How can we bring Napa to you and it started with the virtual tastings.”
Iannetta said clients ask about everything, from how Jack Winery started to what kinds of wines he likes.
“I just like to show people what I’m drinking, and what I enjoy,” Iannetta said. “Everyone thinks I only drink Jack wines. But I like to show (that) these are some of the things I’m drinking. This is a Tuesday night and I decided to have a glass of wine and this is what I’m enjoying right now. Just to showcase some of the things I like and let people know there’s many high-quality wines out there.”
Iannetta, a 14-year major league veteran, is working out at his offseason home in Wrentham, Mass. in preparation for a possible return to Major League Baseball this season.
He said he was able to order most of the equipment he needed early in the pandemic, including free weights, a squat rack and a Keiser Indoor Cycle. He said he goes on four-mile runs and does sprints in his 90-yard driveway.
For now, athletes such as James and Iannetta are spending time with family during stay-home orders and working out. And of course, enjoying wine.
