The PGA TOUR and William Hill Estate Winery recently announced a new, multi-year marketing relationship that designates William Hill Estate Winery as the “Official Wine of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Web.com Tour” in North America.
Located in the Napa Valley, William Hill is owned by the E&J Gallo Winery and is a purveyor of luxury Chardonnay and other sought-after varietals crafted from California’s premier coastal regions. The collaboration reflects the trend of PGA and LPGA Tour players launching their own vineyards to produce wines or partnering with vineyards to launch private-label vintages. Here’s a sampling:
David Frost
Frosty and his family have been in the wine business in South Africa for more than 60 years. Frost’s father's vineyard is reportedly the first place he hit balls and the pocket money he made from picking grapes funded his first set of clubs and “an on-going supply of balls.”
In 1994, Frost bought his own 300 acre vineyard in the Paarl wine region, and, with the help of Napa winemaker Jason Fisher, produced his first 3,000 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1997. The David Frost Wine Estate range now comprises an exceptional range of fine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Par Excellence (traditional red blend) and Shiraz.
Ernie Els
The concept of Ernie Els Wines was born in 1999. With the help of award-winning winemaker Louis Strydom, they produced the maiden 2000 vintage of Ernie Els – a “classic” Bordeaux blend. The intention from the outset is “to focus on delivering a quality product that could hold its own in the company of the world's finest wines.”
Luke Donald
The creation of Luke Donald Collection wines has its origins in a longstanding friendship between Donald and fine wine professional Bill Terlato of the family-owned Terlato Wine Group. The Terlato-Donald friendship resulted in a new Napa Valley wine partnership, with the first release in April 2008, of a Claret-style red wine blend.
Greg Norman
Launched in 1996, Greg Norman Estates offers a collection of wines from Australia, California and Argentina. Accolades for the collection include thirteen 90+ points from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, three Wine Spectator “Top 100 Wines in the World” and the 1998 Reserve Shiraz received #8 Wine in the World recognition.
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer Wines label is produced in collaboration with Luna Vineyards in California, with the first vintage appearing in 2005. Arnold Palmer Wines can be found in high-end restaurants, resorts and wine shops around the country and the collection includes Cabernet Sauvignon and a vibrant Chardonnay.
Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus Wines, a line of handcrafted, limited-production wines from California’s Napa Valley, is a partnership between Terlato Wines and Jack Nicklaus and his family. The Cabernet Sauvignon, according to the label’s website, is “a brilliant garnet color in the glass with aromas of blackberry, red plum and notes of cedar” and “is full bodied and rich with intense, layered mocha and red current flavors with undertones of sweet spice.”
Gary Player
Established in 1998, Quoin Rock Winery of South Africa was selected by Player’s Black Knight Wine for the production of their wine. Grapes are grown on the slopes of the Simonsberg, in Stellenbosch, and in the cool climate region of Cape Agulhas.
Mike Weir
Canadian native Mike Weir launched Mike Weir Estate Winery in 2005 to showcase Niagara Region wines and raise money for the Mike Weir Foundation, a charity that assists the many causes that support children in physical, emotional or financial need. The first vintage was a 2007 Cabernet Merlot and subsequent wines have included Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs.
