America's Cup: Booze and Boating Unite!

Wine and yachts -- an American tradition

Wine and yachts go together like PBR and fixies. So you knew this was coming. The organizers of the forthcoming America's Cup and Napa Valley Vintners today announced that Napa will be the "Official Wine Region of the 34th America's Cup." Those toting in foreign crap or swill from Sonoma will be keel-hauled.

No, not really.

Rather, says Terry Hall, the communications director for Napa Valley Vintners, the roughly 420 wineries his organization represents will be providing all the wine for the official America's Cup events. Asked how much vino that is, Hall declined to state, noting that official agreements have yet to be worked out. It will be a metric shitload, however. Hall agreed it was fair to say tens of thousands of bottles will be uncorked.



Hall claimed no money exchanged hands in this deal. The America's Cup people benefit from millions of milliliters of wine, and the wine people get the prestige of providing it.

It remains unclear in what form the tens of thousands of bottles will arrive in. Hall said a number of his wineries produce vessels as large as 27 liters -- that's the equivalent of 36 regular bottles of wine and is called a "Primat"

Cheers!

​Hall says other wineries do wine-in-kegs for the kinds of affairs that call for wine-in-kegs. Unless formal bowling shirts are the chosen attire for yachting parties, we're thinking that may not go over so well. Nor would serving wine out of one of these, come to think of it.

Asked what wines pair well with yachting, Hall didn't waste a nanosecond noting that "all wines go with yachting." If it's a hot, sunny day try a "crisp sauvignon blanc." If it's cold and foggy -- and it will be -- go for the the cabernet sauvignon "to keep you warm."

The Cup, incidentally, has not yet inked a partnership with the cheese people. Or the beer people for that matter. And no liquor partner yet. Though that raises an intriguing question -- what wines pair well with vodka?



This article has been altered since its original publication.

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