Double Play: Braves Baseball, Sonoma Wine, Burgundy Surprise

Back in November 2022, my wife Dio and I experienced something quite unexpected. What was it, you might ask? Well, believe it or not, it was a rather remarkable fusion of the art of baseball and the art of fine winemaking. This wondrous amalgam took place at an event I previously wrote about here.

A couple of years back, we’d gathered 420 feet above Truist Park with executives of the Atlanta Braves, legendary baseball players like Andruw Jones, and fellow wine enthusiasts. All of us were there to celebrate the Braves' 2021 World Series triumph (while enjoying exceptional wines, of course). That experience was so memorable that when another Braves baseball-meets-wine opportunity arose at the 2024 High Museum Wine Auction, she and I immediately raised our paddles.

Little did we realize our "MVP Sonoma Soiree" buy-in lot would lead to an unexpected trip through some of Burgundy's most hallowed bottles. This now stands as one of the most extraordinary tasting experiences of my wine journey to date.

For those who might be new to my blog (and I know there are plenty of you who fit that bill), let me quickly explain what makes the High Museum Wine Auction so special. Then we can dive into the details of the event itself,

HIGH MUSEUM ATLANTA WINE AUCTION: A PARTY WITH A PURPOSE

Each year since 1993, the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction has brought together more than one hundred restaurants and vintners to create extraordinary experiences that support the museum's mission-driven programs and special exhibitions. Thirty-two years on, the auction has become a cornerstone event for wine enthusiasts across the Southeast. The annual event culminates in a Vintners' Reception and Live Auction where bidders raise their paddles in hopes of scoring unique experiences while .Atlanta's best eateries serve some of their most outstanding dishes alongside unforgettable wines.

When "Lot 16: MVP Sonoma Soiree" came up for bidding, Dio and I simply couldn't resist. The package promised a pre-game on-field Truist Park experience with Mike Plant, Derek Schiller, and former Braves team members, followed by an evening dinner party for just 20 couples at a private home in Atlanta’s fabled Buckhead neighborhood. The wines would be provided by Dan Kosta of Convene and Rich Aurilia of Red Stitch Wine Group, with food prepared by Chef Chris Hall of Local Three. We jumped at the chance to purchase this buy-in lot, securing our spots for what promised to be an unforgettable evening.

Now, back to our adventure...

SHARING THE PLAYING FIELD WITH BONA FIDE LEGENDS

Dio and I arrived at Truist Park on a perfect mid-September 2024 afternoon, immediately spotting other wine-loving folks in their “Thursday best” heading toward the stadium’s entrance.

Making our way through the Truist Club's elegant interior, our excitement built. Soon we’d be standing on the same field where the iconic Atlanta Braves played. As a lifelong fan who's followed the team from their early days at Fulton County Stadium through to their time at Turner Field and now to their current home of Truist Park, this was a pretty surreal moment.

Stepping onto the (immaculate) grass from the first base side, we came upon something I certainly never thought I’d live to see: a wine tasting setup right on the warning track! Elegant table displays of charcuterie, cheese and bottles of wine combined to create an utterly unique scene. It was definitely a first for us!

Our first pour was the 2021 Red Stitch Sierra Mar Vineyard Chardonnay from Santa Lucia Highlands. Though I didn't take formal notes during this portion of the evening, as we settled into the unique environment, this wine's bright character made a strong first impression and paired wonderfully with the gorgeous spread of food.

It was here we first met Dan Kosta. Many wine enthusiasts will likely recognize Dan’s name from his Kosta-Browne days. He talked with us about his current projects – Convene and Grail, explaining that after selling Kosta-Browne to Duckhorn, he wanted to create wines at different price points, with Convene offering approachable pricing and Grail representing his "grand cru" selections for serious collectors.

Next came an introduction to Rich Aurilia of Red Stitch Wine Group. The former San Francisco Giants star shared that this was his first visit to Truist Park, having only played at the old Fulton County Stadium and Turner Field during his career. I mentioned that Fulton County Stadium was where I saw my first Braves game as a kid, creating an immediate connection through baseball history.

We also sampled the 2021 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay, another standout white that paired beautifully with the charcuterie and ballpark ambiance.

One highlight of this experience was seeing both of our names shown on a large video monitor in the stadium. The display cycled through all the attendees in alphabetical order, and when our turn came, Dio and I grabbed these once in a lifetime photos! Seriously, how cool is that?

While enjoying the legitimately rare opportunity to hang out on the Braves’ actual field, we also had a chance to catch up with Cathy Rhoades, one of the co-chairs of the 2024 High Museum Wine Auction. She shared the amusing story of how this entire event came together. It seems Cathy dreamed it up over lunch with Dan and then together they tracked down Rich in “the square in Healdsburg."

According to Cathy, when they approached Rich, his response was classic: "I don't have stalkers anymore,” he said. “I'm not playing baseball. Y'all want my wine? OK, I'll give you some wine."

Her passion for the auction radiated through every word, and as Dio is now serving as the 2025 event’s co-chair, she has found Cathy's guidance invaluable. Beyond her work with the Wine Auction and while also running her residential design firm, Cathy has an impressive track record of community involvement through organizations like Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and the National Charity League. Her wealth of experience with working and overseeing charitable events and her ongoing commitment to the area’s arts community has proven to be an invaluable resource as Dio takes on her myriad of responsibilities for the 2025 auction.

Our time at Truist Park continued with a tour of the dugout, where we snapped photos and took in the players’ perspective of the field. For a lifelong Braves fan like myself, hanging in the same dugout as the current stars felt surreal!

SONOMA STARS SHINE IN BUCKHEAD’S ELEGANCE

At the conclusion of the field reception, we made our way to a stunning private home in Buckhead for the main feature of the evening. The historic residence, perched on a hill and surrounded by manicured grounds, provided a perfect backdrop for the wine dinner ahead.

Our gracious host —a fellow musician and wine aficionado— greeted us warmly as we entered. The home’s backyard had been transformed into an elegant tasting space with wines from both featured producers beautifully displayed.

I headed straight for Dan Kosta's Grail selections, eager to experience his "grand cru" approach to Sonoma wines. The 2021 DK Grail Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard, which I scored 93 points, immediately impressed with its expressive character. It showed beautifully right out of the gate, Kosta's skilled winemaking bringing out the site's remarkable qualities. I was so taken with this wine that the very next day I secured several bottles for my cellar, eager to follow its development over the years and to remember this extraordinary evening.

The 2021 DK Grail Pinot Noir Campbell Ranch also showed exceptionally well, earning 92 points in my estimation. While both were outstanding, I will say that I found myself slightly preferring the Rosella's Vineyard expression for its additional layers of complexity.

As more guests arrived –including some who had opted to skip the ballpark portion of the showcase (their loss!)– we settled in for dinner. I found myself seated next to a serious Burgundy collector and importer, and soon the two of us were deep in conversation about my self-taught approach to exploring Burgundy's complex terroirs and producers.

Following an exceptional meal prepared by Chef Chris Hall and his Local Three team, both the winemakers and the chef addressed the crowd directly. Dan Kosta expressed his love for Atlanta and the High Museum Wine Auction, noting that while his former business partner Michael Brown had long represented Kosta-Browne at the event, this was only his own third personal attendance.

"I always joked that my job at Kosta-Brown was telling people how much wine they couldn't have," Dan shared. "I don't want that anymore. I want to tell people, 'Yes, here's what you can have.'"

Chef Chris Hall paid tribute to Dick Denny, a legendary figure in Atlanta's wine scene and the founder of the High Museum Wine Auction. "I will never forget doing an '82 dinner at his house,” the chef recalled. “I said,' ‘I've never had a '61,’ and he goes charging down the stairs. The next thing you know, here comes every '61 1st growth in Dick Denny's arms, and he opens every damn one."

He also drew laughs from the crowd when he shared a humorous story about accidentally knocking over a Picasso statue in Denny's house, "which was a little awkward because he wasn't very happy…”

After acknowledging Denny's influence, Chef Hall thanked the winemakers for their generosity, noting this was an "away game" for the California visitors who’d made quite a journey. "They've traveled all the way across the country to be here because they want the museum to be successful and want us to be successful, so they really deserve a lot more credit," he enthused.

Denny, an Atlanta attorney, was inspired to launch the annual event by charity wine events he'd enjoyed in Napa Valley. His vision helped transform Atlanta into a sophisticated wine market and created an important pipeline of leadership for the museum itself. When Chef Hall invoked Denny's name, he was acknowledging one of the most influential figures in Atlanta's wine community – a man whose generosity with his knowledge and collection had made him a mentor to a generation of wine enthusiasts.

Rich Aurilia then shared how he'd initially been reluctant to attend, but had been convinced by Dan to do so after an impromptu meeting in Healdsburg Square. Rich explained that when Dan called to tell him some High Museum board members were in Healdsburg, he was already at the town square's weekly Tuesday night music event.

"They were like, 'Well, we're going to dinner at the Matheson. Maybe we'll just stop by Music in the Square and try one of your wines,'" Rich recalled. "Thankfully I had one there. The group walks in and we're drinking wine out of red solo cups. That's how my introduction to the High was made."

He emphasized his support for arts education, noting, "The arts are getting lost in schools now... Anything that has to do with that, I'm going to support because I think it's a big part of kids' lives growing up and where they can express themselves in different ways."

After dinner, I sampled the 2017 Red Stitch Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, which earned 92 points for its impressive structure and balance. Even when served without decanting, it showed the skilled winemaking behind the esteemed Red Stitch brand.

BURGUNDY: AN UNEXPECTED REVELATION

As the evening continued, our host casually offered a cellar tour for anyone who was interested. Several of us eagerly took him up on what we thought would be a quick walkthrough, not knowing this simple invitation would lead to the night's most extraordinary experience.

He first showed us what he playfully called his "kids' cellar" – which was in reality a remarkable assortment of Napa and Bordeaux wines that most collectors would probably consider centerpieces of their own collections. If this was the "kids' cellar," what could possibly await in the main space?

After passing through a music room displaying an impressive guitar collection, we descended into what our host called his "big boy cellar" – a temperature-controlled sanctuary dedicated almost entirely to Burgundy. The atmosphere changed immediately as we entered this hallowed space, with conversation naturally dropping to hushed tones in the presence of such vinous history.

When our host offered to share a bottle, Dan and Rich didn't hesitate to accept. Surrounded by serious wine collectors, they chose two bottles from François Raveneau. The 2017 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, which I scored 95 points, showed remarkable precision and minerality – classic Raveneau with that signature combination of tension and richness.

The 2013 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, which earned 96 points from me, displayed even more complexity and development with its additional bottle age, revealing honey, hazelnut, and subtle oxidative notes that complemented its core of citrus and minerality.

What happened next created a moment of unexpected comedy. Many of us were still finishing our Raveneau when the announcement came that our host would be opening a bottle of 2000 Domaine Leroy Clos Vougeot Grand Cru. With no dump buckets in sight and everyone eager to clear their glasses for this legendary wine, people began pouring their remaining Raveneau into the next person's glass. Being last in line, I ended up with a glass containing everyone else's remaining Raveneau!

With nowhere to easily dispose of it and the next wine about to be poured, I made the split-second decision to simply drink it all – and hope the alcohol would neutralize any shared germs. Oh, the sacrifices one makes for fine wine! Fortunately, I felt fine the next day, but I strenuously hope to never be put in that particular position again!

The 2000 Domaine Leroy Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, which I scored an impressive 98 points, proved well worth any such potential risk. The bottle, opened without ceremony and served immediately, showed some initial funk that quickly blew off to reveal a wine of extraordinary depth. Its light brownish color testified to its age, but the palate revealed a wine still very much alive and evolving. The earthy complexity and silky texture of those final sips were simply transcendent – it was easily the finest Burgundy I've ever experienced.

Later, when I researched current market prices for this bottle, I had to smile at the irony – a Sonoma wine event had unexpectedly led to tasting one of Burgundy's most coveted and expensive wines.

BURGUNDIAN SOUL IN SONOMA’S SOIL

What made this evening particularly meaningful was discovering Dan Kosta's deep and lasting reverence for Burgundy. As we tasted these extraordinary French wines, the connection became clear – his Pinot Noir approach at both Kosta-Browne and now Grail has always been informed by his appreciation for Burgundian traditions, adapted to California's unique terroir.

The discussion that unfolded in the cellar – touching on cork quality, aging potential, and what makes certain wines truly legendary – illuminated how much the California winemakers themselves are guided by the standards set in Burgundy's hallowed vineyards. It was fascinating to witness these Sonoma pioneers experiencing these benchmark wines alongside us.

FULL CIRCLE: WINE, COMMUNITY AND PURPOSE COMBINE

As Dio and I drove home that evening, we reflected on how these High Museum Wine Auction buy-in lots consistently deliver experiences beyond our expectations. What had begun as a fairly straightforward baseball-themed wine event had somehow, inexplicably transformed into one of the most memorable tastings of our lives, complete with legendary bottles we might never have encountered otherwise.

The evening perfectly encapsulated what it is that draws me to wine culture: The unexpected connections, the generosity of sharing rare bottles, and the way wine brings together people from different worlds. Major League Baseball players, Sonoma winemakers, and Atlanta collectors all found common ground through these extraordinary wines.

Even better, the proceeds generated that night supported the High Museum's educational programs and exhibitions – making each sip we all took that much more meaningful. Dio and I are already looking forward to next year's auction, wondering what new and unpredictable wine adventures await.