Double Play: Braves Baseball, Sonoma Wine, Burgundy Surprise

Back in November 2022, my wife Dio and I experienced a remarkable fusion of baseball and fine wine at an event I wrote about here. We gathered with Atlanta Braves executives, legends like Andruw Jones, and fellow wine enthusiasts 420 feet above Truist Park to celebrate the Braves' 2021 World Series triumph while enjoying exceptional wines. That experience was so memorable that when another Braves baseball-meets-wine opportunity arose at the 2024 High Museum Wine Auction, we immediately raised our paddles.

Little did we know that our "MVP Sonoma Soiree" buy-in lot would lead to an unexpected journey through some of Burgundy's most hallowed bottles – creating what might be one of the most extraordinary tasting experiences of my wine journey so far.

Before diving into the event itself, let me quickly explain what makes the High Museum Wine Auction so special for those who might be new to my blog.

HIGH MUSEUM ATLANTA WINE AUCTION: PARTY WITH A PURPOSE

Each year, the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction brings together more than one hundred restaurants and vintners to create extraordinary experiences that support the museum's mission-driven programs and special exhibitions. Now in its thirty-second year, the auction has become a cornerstone event for wine enthusiasts across the Southeast, culminating in the Vintners' Reception and Live Auction where Atlanta's best eateries serve alongside unforgettable wines while bidders raise their paddles for unique experiences.

When "Lot 16: MVP Sonoma Soiree" came up for bidding, we 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 a Thursday evening dinner party for 20 couples at a private home in Buckhead. 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 LocalThree. Dio and I 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...

ON THE FIELD WITH 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 entrance.

As we made our way through the Truist Club's elegant interior, excitement built knowing we'd soon be standing on the same field where the Braves play. Being a lifelong fan who's followed the team from their days at Fulton County Stadium through Turner Field and now to Truist Park, this was a pretty surreal moment.

Stepping onto the immaculate grass from the first base side, we found something I'd never seen before – a wine tasting setup right on the warning track! Tables with elegant displays of charcuterie and cheese alongside wine bottles created an utterly unique scene – 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, the wine's bright character made a strong first impression and paired wonderfully with the food spread as we settled into the unique environment.

It was here we first met Dan Kosta, whose name many wine enthusiasts will recognize from his Kosta-Browne days. He talked about his current projects – Convene and Grail. Dan explained 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 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 was seeing our names displayed on a large video monitor in the stadium. The display cycled through attendees alphabetically, and when our turn came, Dio and I grabbed these once in a lifetime photos!

While enjoying the field experience, we also had a chance to catch up with Cathy Rhoades, one of the 2024 High Museum Wine Auction’s co-chairs. She shared the amusing story of how this entire event came together – she dreamed it up over lunch with Dan and then 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. 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 the 2025 co-chair, Dio has found Cathy's guidance invaluable. Beyond her work with the Wine Auction, Cathy has an impressive track record of community involvement with organizations like Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and the National Charity League, while also running her residential design firm. Her wealth of experience with charitable events and commitment to the arts community has been an invaluable resource as Dio takes on her co-chair responsibilities for the 2025 auction.

The experience continued with a tour through the dugout, where we snapped photos and soaked in the player's perspective of the field. For a lifelong Braves fan like myself, hanging out in the same dugout as the current stars felt surreal!

BUCKHEAD ELEGANCE AND SONOMA STARS

As the field reception concluded, we made our way to a stunning private home in Buckhead for the evening's main event. 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 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, demonstrating the site's remarkable qualities through Kosta's skilled winemaking. I was so impressed that I secured several bottles for my cellar the very next day, eager to follow its development over the years and 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 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 (their loss!) – we settled in for dinner. I found myself seated next to a serious Burgundy collector and importer, leading to a fascinating 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, the winemakers and chef addressed the crowd. 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 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, and I said I've never had a '61, and he goes charging down the stairs, and the next thing you know, here comes every '61 1st growth in Dick Denny's arms, and he opens every damn one."

He also 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," drawing laughs from the crowd.

After acknowledging Denny's influence, Chef Hall thanked the winemakers for their generosity, noting this was an "away game" for the California visitors who had traveled all the way across the country to support the museum. "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."

Denny, an Atlanta attorney who launched the auction in 1993, was inspired 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 mentored a generation of wine enthusiasts.

Rich Aurilia shared how he'd been reluctant to attend initially but had been convinced by Dan after an impromptu meeting in Healdsburg Square. He explained that when Dan called to tell him that some High Museum board members were in Healdsburg, he was already at the town square's 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. And like, group walks in and we're drinking out of red solo cups, drinking wine, and 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 it 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 served without decanting, it showed the skilled winemaking behind the Red Stitch brand.

THE UNEXPECTED BURGUNDY REVELATION

As the evening continued, our host mentioned offering a cellar tour for anyone 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" – a remarkable collection of Napa and Bordeaux wines that most collectors would consider the centerpiece of their collection. If this was the "kids' cellar," what could possibly await in the main cellar?

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. 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 complementing the 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 dispose of it and the next wine about to be poured, I made the split-second decision to drink it all – with the hope that the alcohol would neutralize any shared germs. The sacrifices one makes for fine wine! Fortunately, I felt fine the next day, but I hope to never repeat that particular experience!

The 2000 Domaine Leroy Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, which I scored an impressive 98 points, proved well worth any such sacrifice. The bottle, opened without ceremony and served immediately, showed some initial funk that quickly blew off to reveal a wine of extraordinary depth and complexity. 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 – 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 SOIL

What made this evening particularly meaningful was discovering Dan Kosta's deep 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

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 baseball-themed wine event had transformed into one of the most memorable tastings of our lives, complete with legendary bottles we might never have otherwise encountered.

The evening perfectly encapsulated what 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 supported the High Museum's educational programs and exhibitions – making each sip that much more meaningful. We're already looking forward to next year's auction, wondering what new wine adventures await.