This is definitely an interesting hire in the baseball world, as the San Francisco Giants have added an Oracle Park Master Sommelier to the ballpark concessions lineup.
To those unfamiliar with the term, a Master Sommelier is an accredited wine expert, requiring successfully navigating four levels of exams in a multi-year process. The Giants hired Evan Goldstein of Full Circle Wine Solutions, just one of 269 Master Sommeliers worldwide and the first ever to officially join a professional sports organization, to consult on the ballpark’s wine program:
- Conduct in-person and virtual wine tasting sessions for various Giants customer groups.
- Facilitate wine pairing concepts for Oracle Park and Giants-specific culinary offerings.
- Assist with the selection of wines featured, introducing fans to a variety of regions and profiles.
- Curate wine-related experiential programs for the Giants community, i.e. wine country field trips, member programming and other wine-related activations.
- Explore unique wine related programs, partnerships and opportunities.
- Collaborate with current and former Giants players who are both involved in the wine industry and/or have an interest in wine.
The Giants have featured in-ballpark wine service since Opening Day 1977 at Candlestick Park. Today, most MLB teams offer some sort of wine program; Oracle Park features a dedicated wine bar on each level, California Wine Carts along the Promenade and View Levels and seven unique locations that offer wine on tap.
“Wine, like baseball, is an experience – it creates and impacts memories and brings people together,” Goldstein said via press release. “Delicious wines can be mainstream and accessible, and as happy being alongside a hot dog as a premium steak. I am excited to collaborate with the Giants to create a new wine benchmark for sports entertainment.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Evan and bring his extensive knowledge of wine into our organization,” said Jason Pearl, Giants Senior Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer, via press release. “His unique vision and passion for how wine and baseball can interact on multiple levels, inside and outside the ballpark, is exciting and we look forward to the collaboration.”