California: AT&T Park is putting new wine choices on roster

(SFExaminer) - The notion of wine drinking at a baseball game, or any sporting event, is still lost on a lot of people, even in San Francisco, which is one of the most wine-savvy places in the United States. Beer may still be the drink of choice for many, but fans are increasingly turning to wine, for on a breezy summer night, a glass of red might be more apropos than an Anchor Steam.

Since I started writing the annual “drinking wine at AT&T Park” column, the selection and variety at the baseball park have steadily improved. Last year, Centerplate and its director of concessions, Sandie Filipiak, put a new wine venue, Vintage 58, on the promenade level behind home plate. Here you can find nearly a dozen wines, of which eight are on tap. Vinum’s 2012 White Elephant, a blend of chenin blanc, roussanne and viognier, and its Rhone-style blend, Red Dirt, are but two of the California selections that are available. You will also find imports such as a 2013 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Simonnet Febvre Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé. All wines cost $10.50 for a single 5.5-ounce glass (cup), $21 for a double and $48 for a carafe that carries the equivalent of a bottle of wine.

This year there is a portable annex of Vintage 58 on the view reserve level, providing easier access for more fans. Mixing it up a little bit, Filipiak chose to offer different wines here such as the Recuerdo Torrontes from Argentina and Acrobat Rose pinot noir from Oregon. The pricing is the same, but only wines on tap are available.

While Vintage 58 is open to everyone, those lucky enough to be on the club level are privy to the Farmers Market food stand that pours wines from smaller producers, such as the Medlock Ames Cabernet Sauvignon ($13), which comes from an organic producer that is also entirely solar powered.