N.Ky. touted as good growing region for vines

Bottles are being sold at Great American Ball Park

Joe Morgan’s days of making double plays and hitting home runs are over; now the Baseball Hall of Famer has new business inside the Reds ball park.

Morgan is partnering with California-based Steelhead Vineyards to bring premium wine in single-serve packages to Great American Ball Park and other venues.

His W1NE for One comes in a plastic bottle with a detachable plastic glass affixed to the screw cap. It serves about one-third the amount of a typical bottle of wine.

“People want to enjoy good wine in casual settings like sporting events or concerts,” Morgan said. Until now, that hasn’t been possible.

Morgan played second base for the Cincinnati Reds for eight years in the 1970s, winning two National League MVP honors. He teamed with Steelhead to work a deal with a New Zealand company that gave them the rights to the product for U.S. sales.

The wine is produced from vineyards in Sonoma County, Calif., and is being sold in six states. It first hit the market at Great American Ball Park in July.

Morgan said business at Great American has been a hit, with more than

“This wine is great for a setting where you are around a lot of people, or somewhere you might bump into people, because of the bottle’s size,” he said.

Baseball fans can buy the 187 milliliters of W1NE for One, either as a chardonnay or merlot, for $10 at the ball park. A case of 24 bottles can be ordered for $96.

Morgan’s interest in wine dates to his time with the San Francisco Giants, where he made a barrel of wine under the guidance of winemaker Robert Mondavi. He also thanks baseball for preparing him for a business career that includes ownership in Joe Morgan Honda and work in the beer industry. “A lot of things from (my baseball career) helped me, including always being prepared and knowing my competition and being able to adjust,” he said.

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