NBA Finals Oakland. One of my favorite versions of the bustling metropolis, the ever-evolving, the rapidly extravagant city that (as of now) hosts the 5 time Champion Golden State Warriors. Even Ice Cube was at the Lake Chalet in Oakland this morning, signaling that everyone wants a piece of this amazing city and that Today will in fact, be a Good Day. Now without further ado…
Wines to Pair with the 2018 NBA Finals.
China Klay
I’ve heard it said, the most dependable, possibly the best player on the Warriors squad is “China Klay.” After letting it all hang out over his two week stint China this summer, Klay Thompson taught the world what it’s like to ‘do you’, and absolutely slay. And while I hope Klay refrains from the Dim Sum over the next few weeks, I feel perfectly comfortable watching the Finals with a batch of soup dumplings and a bottle of Celler La Salada ‘Roig Boig.’ Roig Boig is a hodge podge of indigenous, nearly extinct varieties from the Penedès region of Spain. Farmed and vinified organically, made in the Petillant style and so delicious with dumplings I’m surprised China Klay wasn’t spraying it all over the Rockets Locker room.
The Steph Shimmy
I named our sherry flight at Bellota after Steph Curry, so it only makes sense to drink the sherry while we watch our boy do the shimmy. For a delicious bottle of briny Manzanilla, look to Alexander Jules ‘8/41.’ Alexander Russan is an importer, a winemaker and an extremely proficient sherry barrel selector. He scours the Sherry Triangle for exceptional sherry barrels, buys them from the sherry house solera and bottles them for my (and your) consumption. (Should any of these words confuse you, reread my previous Sherry blog.) We have this wine by the glass at Bellota so be sure to quaff some down bar-side before a game.
The Hamptons 5
I have high hopes for Iguadala’s return, so when the Hampton’s Five takes the court this Finals, let’s all get fancy. I myself have never been to the Hamptons, but were I to go to this popular seaside celeb hangout, I’d take a delicious bottle of Envínate ‘Palo Blanco.’ The Palo Blanco is made from 100 year old vine Listan Blanco, grown of the steep hillsides of Tenerife, Las Canarias. It’s a relatively rare wine, more thoughtful than most celebrity types and such a great example of terruño you may not even notice Kanye West walking past you. Rumor has it, it may even be the wine they drank when seducing Durant into playing with us. We may never know.
The LeBron Show
Fine fine, LeBron James is kind of an anomaly. And after four finals and a number of Christmases together, he knows how to show off for the Warriors. When its time to sit back and watch him get crazy, I’ll be sipping on a grippy, muscular glass of 2013 Clos Martinet from the Priorat. Dark fruit, tobacco and slate to answer back LeBron’s uncanny ability to put up so many points. Hopefully my dad will have grilled up a steak and my dog will have readied her earmuffs.
The Big Win
Whether LeBron gets crazy or not, I’ve got to count on another Oakland win. For this year’s festivities, I’m drinking a bottle of Clos Lentiscus ‘Xarel.lo Xpressió.’ Winemaker, Manel Avinyó adds rosemary honey from the estate’s Bee Farm to start the secondary fermentation- giving the wine a creamy, bees-waxy flavor and texture. White flowers, jasmine, rocky terruño, herbs and a delicious nuttiness make up the flavor components of this champagne style sparkler. Last year I was in Spain when we won, silently crying and yelling from my wonderful accommodations with my friends at Succés Vinícola. This year, I plan on popping the top off this sucker right here in Oakland- just as soon as I see Steph kissing that Larry O’Brien Trophy. GO DUBS!!!
PS- All of these wines are on the wine list at Bellota, which is where I work now, which I swear we’ll talk about as soon as I get time. I’ve missed you.
Blogged At: Bellota SF
Soundtrack: (Spotify Radio)- Flow with it (You Got Me Feeling Like)
it rains in spain 