Got $20? You, too, can drink like Dwyane Wade
It's no secret that the NBA loves wine. With the multi-million dollar contracts and luxury lifestyles, it seems safe to assume the league's favorite bottles would be well out of reach for the average wine drinker. But it turns out that former Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade's choice of rosé is just $20 a bottle.
On Thursday, a newly retired Wade posted an Instagram video of him on the golf course enjoying the wine, drinking it straight from the bottle while taking a break in his golf cart. A closer look shows the former basketball player was polishing off a bottle of his own vineyard: Wade Cellar's Three by Wade California Rose from 2017, which retails for a mere $20 a pop.
Wade isn't the only one opting for pink. Rosé has exploded in popularity in recent years; in 2017 sales of rosé grew by 50 percent, according to the most recent Nielsen data. During the same year, one in every 36 bottles of wine drank in the United States was pink.
"Rosé has been on the rise for the past 10 years now, going from an afterthought wine and even a wine that serious sommeliers wouldn't put on their menus, to the wine list mainstay that it is today, said Kristin Tice Studeman, founder of The Rosé Project, a pop-up restaurant concept in the New York area, in an email to CBS News on Friday. "People credit it's rise to a lot of different things, but I would say it was just the perfect storm of all of those factors."
Wade's choice, Three by Wade, comes from California using Petite Sirah, Carignane and Zinfandel grapes, according to the vineyard. The vineyard describes the wine as "fresh, vibrant, and light" and tells drinkers to expect notes of "fresh cherries and raspberries."
Because of California's diverse environment, it's tough to characterize rosé from the state, Studeman said. But one thing is certain, she said: "There are some really amazing rosés coming out of California right now."
Many NBA stars — especially the "Banana Boat Team," which includes Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul — have taken to wine in recent years. James is known for showing off lust-worthy trophy bottles on Instagram, often from Napa Valley, and caused a stir earlier this year when he strolled into a basketball game with a glass of red wine in tow.
Wade has taken his love of wine a step further, producing his own wine with partner Jayson Pahlmeyer, a Napa Valley winemaking veteran. In addition to Wade's rosé, the vineyard also offers a $35 red blend. The vineyard also offers a taste of luxury as well; for the well-pocketed, Wade Cellars sells a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for $215.
A publicist for Wade did not immediately respond to a request for comment.