It’s no secret that Jimmy Butler loves wine and has a particular appreciation for Pinot Noir. The forward for the Miami Heat has been known to travel with a case of Pinot bottles to places including the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 NBA bubble. And while he did not make the US Olympic team this year, why go to Paris when you can tour the Côte d’Or? Butler used his free time this offseason to further his wine passion with a trip to Burgundy.
“Over the years, I have hosted all sorts of people in our cellar,” said Jeremy Seysses, co-owner and winemaker at Domaine Dujac in Morey-St.-Denis, one of several wineries Butler stopped at. “My favorite are those who bring with them their passion and their joy, and Jimmy brought it all.”
Kindly documenting his travels on YouTube, Butler visited some of the best Burgundy has to offer, also including:
Château de la Tour in Clos de Vougeot, where he was guided by managing director Edouard Labet.
Domaine de l’Arlot in Premeaux-Prissey with winery sales director Adeline Piette and technical director Géraldine Godot.
Domaine Ponsot, also in Morey-St.-Denis, where he was shown the ropes by winemaker Alexandre Abel.
Armand Heitz near Chassagne-Montrachet, where he enjoyed an evening of BBQ with the team, including owner Armand Heitz. Butler skillfully grilled with one hand while enjoying a glass of wine with the other.
Domaine Jérôme Castagnier in Morey-St.-Denis with Jérôme Castagnier himself.
Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair in Vosne-Romanée with founder and owner Louis-Michel Liger-Belair.
It wasn’t all holiday—Butler trained with the local basketball club, JDA Dijon Basket, in the mornings and then made his winery trips in the afternoons. During his visits, Butler cautiously rolled barrels, tried out a forklift and exchanged autographed bottles with winemakers.
And his competitive nature extends beyond the court—he accurately guessed vintages while blind-tasting. At Domaine Dujac, he nailed a 2002. “He is competitive!” Dujac's Seysses told Wine Spectator. “He had lots of questions and was a keen student, intent on learning as much as possible during the short time we shared. Or maybe he was keen to have an edge when I blind-tasted the group on some older wines after showing them some recent vintages.”
Wine has seemingly become the pastime of choice for NBA players, as we are seeing more and more wine bottles make appearances on social media from stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Several former and current players have started their own wine labels, including Yao Ming, Channing Frye, James Harden and Carmelo Anthony, to name a few. Butler credits former teammate Dwyane Wade (of Napa’s Wade Cellars) for getting him into wine, and current teammate Kevin Love is part of the Channing Frye team.
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