Ten-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony has been making some major moves on and off the court for some time. According to Food & Wine, the Laker has been working on launching his new wine brand, VII(N) — The Seventh Estate, for three years. The number in that brand name should ring a bell for Lakers fans. Wine Spectator points out it’s a reference to Anthony’s jersey number.
VII(N) — The Seventh Estate was created with “third-generation French winemaker” Stéphane Usseglio, and the first release will be a 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape named “Oath of Fidelity,” a tribute to François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture, a revolutionary who helped earn Haiti’s independence from France (via Food & Wine). As Wine Folly explains, “Châteauneuf-du-Pape” is a French wine appellation in the Southern Rhône Valley next to Avignon and means “pope’s new castle” referring to a period when the pope resided in Avignon. Reportedly, the wine will be composed of Grenache and Mourvèdre, which are two types of popular red wine grapes (via USA Wine Ratings). Oath of Fidelity is scheduled to be out this fall, but Food & Wine warns there are only 200 cases expected for the first release, and a salary akin to that of one of Anthony’s teammates might be required to actually afford a bottle.
