Tom Seaver: Winemaker

[Auggie]

Napa Valley Register, 10-6-09

From high atop Diamond Mountain in Calistoga, Tom Seaver has a stunning view of the Napa Valley.

It’s quiet on this 116-acre property, a startling contrast to the sights and sounds of New York City, where he was known as “Tom Terrific” and “The Franchise,” going back to his days as a dominating right-handed pitcher for the Mets. He played for four different teams from 1967 to 1986, but is primarily remembered for his time in the Big Apple. “Aesthetically, it’s just spectacular,” he said. “Every day it’s breathtaking. It’s spectacularly beautiful.”

Seaver turns 65 next month, but the Baseball Hall of Fame member and three-time National League Cy Young Award winner is far from retired. He works 10 days a year for the Mets, doing speaking engagements and customer relations duties. The rest of the time he can usually be found tending to his 3.2-acre hillside vineyards.

He has a very short commute — a walking trail from his home to his place of work that takes less than two minutes. Joining him are his two Labrador retrievers, Bandy and Major. “In a sense, that’s my gym,” Seaver said last week, looking out on his vineyards. “It all just centers around the grape.” As a grape grower and owner of Seaver Family Vineyard, he is producing about 500 cases of GTS Cabernet Sauvignon wine each year from the Diamond Mountain District.

MORE: http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/10/06/sports/doc4acad247c747f892458609.txt