damon huard wine

bledsoe-huard.jpg. Restaurateurs: Apply now for a 2021 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award! Huard was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996, and played twelve seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs. But there is no doubt that I have had some great Italian wines. Damon Huard was undoubtedly excited to be picked up by Miami Dolphins in 1996 after going undrafted out of the University of Washington. We work really well together and I am ok taking the call from him in the huddle these days. Can you talk about the background of this wine? You want the best, and if you’re going to do it, you do it the right way every day. Larry Johnson that year was a monster at running back and we had a strong cast of characters. I recently had the great opportunity to sit down with Damon and talk wine. Huard is very happy with the 2013 Cabernet and looks forward to the bright future of Passing Time Winery. Dan was like a big brother to me that I never had. WWB: Can you talk about how you were first introduced to the world of wine? Word came through in May of a new wine venture from Damon Huard and Dan Marino called Passing Time. Damon Huard and Dan Marino—former Miami Dolphins quarterbacks—partnered with alluded winemaker, Chris Peterson with the goal to make some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons in Washington. WS: How would you say your personal relationship has helped make Passing Time a success?DM: We both grew up the same way as far as playing athletics, being family people and being competitive. It is such a pleasure working with Chris. Damon Huard is one of the most famous quarterbacks in University of Washington History. Those were the teams that won. • Former NFL quarterbacks Dan Marino and Damon Huard have long been known to Unfiltered as wine geeks at heart. While with the Patriots, he won two Super Bowl rings. Damon Paul Huard (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback.He is the director of community relations and fundraiser for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater.. Huard … Another difference maker is I have an amazing young winemaker, in Chris Peterson. After a while the wine bug just bit me. It has that football theme along with family and friends drinking wine.DH: We hired people to come up with names, we drew up all these ideas and we paid a lot of money, and [they] came back with all these goofy names. In the Italian neighborhood of Pittsburgh where Marino was raised, wine was always on the table, much of it homemade by his uncles, great-grandfather and neighbors. Could you imagine that in this day and age? We had a great run that year and I finished second in the league in quarterback rating behind Peyton Manning. 2017 Columbia Valley Red Wine. I told Damon, “You’ve got to try these wines,” and I got him hooked. WS: Did other teammates drink wine as well during your playing years?Damon Huard: I think most of the guys on the team were drinking Hennessy in Miami, if I remember. Through Marino and Huard would sample top wines of the world together, but they were struck with how many great wines … With wine and football, or whatever it may be in life, it’s about having passion for it. We soon realized that the winery had to be here in Washington and we needed to live here, so we all decided that we were going to do this when I was home and done with pro football. As we started to go out and have team dinners, I started trying to turn him on to Washington wines because he was drinking beer, rum and Cokes, and I was like, “You have great red wine from where you grew up!” I was surprised he hadn’t tried the wines. The Napa sparkling winemaker talks about growing up in the wine industry, learning the …, Seven wine pros from Restaurant Award winners suggest romance-sparking selections for …, What's it like being a female in the male-dominated sommelier world? Marino is partnering with his former backup quarterback, Damon Huard… So I always have had so much respect for him. Drew Bledsoe (left) and Damon Huard (far right) both backed up Tom Brady during the 2001 season for the New England Patriots. Will Shields was just inducted into the Hall of Fame and he is one of the best offensive lineman to ever play the game. Being the quarterback of that team was an honor. This has been a cool project because although we live far apart we can build a brand together and compete. We have a great relationship because he makes very different wines at Avennia, so they don’t compete. I was never exposed to fine wine and I get to Miami and Marino is pouring amazing Washington wines, like Andrew Will, Col Solare and Quilceda Creek. I also love Barolo. Damon and Dan talked about someday about owning a winery together and they finally made that dream a reality. Dan Marino and Damon Huard, former Miami Dolphins quarterbacks and teammates from 1997-99, pose for a photo while drinking their Passing Time wine during an … Here is my interview with Damon Huard, former NFL quarterback and co-owner of Passing Time Winery. We are always going to make the flagship Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet. Our goal is to be in the conversation as one of the next great Cabernet produces from Washington. Damon Huard’s hands are stained a deep purple. I have great relationships with Chris Carmarda and Charlies Hoppes. May 22, 2014. Everywhere I went I was sharing Washington wine with my teammates. We all wanted to be part of a winery. I hadn’t really played much since the 2000 season. They talked about starting a winery together when they both retired. 24 In Stock [ Add To Cart ] $49.99 … The Dan Marino Foundation presents Passing Time: A Virtual Wine Tasting & Talk with former Miami Dolphin Quarterbacks Dan Marino and Damon Huard, hosted by Andrew Lampasone with Wine Watch, a unique wine … Even though this story is new, our story goes back 20 years when Danny was first introducing me to Washington wines.I think my favorite part of the story is I have some really deep agricultural roots in Eastern Washington. It’s been good fortune or dumb luck meeting Chris and connecting right away. We’re all in this together to make something special, and that is the background we all have, the one common denominator. Whitehouse-Crawford, Walla Walla, (509) 525-2222 Fresh, locally sourced food, impeccable service and a wine list full of some of Walla Walla’s finest, all set in a stunning, welcoming atmosphere. It would have been even sweeter if I had beaten Matt! We had some incredible offensive lineman. At the time fellow QB and Washington native Drew Bledsoe was just getting into wine himself while in New England and the passion for wine kept growing. Two former Dolphins quarterbacks—mentor and mentee—forged a brotherly relationship and founded a Washington winery. This wine, made from Washington grapes from the Klipsun, Champoux and Discovery vineyards, is a … Damon is very excited about the future of Passing Time and the Washington wine industry. “I had a fun time robbing Dan’s cellar,” Huard jokes. These are tough financial decision to make but we feel like we have to do that in order to build a serious brand. We want to be the place customers go to taste amazing Washington Cabernet from the three appellations that we think people identify Washington wine with the most. With Avennia he makes a lot of wines with Rhone variatils and his Bordeaux blends come from cooler vineyard sites so they are very different wines then the big cabernets we are asking him to make for us at Passing Time. I talked about what a great owner Paul would be if we all stepped up a little with some tax dollars to build a new stadium. Damon attended the University of Washington from 1991-1995, where he finished his career as the Huskies' all-time passing leader with 5,692 yards. When our label designer put it on the label, we knew: That’s it. But it’s funny because, back then, it wasn’t as big a deal. A mentor-mentee relationship on the field soon became a friendship in wine: … I think you can get lazy especially if you are making 10 or 15 thousand cases, you are not going to have that attention to detail in the blocks. Dan Marino and Damon Huard team up on a new Washington winery. I didn’t initially know about all this history of my family but I find it fascinating that I am now sourcing fruit from the same Horse Heaven Hills region where my father grew up. Marino at one time put his name to a charity label, Marino Estates Vintage "13" California Cabernet, which benefited the Dan Marino Foundation for autism research, and Huard, who grew up in Yakima, Wash., was looking to buy a vineyard … Damon Huard, left, Chris Peterson and Dan Marino are the driving forces behind Passing Time, a Woodinville winery. In the final blend picking the right barrels and getting the right amount of new oak and the right barrel, this all makes a difference. My great grandparents were farmers of concord grapes in Grandview, Washington. But starting with the 2014 vintage we are going to make three different wines, all Cabernets, from these three Washington appellations -- Walla Walla, Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain. WWB: As Seattle fans of football, we were all very excited when you were leading the Chiefs into the playoffs during that 2006 season which included a big win against the Seahawks. Damon Huard: NFL quarterback turned winery owner. Damon and Chris joined us in the studio and shared their journeys to wine… Toward the tail end of Dan Marino’s Hall of Fame career, the Miami Dolphins quarterback got a new backup, Damon Huard. WWB: The 2013 Passing Time Cabernet (WWB, 94) is a silky and elegant wine that drinks beautifully right now. Pretty cool out that all worked out. Danny [Marino] and I had a great connection with football and with wine. We signed him on with Passing Time and we knew that we were getting a potential rockstar. I had never had any wine like this. Doug worked with the Alex Golitzin in the 70’s as well and I have had these relationships in the wine world but I wanted a winemaker that was closer to my age and driven and kind of just out there wanting to make a name for himself. Following a very quick stint in … All rights reserved. DH: I was the oldest of three boys, so it was great for me to go to the Dolphins and play alongside Dan Marino. Passing Time’s production facility is located in the Woodinville Warehouse District. That road was named after my family. Peterson had the pedigree that Huard and Marino wanted, a young passionate winemaker who cut his teeth at Dellile cellars making big Washington Reds. Can you talk about that special NFL season? WHAT: The Dan Marino Foundation presents Passing Time: A Virtual Wine Tasting & Talk with former Miami Dolphin Quarterbacks Dan Marino and Damon Huard, hosted by Andrew Lampasone with Wine Watch, a unique wine boutique based in Fort Lauderdale.. I think our end goal will be two thousand cases. These are the differences that we like. But one of the toughest things was when Trent came from his injury and Herm [head coach] gave him the starting job back. Marino: So one day I said, “Damon, I have some great Washington wines in my … WWB: How did you decide to start Passing Time and how were you introduced to Chris Peterson? After Damon retired, Huard looked into finding the right winemaker and Chris Peterson was the perfect match. Damon backed up Dan Marino for three seasons. Interview with Damon Huard, Former NFL Quarterback and Co-Owner of Passing Time Winery. Picking the fruit when it is just ripe makes a big difference in the bottle many years later. © Copyright 2021 Wine Spectator. For the past hour he has been drinking wine siphoned out … From Spain to Argentina I have had them all but at the end of the day I am always drawn back to my roots and the wines we are making right here in Washington! Tony Gonzalez is maybe the best player I ever played with. I had no idea that my home state made wine of this quality. Doug, my financial guy as well, had known for years that I was going to do this wine project. I also love Burgundy and have some great Oregon Pinots in my cellar. I grew up being a Seahawks fan. Damon ended up coming over to my house for dinner and other things, and I would break out some Col Solare, DeLille and Andrew Will. It turned out that we didn’t do it right away, but instead a few years ago, and it’s been a lot of fun. He knew that I was trying to find the right winemaker. We use old school winemaking with open air stainless steel fermentation. WWB: What are some of your favorite wines of the world that you have in your personal collection? I actually worked for Paul Allen in 1996 for Football Northwest my first year out of college after I got cut from the Bengals. In football, as a senior, he was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year and won All-American honors. One of the amazing things about that story is that I had essentially worked for the Seahawks when I was with Paul Allen’s Football Northwest 10 years earlier, and I knew a lot of people in their front office. With Avennia winemaker Chris Peterson consulting, the wines have quickly dominated the field. Passing Time is a Woodinville winery owned by Damon Huard and Dan Marino. The real beauty of Avennia and Passing Time is that the wines Chris is making for both wineries are very different in style. Damon Paul Huard (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback. The pair spoke with editorial assistant Shawn Zylberberg about the old days of NFL booze culture, their big-brother-little-brother relationship and what they've learned in just a few whirlwind years of winemaking. Huard also played 12 years in in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. Another interesting side note was that when I was done with the Dolphins I signed with the New England Patriots . I work very closely with Chris with Chris on all decisions made in the cellar and vineyard. I am the biggest Washington fan at the end of the day. Interview with Damon Huard, Former NFL Quarterback and Co-Owner of Passing Time Winery Damon Huard is one of the most famous quarterbacks in University of Washington History. Huard also had a successful career with the Kansas City Chiefs. I retired in 2009 and got started with the whole process of finding the winemaker and getting the fruit from different vineyard sources. Damon won two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots in 2001 and 2003. We want to celebrate how different the Cabernet is from these three appellations and showcase how unique Washington’s different growing regions are. All of the barrels add complexity to the wine, whether it is mouthfeel or finish. Toward the tail end of Dan Marino’s Hall of Fame career, the Miami Dolphins quarterback got a new backup, Damon Huard. The more wine I enjoyed, the more I knew that wine was the career for me once I was done with football.I would go back to Washington each offseason and during my time off from football I made some great connections in the Washington wine community. It is all about the process and a true labor of love. The Golitzins have been awesome too. Damon Huard’s hands are stained a deep purple. View Gallery. The season started rough with Trent Green getting hurt the first game of the year. We love the trials in the different barrels. I had been waiting for the phone call for a long time. Vineyards like Champoux and Klipsun which were planted over 30 years ago are a part of our program and we would not be off to the great start without their fruit. That is where Chris is really gifted in his barrel program. I got that opportunity and I made the most of it. His palate and ability to work with people. On Thursday, Marino and Huard sat in a conference room at the Washington State Wine Commission, preparing to unveil Passing Time, a clever name for their cabernet sauvignon, … One of Chris’s unique abilities is picking just al little sooner, when the grapes are still fresh. This was an absolutely outstanding and rich example of Washington Cabernet, with the silky texture that head winemaker Chris Peterson is known for. At the beginning, I don’t think I understood the moving parts in the wine business and all these neat people I met over time, the barrel reps, the farmers. "Uncle Chucky would send me a six-pack of his wine every year. We do daily punch downs and hand sort the berries at crush.Every year we are going to get better. We can detail every little thing at that quantity because we are only making that much wine. Danny and I wanted to do this for a long time and my family’s connection to the farming industry in eastern Washington has been a great help, but the last piece for us was finding that winemaker. In 2015, Passing Time sold out its 2012 vintage (500 cases). For the past hour he has been siphoning wine out of new … (Courtesy of Passing Time), Top 100 of 2020: The Year's Most Exciting Wines, 6 Valentine's Day Wine Picks and Pairings from Our Editors, Sommelier Roundtable: Valentine’s Day–Worthy Wines, Women Sommeliers Power the Profession’s Future, Sommelier Roundtable: Beverages That Deserve a Breakout Year, Wine Talk: Charles Springfield's Personal Tune. Football is the ultimate team sport. He then won the next three consecutive games that he started, tying a Dolphins record set by Earl Morrall in 1972. Washington Wine » Passing Time. I had mostly held the clipboard for New England. The Tippler Ten: Damon Huard's Washington. ... – Dan Marino, Doug Donnelly, Kevin Hughes, Damon Huard. Making Washington wine is the goal for a Husky quarterback who … After 9 months working with PauI, I got a call from the Dolphins and they wanted me to come to their training camp. Getting the crop loads down can allow theat plant to work harder for the remaining clusters really help concentrate the fruit and add unique complexity. After retiring from the NFL, Damon returned to … Can simple …, The New York-based sommelier and wine educator talks about getting started in the big city, …. We are going to know which blocks in the vineyard work best with the different barrels. I am lucky that I have these great relationships in wine that I have built over many years. Award-winning Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon from Dan Marino and Damon Huard. No labels," he said. Sneaking into Dan Marino’s cellar, I was a young, 22 year old kid and knew nothing about wine. When you pick that fruit is very important. I had gone on a run and had won a few games, so that was tough on me. I fooled them all for 12 years thereafter!In 2006 when I was with the Chiefs we played the Seahawks. He is the director of community relations and fundraiser for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater. Trent was the captain of the team and a Pro Bowl quarterback so I understood coaches decision but I remember that experience being really hard on me.Beating the Seahawks that 2006 season was amazing. I am so impressed with him and his attention to detail. While Huard was with the Miami Dolphins, he befriended Dan Marino. In 2013 the Merlot in our program did not make the Cabernet better, whereas we had 9% Merlot in 2012. Danny and I were into the fine wine! I like to think that I have trained my palate a bit from wines from all over the world. Much like in football, it’s about those relationships and those teams that were close and got along and made it work. As a young winery we are so fortunate to be able to get fruit from many older established vineyards in the state. Now, they both run … DH: That 2006 season was awesome. I have passion for football still to this day, and I have passion for what we’re doing with our wine at Passing Time. Former Patriots quarterbacks Damon Huard and Drew Bledsoe recount their beginnings as wine connoisseurs at training camp in 2001. 1. Look around – you won’t believe you’re in the heart of Washington’s wheat and wine … Former Dolphin QB Damon Huard had to travel 3000 miles away from home to learn about the fine wines coming from his home state of Washington. Chris is over there in the vineyard ever single week probably twice during Harvest and I am over there making that drive with him when I can. He got his first real playing time in the NFL replacing an injured Marino in the first quarter on October 17 1999 when he came off the bench and led the Dolphins to a come from behind win against the New England Patriots coached by Pete Carroll. Damon discovered his love of wine through friend and previous teammate Dan Marino. DeLille Cellars. Now the former Miami Dolphins quarterback is going to have a little wine of his own. We formed an LLC in 2001 that included myself, Dan, Bledsoe and Rick Mirer. After both finished their NFL careers, they decided to go pro, founding Passing Time, a Cabernet-focused winery in Washington, with the 2012 vintage. In the cellar, from left: Claire Marino, Dan Marino, Julie Ann Huard and Damon Huard. Huard, a star Huskies quarterback, was Hall of Famer Marino’s backup for the Miami Dolphins … WE also ask our farmers to crop our fruit at no more than three tons an acre, sometimes less. WS: What’s one thing you learned on the field that’s essential in the winemaking business?DM: Go deep or go home. 2007 started out good (4-3 record) as well and then we lost a couple games and Edwards [Kansas City Coach, Herman Edwards] wanted the younger guy in there at QB and we didn’t win another game that season. Women wine pros around …, Seven pros share the wines and spirits they hope will get their time in the spotlight in …, Like countless others, I’m struggling with the loss of my sense of smell. Both QBs grew up around wine, though they didn't necessarily know it at the time. WS: How did you come up with the name “Passing Time”?DM: When we started thinking about names, [my wife] Claire said, "You ought to call it Passing Time." Participants will get an exclusive opportunity to virtually Meet & Greet with Dan Marino and Damon Huard, co-owners of Passing Time Wine … I still thought I could play so I went to give it one more try with the Dolphins. DH: It took me to move three thousand miles from home to really learn about Washington wine. Rick Mirer started Mirror in Napa shortly thereafter. More Washington Wines: Frichette Winery. Our coachHerman Edwards told me I was in and I was nervous and also disturbed after seeing my friend and teammate carried off the field after a hit like that. I would visit local shops in KC and New England and get to know the owners and I made sure they were getting Washington wine on their shelves. We use a number of French oak barrels and it is amazing how different they all are. Passing Time Winery President Damon Huard walks us through the different Washington vineyards used in the 2014 Passing Time wines. The name evokes “that football theme, along with family and friends drinking wine,” explains Marino. Check out more at their website. We could have made 800 cases of wine in 2012 but we left a lot of the grapes out and ended up with about 540 cases. DH: I would say that the competitive side is great, but I think what made the best teams that I’ve played on is relationships. Huard’s long road into wine began with the Miami Dolphins. Huard was named NFL player of the week for his strong performance in the Dolphins 31-30 victory in Foxboro. My dad grew up in Prosser and played high school basketball against Paul Champoux. WOODINVILLE, Wash. – When retired NFL quarterbacks Dan Marino and Damon Huard decided to get into the wine business, they were serious about creating a great wine and … Pictured in 1999. He is the quarterback of our team now and it is just amazing what he does. DH: I definitely have had a lot of great old world wine. … I had a great season. I would get my L’Ecole and Woodward Canyon and Col Solare. However, I should have been working for the Washington Wine Commission while I was in the NFL because I promoted Washington wine so much. Dick Bouchey says that he drives by Huard road most days on the way to his famous vineyard. Many of the barrels did not meet our standards, so we sold the juice off in bulk and yes we lost some money but we had to do that early on to dial in the program and come out of the gate with an outstanding wine. All three of the 2016 vintage appellation Cabernets—Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain and Walla Walla—earned outstanding ratings of 90-plus points. It’s Passing Time." He … Huard, Bledsoe share how they got into wine tasting. The idea goes back to his time with the Dolphins, when he was a backup to Hall-of-Fame quarterback Dan Marino. His white polo shirt has two circular splotches of the same hue. In the 2006 season Huard started eight games for the Chiefs, posting a 5–3 record until Pro-Bowl QB Trent Green returned back to health from a severe concussion he suffered week one. A mentor-mentee relationship on the field soon became a friendship in wine: After games, the two would retire to Marino’s Miami home to watch movies and dive into the veteran QB’s 5,000-bottle collection. If you pick too late you get that overripe prune flavor profile in time and we are not looking for that. This is going to be a process. He was at DeLille for 8 years and now Co-owns a winery he started with the 2010 vintage called Avennia. We had a great time and it was a fun group of veteran guys. I had a great time in Kanas City and will never forget that magical season in ‘06.While in Kansas City I had some Hall of Famers around me. Sign Up for Wine Spectator’s Free Email Newsletters and stay up-to-date with all things wine. Featuring Damon Huard (Passing Time Winery) and Drew Bledsoe (Doubleback Winery) Join us for a week on the river in Bordeaux for outstanding cuisine, natural beauty, and the best wine … We again cut down our overall production with the intent of making the best wine possible. DH: I met Chris Peterson just as he was starting Avennia. He attended Puyallup High School in Puyallup, Washington and was letterman in both football and basketball. I did a lot of public speaking around the state of Washington talking about the economic impact if the Seahawks were to move to LA.

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