Kendall-Jackson and La Crema Officially Become Part of the NBA’s Wine Family

The NBA and WNBA welcome two California wine All-Stars as the leagues’ new official wines

For years, the NBA has been nicknamed the “Wine League,” but now it’s officially tipping off. The National Basketball Association is embarking on a partnership with California’s Jackson Family Wines establishing Kendall-Jackson as the official wine of the NBA, and K-J’s sister wine La Crema as the official wine of the Women’s National Basketball Association. These affiliations will also extend to Teams USA for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Kendall-Jackson,” said Julie Morris, head of commercial development and media for the NBA. “It was a long time coming.”

“This is exactly what the wine industry needs,” JFW co-proprietor Chris Jackson told Wine Spectator. “We need to appeal to younger people. We’re growing, we’re expanding, and the NBA is the hottest sports franchise … [and] when they celebrate, they do it with wine.”

The roster of vino-enthusiast basketball celebrities expands constantly, with several existing and retired NBA stars establishing their personal wine brands and even purchasing their vineyards; an official league wine was an inevitable touchdown.

The WNBA also possesses an expanding wine culture. WNBA victor and dual league MVP Elena Delle Donne initiated her private wine brand, Deldon Wines, in 2023.

“We aspire to ensure we are progressing and exceeding limits [for females],” Jackson Family co-owner Hailey Jackson Hartford reported to Wine Spectator, mentioning her family’s influential women leaders as a compatible match with the WNBA. Also, La Crema is on a successful run of its own, recently acknowledged as Wine Spectator’s Best Value Wine of 2023.

Basketball also courses through the veins of the Jackson family. The founder of Kendall-Jackson, Jess Jackson, was a fan of the sport and maintained a friendly relationship with Golden State Warriors stalwart Nate Thurmond.

Jackson Family Wines and the NBA began their partnership in 2020. During the pandemic, the NBA developed the Bubble, a quarantine zone in Florida where players could finish the 2019-’20 season. As over 300 players from 22 teams lived in this zone, stories about wine enthusiasts among the players and coaches receiving their favorite wines inside the Bubble started to surface.

Bill O’Connor, the executive vice president and chief sales officer at Jackson Family, noticed this trend. In his words, they were trying “to uplift America and do nice things”. This included donating $2 million to the Grocery Worker’s Relief Fund in partnership with United Way and sending wine to the Bubble as a thank you to the players for continuing their season.

The Jackson Family Wines recognized the players’ love for wine and sent them bottles. They also organized virtual wine tastings and education sessions. These events were conducted by Master Sommeliers, winemakers, and wine experts and showcased Jackson Family’s global wine assortment.

The conversation between the NBA and the Jackson Family continued. Both parties found that their values and ethics were remarkably aligned. Chris Jackson mentioned the WNBA’s contributions to the LGBTQ+ community and brought up La Crema’s role as the official wine for PRIDE celebrations throughout the country and its support for Equality California for LGBTQ+ rights advocacy.

Basketball fans can look forward to pop-up tastings, commemorative wines, a dinner series, text-to-win sweepstakes, and more events, such as NBA drafts and NBA Con this summer. Moreover, fans may also enjoy the next All-Star Games in San Francisco which could potentially extend the celebrations to the wine country.

NBA and WNBA-branded merchandise will be available for purchase at JFW tasting rooms. Also, keep an eye for basketball hoops at select wineries as successful free-throws could fetch you a discount on wine bottles.

Kendall-Jackson and La Crema have now made their way into the Wine Spectator’s Unofficial Hall of Fame of Official Sports League Wines. They follow in the footsteps of brands like Moët & Chandon, the Official Champagne of the NBA, 2018, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, the Official Wine of Major League Baseball, 2020, Babe Wines, the Official Wine of the National Football League, 2018, E. & J. Gallo, the Official Wine of the NFL, 2020, Jacob’s Creek, the Official Wine of the Australian Open, 2015, Kim Crawford, the Official Wine of the U.S. Open, 2019, Ferrari, the Official Wine of Formula 1, 2021 and Meiomi, the Official Wine of the PGA Tour, 2019.

These new partnerships between Kendall-Jackson and the NBA, and La Crema and the WNBA are a testament to the symbolic role wine plays in fostering community and shared experiences.

There are so many active and former NBA players in the wine business that it sometimes seems as if they’re teaching wine appreciation on team trips (actually, sometimes they are). Carmelo Anthony is making Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Tony Parker is making Provence rosé and Champagne, while Chris Paul has joined La Fête du Rosé. Dwyane Wade, Yao Ming, James Harden and Klay Thompson are all selling California Cabernet. And CJ McCollum bought more than 300 acres in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where Kevin Love, Channing Frye and Seth Curry (and coach Gregg Popovich) are also making wine. It’s even an industry where NBA legends can bring their passions together, as Amar’e Stoudemire did with his kosher wines from California, while John Salley’s wines were vegan friendly.

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About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!