Birds' fine linebacker has a taste for fine wine
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Shannon Ryan
Inquirer Staff Writer
Of all places, Eagles linebacker Nate Wayne acquired his taste for wine while playing in Green Bay, Wis., a town where locals are known for swigging beer out of mugs, not sipping chardonnay out of stylish stemware.
What started as a drink of merlot with former Packers teammate Tod McBride in 2001 has turned into a budding collection and a deep interest in wines for Wayne.
While some of his NFL colleagues splurge on high-tech gadgets and high-priced cars, Wayne, in his second season with the Eagles, invests in - and imbibes - deep reds, sweet whites and, of course, some bubbly.
"Once you get into it, you start finding out what you like and what you don't like," Wayne said. "It just escalates. The next thing you know, you're buying bottles and then a case of this and a case of that."
And then you're building a wine cellar to hold it all.
Wayne and his wife, Tamiko, recently built a new house in Duluth, Ga., complete with a 1,500-bottle wine cellar. His collection of 300 bottles is only in its infancy, but it is a significant start. And Wayne plans on becoming more serious about it.
As part of the Eagles' defense, Wayne has been the one leaving opponents feeling like they have a hangover. After missing the Eagles' season opener with an injury, Wayne had 13 tackles in the last three games. Against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20, the 6-foot, 237-pounder registered a sack and two forced fumbles in front of a Monday night audience.
His goal-line strip of Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper was one of the most important - and impressive - defensive plays of the game.
After uncorking hits on opponents on Sunday afternoons, he said, there is nothing better than uncorking a bottle of wine on Sunday nights.
"After a hard day at work, especially after a 1 o'clock game," he said, "you just want to come home and relax and open a bottle."
Nearly every Friday, Wayne heads to Canal's in Marlton, Burlington County, where, he said, he typically spends about $800 to $1,000. On one shopping trip, however, he said he spent about $2,500.
Last week, Wayne stopped by to pick up a $1,100 case (12 bottles) of preordered Joseph Phelps Insignia cabernet blend and a case of Louis Roederer Cristal champagne (six bottles) valued around another $900.
Wayne also spent another couple of hundred dollars, spontaneously buying eight other bottles, including pinot noirs and cabernets. He took the last four bottles of a 2001 Ramey cabernet blend.
As Wayne inspected a 2001 bottle of Whitehall Lane reserve cabernet sauvignon last week, he said, "I might have to crack this open tonight."
Wayne bit on sales after Canal's owner, Charles Beatty, and salespeople, who know him well, introduced him to new and limited wines in the store.
Beatty has watched Wayne's interest awaken and grow. Wayne once accidentally drank red wine out of a white wine glass - a faux pas in etiquette. Now, he has specially ordered canters and corkscrews.
"He's come in and bought a bottle for $600, $700, and [I say,] 'Thank you! Can I kiss your hand?' " Beatty joked.
"He's learning fast," he added. "People who don't know a lot about wine like to try out [wines like merlot] first. Now he asks for nothing but the best."
Wayne spends hours scouring the Internet for unique bottles, new brands and tips.
"It's 2:30 in the morning, and I'm looking on the computer," Wayne said, laughing. "I'm like, 'This is a problem.' "
Wayne never trusts the shipment of bottles. Instead, after the season, he drives his newest acquisitions to Georgia.
"I put the air on and go," he said.
Some day he would like to sell or invest in wine professionally. He also hopes to take a trip to the famous vineyards of Napa Valley, Calif., one day.
Wayne especially enjoys Opus One wines, a California vintage. His most prized possession is a 1997 bottle of California cabernet from the Harlan Estate winery in Napa Valley, which was valued around $650. Wayne plans to keep it for at least 15 years.
Many of the bottles Wayne finds are saved for special occasions.
He bought special bottles in 1994 and 1999, when his daughters Nata and Tamia were born. Wayne is searching for a nice wine from 2003 to honor his son Nalen's birth.
"I'm going to save them until the girls get married," he said.
Eagles fans will be happy to learn that Wayne has a few special bottles of champagne that he hopes to pop sometime this season. Specifically, that occasion would be Feb. 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium, in Jacksonville, Fla.
"You like to be prepared just in case," Wayne said. "You don't want to be caught off guard."
After all, is there any other way to celebrate a Super Bowl than with the bubbly?
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