The Inside Story of Carmelo Anthony’s First Napa Wine
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In addition to the many superlatives he racked up during his 19-year NBA career—such as 2013 NBA scoring champion, 2006 and 2016 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year, and 10-time NBA All Star—Carmelo Anthony can add Napa vintner to his impressive resume. He and longtime business partner Asani Swann’s wine brand VII(N) the Seventh Estate just released its first American wine, Ode to Soul, a proprietary red blend from renowned To Kalon Vineyard. The first release from a multiyear partnership with Robert Mondavi Winery, Ode to Soul follows VII(N) the Seventh Estate’s 2017 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Oath of Fidelity.
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Crafted by Robert Mondavi Winery’s chief winemaker Geneviève Janssens and director of winemaking Kurtis Ogasawara using fruit from To Kalon Vineyard in Napa Valley’s Oakville AVA, Ode to Soul is an artful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with a touch of Petit Verdot. A wine drinker since 2005 when he was playing with the Nuggets, Anthony says his first vinous love was Bordeaux. “It was one of the first regions that drew me into the world of wines because of the rich, full style,” he tells us. Drawing similarities between Bordeaux and Napa, he says, “The wines from To Kalon Vineyard in Napa have a lot of similar characteristics because of the geography and types of soil, so I was excited to work with Robert Mondavi Winery to use the grapes for Ode to Soul.”
Anthony and Swann chose the brand name VII(N) the Seventh Estate after extensive research. It’s a play on vin, the French word for wine, and the first three letters are the Roman numeral seven, which has significance to them both and was Anthony’s jersey number when he played for the Knicks. “The name ‘Ode to Soul’ is rooted in celebration, paying homage to our ancestors while also opening the doors to connect people through the shared experience of wine,” Anthony says. “At the heart of it, I’m a music guy, and when you hear ‘Ode to Soul,’ the name dances just by the way it sounds and how it tastes.”
Having been a “student and collector” of wine for more than 15 years, Anthony says, “I have been fortunate enough to travel the world, trying out blends from many different regions across the globe. It was important to me to first educate myself and learn more about what it takes to produce wine and the winemaking process.” He credits his globetrotting with deepening his appreciation of wine and ultimately leading him and Swann to start VII(N) the Seventh Estate with the intention of “creating a platform that celebrates innovation and diversity in the industry.”
After first connecting with Robert Mondavi Winery as a visitor, Anthony got in touch with Janssens “to pick her brain about her approach to winemaking.” He and Swann are fans of wines from To Kalon, and when they started their partnership with the winery, they decided that their first bottling should be from there. “To Kalon Vineyard’s sun exposure and dry soils made for the rich, complex flavors and ripeness in Ode to Soul,” Anthony says. Unlike many celebrity wines that share a vague connection with a famous person, Ode to Soul is deeply personal to Anthony and Swann, who have been involved in the process every step of the way. He credits his years of drinking and collecting wine with developing his palate, which in turn has enabled him to bring his “ideas and innovation to the winemaking process for Ode to Soul,” Anthony says. “Asani and I were heavily involved in the winemaking process for Ode to Soul, and it was incredible learning from Geneviève Janssens and the winemaking team at Robert Mondavi Winery, who work in the vineyard every day and know how to let the essence of the vineyard shine through.”
With a cellar that boasts “too many bottles to count,” Anthony leans toward Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa, and he says his time on the Knicks is what really catapulted his wine obsession and knowledge. “During my time playing in New York, I had unique access to people like wine collectors and exclusive wine clubs that broadened my horizons in the wine industry,” he says. “I had the opportunity to learn from them and get into their circles to prove myself as a wine lover.” Currently sharing vintner status with other NBA colleagues such as Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry, CJ McCollum, and Channing Frye, Anthony introduced other players to the joy of the vine during his stint in the Big Apple. Among the things he enjoyed most were “figuring out what wines to bring to dinners and how to introduce more people in my circle to the category.”
Robert Mondavi director of winemaking Kurtis Ogasawara worked alongside Janssens, Anthony, and Swann on the project. He says his role included “walking them through the winemaking traditions at Robert Mondavi Winery and showing them how we let To Kalon Vineyard speak through our wines.” He describes the 2021 Napa vintage as “one to remember,” explaining that “the berries were small and concentrated, leading to wines with great freshness, intensity, and elegant structure.” Made in a limited edition of 6,552 bottles, Ode to Soul 2021 is deep violet in the glass and offers a bouquet of blackberry, cocoa powder, and violet with hints of paprika and thyme. Plush tannins and well-integrated acidity wrap around flavors of black cherry, Simka plum, milk chocolate, clove, and a touch of lavender that lingers on the slightly chewy finish. Anthony tells us, “It’s an amazing wine that we are all proud of,” something he, Swann, and their team have every right to be.
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