Warriors’ Klay Thompson and MLB’s Nolan Arenado team up to launch Diamond & Key Napa cabernet

The Warriors’ Klay Thompson has had quite a year, winning a championship with Golden State in June and launching a new wine label with Napa Valley’s Diamond & Key in April.

Thompson released the wine alongside St. Louis Cardinals player Nolan Arenado in partnership with Nickel & Nickel in Oakville.

Thompson first got into wine after meeting with winemakers, including Nickel & Nickel’s Joe Harden, after the 2017 North Bay fires, according to an interview with Wine Spectator.

“I’m always very hesitant about celebrity brands, being a winemaker and someone that’s super passionate about making wine,” Harden told the magazine.

Thompson said the wine making process is a lot like the basketball game he loves as it involves dedication, commitment and patience.

Arenado called the new line an “obvious challenge” but said, like baseball, it is something he is willing to work at.

After discussing the players’ palates, Harden decided to make the wine in St. Helena. The grapes from the 2018 Diamond & Key Cabernet Sauvignon came from Panek Vineyard.

Harden called the wine “outstanding” and said he would put it against the top Napa cabs. At $150 a bottle, the wine is on the expensive side, but Harden told Wine Spectator he stands behind the quality of the wine.

Read the full Wine Spectator interview at bit.ly/3QYbx1A.