The Perfect Pairing: Gran Reserva Wine and Golf

Do you have one of those pastimes that gave you endless memories and continue to every time you partake? For me, that’s the game of golf. And now that I’m an adult, who loves her wine, I found it fitting when Gran Reserva wine asked me to take a sip down memory lane and share my favorite golf memory. 

In my family, wine has always held a special place in our family gatherings. Whether it be sharing a bottle over dinner or grabbing a glass while attending or watching a sporting event, it’s definitely our go-to. You may also remember my mentioning that I’m a huge sports fan – you can read about it in this post. This also includes a love for playing and watching golf.

As the PGA tournaments kick into full gear and the weather gets warmer, Gran Reserva is the perfect wine to sip during golf centered activities. If you partook in Masters Sunday, then you most likely huddled around the TV and watched the tournament go down to the wire and into a playoff. I love grabbing a glass of vino and watching. There’s something about the swing of a golf club, especially the ping sound off of a tee shot that I absolutely love.

Growing up in Phoenix (the golf course mecca!), learning to play golf is pretty much second nature. My dad bought me my first pair of clubs and took me out on countless lessons and rounds around the municipal courses to learn the game. The coach that taught him how to play golf, even taught me!

As I got older, we really enjoyed heading to the tournaments. Arizona is home to an early springtime PGA tournament, and my dad would often check me out of school so we could go catch a round. But my favorite golfing memory has to be when we started going to the U.S. Open tournaments together when I got older.

As a lefty, I’ve always loved Phil Mickelson. I was also a big Tiger Woods fan too. So when we headed out to the Thursday round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2008, we had to follow the marquee threesome of Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

That tournament holds some great memories for me, including seeing Tiger hit an errant stroke which sent the ball sailing right into a fan just a few people down from me. He came up an apologized to the guy who had the ball as a souvenir and also Tiger’s signed golf glove to prove it. Tiger ended up double bogeying (hitting two strokes over the allotted amount for the hole) that first hole. He’d go on to shoot a 72 for the round.

Maybe you need to be a golf lover, but there’s something so amazing about golf tournaments. The energy at the U.S. Open is seriously invigorating and the excitement is at another level when a player hits a nice shot or drains a long putt into the hole. I’ve talked to a lot of people who think golf is boring, but perhaps give it a shot and you might think otherwise.

If I can’t change your mind, then in the least, enjoy the game with a glass of Gran Reserva wine. I’m particularly loving their 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon from the vineyards in Chile. The sweet fruit taste (cherries), isn’t overwhelming, but just enough for a hint of red fruit and sweet tannins flavor. I especially love it with cheeses or a popcorn snack.

If you are a golfer, then perhaps grab a bottle of Gran Reserva before heading out to the links or driving range, you won’t be disappointed! Plus, enjoy a $25 credit on a round of golf at major golf courses nationwide courtesy of Concha y Toro Gran Reserva. Simply find a specially marked bottle necker on one of the bottles, where you buy wine. And you can also enter a great sweepstakes to win – one year of free golf. Enter at this link, good luck!

* Lauren Anderson photography

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.