Five wines produced by footballers for the holiday festivities

Arriving with a prestigious bottle of wine at Christmas dinner, or during any lunch/dinner scheduled during the Christmas holidays, is really the bare minimum to make a good impression. But instead of improvising expert oenologists and acting as fake sommeliers to please the hosts, why not show off all your ignorance on the subject and focus on honesty? The reality is that you are much more competent in football than in wineries and quality of grapes, and there's a huge numbers of sportsmen (not only Gregg Popovich and LeBron James, but also George Best, Alex Ferguson, Hidetoshi Nakata, Alberto Malesani and Andrea Pirlo) that managed to turned the passion for the winery a true business.

Andrea Barzagli

Almost at the end of his football career, former Juventus and World Champion centre-back became a member of a Sicilian winery, Le Casematte, whose vineyards overlook the Messina Strait. We have chosen a Peloro Rosso 70% from Nerello Mascalese and 30% from Nocera, with wild berries scents, licorice and spicy notes.

where to buy: here

Luciano Spalletti

The wine produced by the former coach of Inter Milan and AS Roma is called Bordocampo, just like the life of the manager: the winery is called La Rimessa, the vineyards are located on the hills of Montaione, just close to Florence, and it's produced from Sangiovese and Merlot grapes, therefore perfect to accompany roasts and sausages.

where to buy: here

Andres Iniesta

The wine passion of the Catalan champion has been handed down to him by his father Josè Antonio, who started many years ago in Fuentealbilla and now has over 300 hectares of vineyards. The production of wines is very wide, we have opted for a very young and light white, perfect for fish dishes, the D.O. Manchuela.

where to buy: here

Johan Micoud 

After playing all over the Europe with Parma, Werder Bremen and Bordeaux, the talented French footballer decided in 2008 to invest in the wine sector, along with his former team-mate Matthieu Chalmé. This is a minimal production, and the denomination is Pomerol, a well-know place from wine experts located on the Rive Droite of the Bordeaux region. But for the quality, you know, you must pay, and buying a bottle of Château La Connivence 2017 will cost you.

where to buy: here

Franz Beckenbauer

We ignore the reasons why in 2013 'Kaiser Franz' was convinced to buy a property in South Africa where to produce wine, called Lammershoek. The fact is that the production of quality wines has been established, with particular attention to the variety of grapes and the methods of aging. What we recommend is a mix of Syrah (77%), Carignan (12%) and Grenache (7%) which could not fail to be called Libero n. 5.

where to buy: here

Bonus:

Marek Hamsik

Perhaps you have already noticed it thanks to the posts recently published on his Instagram profile: Marek Hamsik started selling wine and sparkling wines produced in Italy, in the Veneto region. A 1.5 liter magnum of Hamsik Winery prosecco could prove to be the best way to start a group dinner, or to toast the new year.

where to buy: here

Francesco Caputo

If you don't like wine and prefer beer, no problem. The Sassuolo striker 'Ciccio' Caputo has been producing Birra Pagnotta for years, which has the particularity of using Altamura DOP bread during boiling. There are several variations, we focus on a light Blonde Ale.

where to buy: here