Few athletes have embraced living in Northern California like Klay Thompson.
He bought a home on the San Francisco Bay, with a dock where he keeps his boat. He takes his dog Rocco to dog-friendly beaches along the Pacific Ocean. He jumps into the chilly local waters for some psychic healing. He boats near Angel Island, through Raccoon Strait.
“It’s just so beautiful,” Thompson said of Marin County. “It’s so easy to clear your head.”
And, naturally, like many Northern California residents, he has gotten into wine.
“I like Cabs, but I do like a good Pinot and a nice white as well,” Thompson said recently. “I’m open-minded when it comes to food and drink. It kind of depends on the mood of the day.”
And the mood these days, since winning a fourth NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors?
“On special occasions, I do like to have a nice, cold glass of Champagne,” Thompson said a few weeks before he was spraying Champagne on his teammates.
Thompson is more than just a wine connoisseur. He is now, officially, in the wine business. He and St. Louis Cardinals All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, a childhood friend, have just released Diamond & Key, a Napa Cabernet.