"Golf is analogous to wine. You have to think long-term."

Lettie Teague sits down with vinter Greg Norman who says he rarely gets a good glass of wine at a golf club and who equates golf to wine. Thankfully the metaphor was not delved into very deeply.

More peculiar was the way he referenced design jobs. Whereas some architects talk about their designs, he talks about signings.

He has been equally willing to fly just about anywhere to build the Greg Norman brand. Lately, Mr. Norman has been spending a fair amount of time in Asia. "The future of golf is in China," he said. "There are 600 golf courses in China and three million golfers. They want 26 million. I've signed six golf courses in China so far." He has also signed courses in Vietnam and Thailand.

Kind of like adding bottles to the cellar!

Comments

[Grant]

Actually, the Greg Norman Reserve Cabernet 2002 won just about every trophy on the Aust wine show circuit back in the day...wines were made by Fosters/Southcorp/Mildara/whatever the name of the company was back then, and were pretty good...havn't seen any for a while, it is nearly all exported to the U.S. The brand was up to around 300 000 cases a year at one point.

[Del the Funk]

Greg's wines aren't a complete disaster, but there's really no value there either. One doesn't have to look far to find fantastic wines from Oz or Spain (or many other places), at lower price points, that absolutely blow away the Norman wines.

Bottom line, just nothing distinctive or discerning about the Norman wine lineup.

While on the topic, take time to track yourself down some 2009 Tres Picos from Bodegas Borseo. This is a wonderful garnacha from Spain that can be had for $12 a bottle....dollar for dollar it is right up at the very top of the heap of exceptional wines sold at a great price. Let me know what you think!

[A3]

Oh how money makes the ego grow and prosper. Do not let the wine go to your head Greg, your cheap merlot gets worse with age.

[Del the Funk]

Make that "Borsao"....sorry for the typo.

[A3]

Oops sorry Shiraz. Whatever.

[Jesse]

The only thing worse that pompous, know-it-all comments about golf course design is pompous, know-it-all comments about wine. Thanks Niles (Del the Funk) and Frasier (A3) for making my day... loved the part about the price points!

[johnnnycz]

Does Greg really know that much about wine...or did he pay a Somalier (sp?) to leave him a report in his inbox every week?

[Marky Mark]

Why don't golfers get into making something that is really drinkable - like single malt, or a good cream ale?

What the hell is it with getting involved exclusively in wine?

[digsouth]

Jesse--


I find that a poster who uses real names, when the other poster uses a handle , to not respect their want of privacy. IMHO

[Del the Funk]

Is it possible to drink $12 wine and at the same time be "pompous"? Jesse, is your car up a pole again?!?

[A3]

I should be pompous Jesse, considering I live right in the freaking middle of one of the best wine growing regions of the country, but alas I am not pompous at all, only that I don't drink crap.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

This has been interesting...but I learned after a trip to Italy, during which I learned to say "Avrò il vino rosso della casa, per favore (Please excuse my Italian)" that paying more than $9.99 retail or $25 in a restaurant for a bottle of wine is a fool's errand in the US. Outside of certain regions of California. Maybe, and for the same reason that the good stuff hardly ever travels very far from its place of origin.

[MatthewM]

I wonder if Greg thinks marriage needs a long-term view, like wine and golf.

[Del the Funk]

25 years on the first one Matt...

[MatthewM]

How about the second Del? And how long do you give the third?

[KCMG]

From vintage to alco-pop...

[Del the Funk]

Matt, given their respective track records do you think it's more likely that Chrissie was the problem, or Greg? Obviously Greg has no problem with commitment and I hope his 3rd marriage is long and happy. I'm not a big fan of his per se, and his wine sucks, but for the life of me I can't figure out how or why his marriage track record factors into the discussion?

[chicago pt]

too much Shark in the news lately...i'll be glad when the Pres Cup is over so hopefully he will fade away after that...

he sure cashed in on those 2 majors pretty welll, tho..can you imagine if he had won the 6 or so majors he should have if he wouldnt have gagged so many away?

[Del the Funk]

chicago pt, I took a look at his playoff record, unreal. He was 4-8 with losses in The Open Championship, the US Open, the PGA Championship, The Masters, Bay Hill, the Western Open twice, and Westchester (among others). Lost playoffs to Seve (2), Tom Watson, Fuzzy, Azinger (1-1), Mize (1-1) and Calc (1-1), again, among others.

If he'd have just won half the playoffs his resume would be a fair bit better. Almost feel sorry for him!