Cristie Kerr is best known as a longtime star on the LPGA Tour, but the two-time major champion also is making her mark as a vintner. With that in mind, Kerr is once again teaming with McConnell Golf to show off will her top-rated wines from Kerr Cellars as part of the country club owner’s 2024 wine dinner series.
The dinners will be held on Wednesday, March 6 at Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, N.C.; March 7 at Providence Country Club in Charlotte, N.C.; and March 8 at Raleigh Country Club in Raleigh, N.C. Each of these three private clubs are part of the McConnell Golf portfolio of 16 properties spanning North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Wines for this trio of dinners offer exclusivity and consistency. This exceptional selection of single-vineyard wines showcases the ability of world-class winemaker Helen Keplinger, while capturing the essence of each vineyard’s unique terroir.
Kerr’s interest in the wine business goes back to 2006 when she partnered with Pride Mountain Vineyards in Napa, CA., to launch her Curvature wine label with the 2006. She launched a new wine venture, Kerr Cellars, with Keplinger, beginning with a 2013 vintage
The highlight of the dinners might come from the 2021 Mast Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, which recently scored a 98. McConnell Golf will be the first to savor this wine, as it has not yet been released to the public.
Dinner guests have an opportunity to purchase wines from Kerr Cellars. With each case purchased, the guest will receive a bottle of McConnell Golf’s Kerr Cellars Cabernet, signed by Kerr.
Kerr enjoyed one of the more successful amateur careers in golf before joining the LPGA Tour in 1997. Since her first professional win in 2002, she has been one of the most accomplished players in the game with more than 182 top-10 finishes and 20 victories, including a pair of major titles – the 2007 Women’s Open Championship held at Pine Needles in Pinehurst, N.C., and the 2010 Women’s PGA Championship.
She founded Kerr Cellars with a focus on sourcing fruit from some of Napa and Sonoma’s finer vineyards. Kerr is as serious about wine as she is about golf, having already passed the Level 1 curriculum while studying for the Court of Master Sommeliers.
For information about purchasing wines from either Kerr Cellars or Curvature, to schedule a tasting and to join their wine club, visit: kerrcellars.com.
McConnell Golf offers its members access to a collection of properties with pure golf, legendary service, and vibrant amenities, each a distinct icon in their locale. Its portfolio includes courses designed by Donald Ross, Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Arnold Palmer, and Greg Norman. This collection is the byproduct of visionary John McConnell, CEO of McConnell Golf, the largest owner of premier country clubs in the Southeast McConnell Golf provides best-in-class destinations with exceptional golf and revitalizing amenities, from contemporary fitness facilities, resort-style pools, tennis, and pickleball to dining for the epicurious. This includes management of the top-ranked Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech in Radford, VA., and Raleigh Golf Association (RGA) in Raleigh, NC.
Photo: Cristie Kerr (Kerr Cellars)