Major League Baseball sponsors wine revolution

America’s professional baseball organization has commissioned Wine By Design to produce striking and exclusive wine brands reflecting each team’s heritage.
Major League Baseball sponsors wine revolution

Wine by Design is going to bat for Major League Baseball Properties (MLB). As the official wine licensee for America’s professional baseball organization, Wine by Design is guiding the league and teams through the complex world of wine by developing custom collections of limited edition, premium wines in association with the teams. Since launching the project in the spring of 2013, Wine by Design has introduced collections for the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants and MLB's All-Star Game.

The brand license that Wine by Design holds is unlike traditional licenses that sporting teams award vendors. Wine by Design serves as a resource for MLB teams interested in sourcing quality grapes, designing labels that reflect the team’s culture and developing wine experiences for fans and their teams’ ballpark and restaurant affiliates.

Says Diane Karle, Wine by Design founder and CEO, ‘We went to Major League Baseball with a proposal to look at licensing differently. We are helping them create brand collections with high-end designs that reflect the local, unique nature of the teams and the sport. Before we approached them, the league and the teams found it somewhat challenging to navigate this complicated category.’

Danielle Jerschefske

  • Sustainability columnist