Innovative New Zealand winery, Invivo, recently hit a home run in New York as Sarah Jessica Parker and her winemaking partners, Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron, took over Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, to taste and blend their latest vintage of award-winning Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough.
With the NY Mets visiting the UK for the London Series, the iconic stadium was transformed into a temporary winery, providing a world-class backdrop for the creation of the latest blend of Invivo X, SJP Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand.
Kiwis Tim and Rob, who flew from their Te Kauwhata winery in New Zealand to NYC specifically for this annual wine tasting session, joined SJP on second base in the middle of the field to craft their special blend, with mascot Mrs Met – official mascot of the New York Mets – making a special appearance to toast to the final wine.
Sarah Jessica Parker expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “Blending our new vintage of Sauvignon Blanc in such an iconic location was truly special. Citi Field provided an inspiring backdrop that added a new dimension to our blending process. We had a lot of fun on the day, and most importantly, we crafted a special new vintage for our customers that Tim, Rob, and I are really excited about.”
Tim Lightbourne, Co-founder of Invivo, who are known for their innovative approach to the wine industry, emphasized the collaborative and unique approach to the winemaking process, stating, “Our annual blending session with Sarah Jessica Parker is all about making wine more accessible and transparent for our customers. What better place to do it than in the middle of the NY Mets’ iconic stadium?
The blending process on the day ensures Sarah Jessica personally signs off on the final blend after hours of tasting together. We were thrilled when the Mets team raised the Home Run Apple in the stadium to celebrate our final blend, a gesture usually reserved for a home run! We know that Sarah Jessica is a Mets fan, so it was a special experience for us all.”
“With our players in London for the MLB International series, we were thrilled to collaborate with Sarah Jessica Parker and her Invivo winemaking partners and temporarily transform our ballpark into a mini winery for their upcoming blend” said Nikki Romolo, Vice President of Events at the New York Mets. “We are continuously looking for new and innovative ways to leverage our ballpark beyond just baseball, and this collaboration is a great example of the flexibility we have here to think beyond just baseball games.”
For six years, SJP has partnered with the Invivo winemakers to create the critically acclaimed Invivo X, SJP Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. This partnership has earned 90+ point scores from Wine Spectator five years in a row, including 93 points for the 2023 vintage and twice named top 100 wines in the world. Their innovative approach is working as Invivo X, SJP Sauvignon Blanc is currently the fastest growing premium New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the USA*.
Recently, the collaboration expanded to include a new red wine, the Invivo X, SJP Pinot Noir from New Zealand, joining their popular Sauvignon Blanc and French Rosé in the collection.
Invivo X, SJP wines are available in New Zealand in liquor stores, wine shops and supermarkets; ask for it where all good wine is sold and look for the distinctive ‘X’ on the label in the wine aisle.
*Invivo X, SJP Sauvignon Blanc is currently the fastest growing premium New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the $15-$10 category in the US (Nielsen USA, week data ending 4/20/24)