Baseball has long been considered a beer drinker's game.  The River Cats and Infuze Marketing are challenging that preconception with a series of wine tastings at Raley Field.

      The events, which take place on game days, feature (semi) local wineries and catered appetizers, and part of the proceeds go to local charities.

      The second of the aptly named "Wine in the Park" events was held Wednesday afternoon in conjunction with the the River Cats game against the Sky Sox.

      An hour and a half before the first pitch, the gates opened for a gaggle of newly wristbanded oenophiles (I believe that "gaggle" is the correct term for a group of wine lovers, but  "murder" is also acceptable).  We headed en masse to the left-field arcade, where representatives from four local wineries were waiting, bottles in hand.

All of the wineries represented that night are within a 90-minute drive from downtown Sacramento:

      Mount Aukum is located, appropriately enough, atop Mount Aukum in southern El Dorado County, 75 minutes from downtown.  They were represented by a charming father/daughter duo, the brother and niece, respectively, of head winemaker and French expat  Michel Prod'hon.  They had five wines to taste, the most memorable being a big jammy, fruity zinfandel.  Bonus points for leaving a half bottle of Syrah with me and a few fellow revellers when they were packing up.

      Chateau Routon is 15 minutes down the road from Mount Aukum and 80 minutes from downtown.  Routon's winemakers are known for their port, which won first prize at the Amador County Fair.  I am not much of a port guy myself, but I can say I enjoyed theirs more than most, which is to say not all that much.  The wine I really enjoyed was their petite sirah, which was big but not overpowering, with just a bit of tartness.  It screamed for medium-rare lamb chops.

      Nevada City -- I'll give you one guess where it is located: 70 minutes from downtown.  They had two whites and two reds.  The whites were blah; the reds were phenomenal.  A caveat with regards to my feeling on the whites: one was a chardonnay, which is probably my least favorite varietal. The second was a sauvignon blanc, which is probably my favorite varietal when made in the Marlborough region of New Zealand.  I can count on one hand the number of California sauv. blancs I've tried that compare favorably to even the most run-of-the-mill New Zealand offering.  The deck was stacked against them.

      Their reds, however were both lovely.  Their cab Franc had just taken home the "Best Cab Franc of California" award at the California State Fair, and rightfully so.  My favorite, though, was their syrah, which had just won "Best Syrah" at the New World International Wine Competition in Southern California.

      Pilot Peak is 20 minutes southwest of Nevada City, 80 minutes from downtown Sacramento.  This may have been my overall favorite.  They were represented by Lynn and Jacque Wilson, who own and operate the winery with another couple.  I enjoyed all of their wines, but may have enjoyed their company even more.  I "tasted" their "Paramour," a lovely blend of grenache, syrah, petite sirah, and mourvedre, whatever that is, four or five times.  It was outstanding.  The wine that blew me away was their viognier.  Oftentimes, I find viogniers to be cloyingly sweet.  When I brought their version up to my nose, I was floored by its big, sweet and fruity aroma.  I was sure it was going to be far too sweet for me, but I was dead wrong.  It was fruity, certainly, but with a smooth, dry finish.  Yumm.  It turns out that the nose didn't know.

      The appetizers were provided by Ovations Catering. They went two for three, a .667 batting average that, were it baseball, would be a record.  They had a great crudite platter, a wonderful selection of fresh-cut veggies and a really light, creamy dipping sauce.  There was an outstanding mini grilled fish sandwich on crusty French baguettes. I had two of them and could have happily eaten two more. And by "two" I mean "four to six." They were REALLY good. The third dish was an unfortunate hot dog wrapped in a flour tortilla on a toothpick with enchilada sauce.  It tasted OK, but it was messy, and I didn't really get it.  I would have enjoyed the hot dog far more if they'd put it on the French bread with a little mustard, onion and relish.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

      The event, was by all accounts, a big success.  It sold out, and the left-field pavilion was packed with folks of all different ilks.  If there's one thing that bridges generational gaps, it's wine.  If there is another, it's baseball.  Combine the two of them, and you can have an event with a 50-year age range where no one feels out of place.

      I spent some time hanging out talking Giants baseball with Kyle, who was there celebrating his 22nd birthday, a present from his girlfriend Alecia.

      I also struck up a conversation with Bill, intrigued by the "nocular" hanging around his neck.  It had once been a pair of binoculars, but it had taken a spill at a 49er game 20 years ago and broken in half.  Bill, who I'd put in his late 60s, was a Niners season ticket holder from 1981-1995.  He also has been on "Good Day Sacramento," driving his motorized toilet, "The Flusher," around the studio.

      As the game started and the tasting wound down, people took their seats in a section reserved for the Wine in the Park attendees.  The section was packed at 7:30 and nearly abandoned by the seventh inning.

      A group of four hearty, and I'm guessing buzzed, souls were pretty much all that was left to watch the River Cats fall 5-3 to the team from Colorado Springs. 

      Maybe baseball is more of a beer-drinking sport.  But Raley Field is a fine spot for a wine tasting, whether you stick around for the game or not. 

The next Wine in the Park takes place Aug. 25 in conjunction with a game against the Fresno Grizzlies.