He struck out 39 batters in ​34 1⁄3 innings pitched. Ultimately, it was the place they decided to make their home, and they now live in the north valley town of Calistoga with their three children. Trips to nearby wine country, particularly Napa Valley, furthered his interest, but it was an “a-ha” moment with a bottle of 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia that made Joe realize there was much more to wine than he’d experienced so far. [28][29], After working out in the offseason with Gallatin, Tennessee, neighbor and fellow pitcher Zach Duke,[30][31] Blanton announced that he would attempt a comeback for the 2015 season. On July 29, 2015, Blanton was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations. It’s a wine anyone can enjoy.”. Amber Shader - Photography Today, Clark Vineyard Management is one of the leading vineyard management companies in the Napa Valley, managing some of the area’s most prominent  vineyards. He made his MLB debut in 2004. Blanton and his wife own a 3-acre (1.2 ha) vineyard on Howell Mountain that produces cabernet sauvignon. Did you date him? [43] Both before and after his stint on the disabled list, Blanton struggled with a significant increase in his rate of home runs given up. W and DB have both been suggesting that I make my own record for a couple of years now.

"Other sports people have put their names on wines, whether they're good or not, but Joe has taken a different approach," Schiavone said. Blanton throws a low-90's fastball, along with a 12–6 curveball, a slider, and a straight changeup. A native of Kentucky, Blanton, now 37, said Napa Valley became important to him and his wife long before he owned property there. [19], In Game 4 of the 2008 World Series, Blanton hit his first major league home run to become the 13th pitcher overall and first since Ken Holtzman in 1974 to hit a home run in a World Series game. [10], In 2006, Blanton's ERA rose over a full point to 4.82 and gave up the fifth highest number of hits in the American League (241),[12] resulting in a .309 batting average against. [23][24] Blanton would go on to finish the 2013 season with a disappointing 2–14 record and a 6.04 ERA. Instead, the Blantons hired winemaker Thomas Brown, named Food and Wine's winemaker of the year in 2010, to work with them, among many other clients. "And that's rare for anybody's first wine. Blanton made his major league debut on September 21, 2004, against the Texas Rangers. Josh, who was introduced to Joe and LeeAndra Blanton through Winemaker Thomas Brown, with whom he works on several wine projects, has been described as a hillside specialist due to his extensive work with mountain vineyards. Blanton, who won a World Series ring in 2008 after his first season with the Phillies and pitched for the team until 2012, purchased a vineyard on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley in 2014. They used the trip as an opportunity to "pause and reflect" between the months when Blanton was training and playing.