Chase Center and Bon Appétit Announce Details on Arena Wine Program

From left: Renowned wine expert Debbie Zachareas will direct the Chase Center’s wine program, while local winemakers Barbara Gratta, Paula Harrell, and Jake Stover and Gina Schober and Jake Stover have been named Taste Makers

Nicole Lacob and renowned wine expert Debbie Zachareas lead curation of arena-wide wine selection; three female local vintners also named as Taste Makers

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (November 18, 2019) – The Golden State Warriors and Chase Center, the Warriors’ new 18,064-seat privately financed sports and entertainment arena in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, along with Bon Appétit Management Company and Levy, today announced details about their wine program at Chase Center. The wine program for Chase Center was developed by a group effort consisting of renowned wine expert Debbie Zachareas and Bon Appétit Management Company’s Brooke Lieberwitz, Leslie Panion, and Bianca Rivera, who worked closely with Warriors Community Foundation President Nicole Lacob to carefully curate and select the wine selection arena-wide.

Creator of many of San Francisco’s most innovative wine programs, Zachareas is known for shaping the city’s wine culture. In partnership with Master Sommelier Peter Granoff, the two own and operate the iconic Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant & Wine Bar in San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Oxbow Cheese & Wine Market in downtown Napa, CA. She sourced over 400 wines as part of the curation process, while Granoff, who won the 1991 “Sommelier of the Year” award from the James Beard Foundation, was responsible for educating and training staff to be sommeliers for the arena. Zachareas and Granoff will also be opening their newest shop, Mission Bay Wine Bar at Thrive City, which will be located along Terry A. Francois Boulevard and feature extensive patio seating and a carefully curated selection of compelling wines by glass or bottle, delicious craft brews on tap, and a changing assortment of small plates.

Lacob’s knowledge of the wine industry goes back to her high school teaching days where she supplemented her salary by teaching wine courses and consulting with restaurants on their wine lists. This later led her to Napa Valley, where she ran sales and marketing for the La Jota Vineyard near Angwin, before eventually ending up as a rep for LVMH.

Wine partners for the program include:

  • Official Partner of the Golden State Warriors, Silver Oak and Twomey Wines, who are giving fans a limited-edition carafe and cup set with any bottle purchase.
  • Moët & Chandon is the Official Champagne of the Golden State Warriors and Chase Center. Warriors fans will have the opportunity to receive a special Gold Goblet with their Moët & Chandon Impérial purchase at select bars throughout the arena.

In addition, the Warriors and Chase Center are continuing their commitment to local vendors through the Taste Makers program with the inclusion of local vintners:

  • A woman-owned winery and longtime Bayview gathering place, Barbara Gratta’s Gratta Wines 
  • P. Harrell Wines from San Francisco native Paula Harrell, sourced from grapes from Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County
  • Sans Wine Co: Cofounders Gina Schober and Jake Stover use premium and organically grown grapes from Napa, Mendocino, and Lake Counties for their wines, which are packaged in cans

The wine program adds to the larger beverage program that was previously announced, which includes a specialty cocktail program designed by Bon Vivants Hospitality, partnerships with Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, Tanduay Rum, Anheuser-Busch, Constellation Beer Brands, Magnolia Brewing and inclusion of a variety of local breweries added to the Taste Makers program.

For more information on Chase Center please visit chasecenter.com.

NEWS COVERAGE: NBC Bay Area anchor Jessica Aguirre takes viewers on a wine tasting trip inside the Chase Center, “from cork to court”:

About Chase Center 

Chase Center, an 18,064-seat sports and entertainment arena set to open in September of 2019, will anchor Thrive City, the multipurpose, privately financed complex in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood consisting of 3.2 acres of publicly accessible plazas and open space that are part of a larger mixed-use development including two office buildings and dozens of unique restaurant and retail locations. Easily accessible by foot, bicycle or mass transit, Chase Center will play host to games featuring the six-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, concerts, cultural events, family shows and more, totaling nearly 200 events per year. Thrive City, the surrounding district of Chase Center, will be a community gathering space providing a slate of year-round health and wellness programming, including Get Fit clinics, yoga sessions, farmer’s markets, ice skating and much more.
Media Contact: Raymond Ridder (510) 986-5384

About Bon Appétit Management Company

Bon Appétit Management Company is an on-site restaurant company operating 1,000-plus locations in 34 states for corporations, universities, museums, and other cultural institutions. Based in Palo Alto, CA, Bon Appétit also operates the San Francisco restaurants The Commissary, Arguello, Public House, STEM Kitchen and Garden, and Foundry & Lux. Bon Appétit chefs cook from scratch, including sauces, stocks, and soups. A recognized industry leader in environmentally and socially responsible practices, Bon Appétit has been honored by organizations including the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, Acterra, James Beard Foundation, and many others. Media contact: Bonnie Powell, [email protected]

About Levy

Founded in 1978, Levy pioneered premium sports and entertainment dining and remains one of America’s fastest growing and most critically acclaimed restaurant companies. Named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports by Fast Company magazine, Levy’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants, iconic sports and entertainment venues, and convention centers as well as the Grammy Awards, PGA Championship, US Open Tennis Tournament, Kentucky Derby, and NHL, MLB, NBA All-Star Games, and has been named 2015 NHL Retailer of the Year. For more, visit www.levyrestaurants.com.