Title Fight: A Happy Birthday to Legendary Boxing Champion Rocky Marciano

We're bringing you ringside for an up close and personal wine tasting in honor of the Champ: Rocky Marciano!

Born on September 1st, 1923, Marciano got his start at boxing while serving in the armed forces. Once his stint in the military ended, he expanded on his amateur fighting status and turned it into a professional career. Finishing with 49 wins and 0 losses, Marciano is the only heavyweight to ever retire undefeated.

Round One:

Our first wine of the evening with be Laroque Chardonnay from the region of Carcassonne in south eastern France. Literally translated, 'Laroque' means 'rock' (from the latin roqua) and derives its name from the Menhirs (a single standing stone that dates back to the middle of the Bronze Age like Stonehenge) which are found around Carcassonne. There are other fun stories and tales surrounding this wine, but for we'll save those for another day. For our purposes, Laroque is for the man himself: Rocky.

Round Two:

For the remainder of the tasting flight, we'll be honoring Marciano's Italian heritage and sticking with Italian wines. First up in this category will be a Pinot Grigio produced by Alta Luna (High Moon), representing the best of the best, the pinnacle of Pinot Grigio; just as Marciano was the best in his profession. As a side note, the moon was in Taurus on that September 1st in 1923 when Rocky was born.

Round Three:

Believe it or not, but the people on the island of Sardinia, off of Italy's west coast in the Mediterranean Sea, have the longest lifespan in comparison to every other place in the world. Part of the credit for the long lives of the people is given to the grape varietal Cannonau (also known as Grenache to the French). The natural antioxidants in the wine, many believe, keep the Sardinians going. While his family heritage does not trace back to Sardinia, what Rocky Marciano has in common with the island's inhabitants is that where they have the world's longest life spans, Marciano held the heavy weight title longer than anyone else in boxing history!

Round Four

Which brings us to this legendary fighter being boxing royalty. And so we will conclude our flight with Il Principe (The Prince) by Michele Chiarlo. This Langhe Nebbiolo is the perfect finish to give honor to such a formidable legend.

So join us in raising a glass to celebrate the life and career of one of the greatest athletes to come out of the sport of boxing.

KO'd

Salud,

The Wine Shop Team