Wine tasting and pickleball come together for Sip N’ Dink in Newport Beach
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Wine tasting and pickleball are both popular activities, so it makes sense to combine the two. Sip N’ Dink, Southern California’s first wine and pickleball tournament will come to Orange County Aug.1 at the Tennis & Pickleball Club at Newport Beach.
Naushad Huda, founder of immersive wine experience company, GrapeNight, developed Sip N’ Dink to bring competitive pickleball, premium wine and philanthropy together.
“Wine lovers and pickleball players are often the same person — active, social and competitive, and spanning a much wider range of ages than people think,” Huda stated in a news release. “Winemakers are fiercely competitive in their craft, so putting them on the court felt natural.”
The inaugural Sip N’ Dink will draft players of every skill level onto one of 10 winery teams formed by winemakers from California, Washington and New Zealand to compete in a round-robin tournament. Each of the wineries will have its own team colors and winemaker representation.
The friendly competition will culminate in a Grand Tasting, featuring bottles from each participating winery. Pickleball players and spectators can look forward to pours from winemakers like Lone Madrone of Paso Robles, Salvestrin from Napa Valley, Malibu Coast’s AJA Vineyards, Foundry Vineyards from Walla Walla WA, the Landing from New Zealand’s Bay of Islands, and more.
next month.
A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Orange County nonprofit, Miracles for Kids. The Irvine-based organization was founded in 1996 and is dedicated to supporting families with critically ill children by providing resources and programs for those with financial hardship, housing instability and food insecurity.
Attendees will also have access to the Elwood Club athlete lounge, live DJ sets, a motorcar showcase from Fletcher Jones, a CRBN paddle giveaway for the winning team and food and hydration provided throughout the day. Presenting sponsor, the Raad Life, will also podcast live from the event, interviewing participating winemakers and other guests. Additional supporting sponsors include Fletcher Jones Motorcars, CRBN Pickleball, the Elwood Club and the Chesterfield.
Huda hopes the unique experience will become a tradition, while drawing support for the local nonprofit.
“There’s nothing like Sip N’ Dink anywhere in the world right now,” Huda said.
Sip N’ Dink will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1 at The Tennis & Pickleball Club at Newport Beach, 11 Clubhouse Drive. Tickets are priced at $200 for players and $125 for spectators. To register, go to grapenight.com.
