Drew Bledsoe is loving retirement, almost as much as he enjoys the taste of a fine wine.
According to The Boston Globe, the former Patriots quarterback returned to New England this week to promote his new beverage.
Bledsoe’s inaugural vintage of his Doubleback winery cabernet sauvignon has taken him seven years to complete, and he now is able to provide samples of the wine to the public.
"We’re trying as hard as we can to be one of the best wines in the world," he told the Globe. "And we won’t cut any corners to get there."
Apparently, the former first-round draft pick didn’t do too shabby on his first go. The Globe reports that wine critic Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate gave the wine a 91-94 rating, which qualifies as "outstanding" on his newsletter’s scale.
Bledsoe grew up in wine country in the Pacific Northwest, spending most of his life in Washington’s Yakima Valley, an area known for its vineyards.
"This is one of my passions I’ve had — I’ve always enjoyed great wine — and it’s so multifaceted," he told the Globe. "You’re a farmer first, and there’s production, distribution, marketing. … It’s really fun. I’ve learned so much in the last two to three years."
Bledsoe spent 14 years in the NFL, playing in almost 200 games and passing for more than 44,000 yards. He retired in 2007 and has since found other ventures that have made him happy.
His Bledsoe Capital Group invests in technology, real estate and other sectors, and he also has a foundation that focuses on promoting good parenting techniques.
"You can’t retire at 35 and go play golf everyday. It’s a recipe for disaster," he said. "This and a few other things get me out of bed every morning."
Some athletes struggle to walk away from sports, but life after football suits Bledsoe just fine.
