From Sonoma to Indy: Foyt Wine Vault

The world’s most famous race, the Indianapolis 500, took place on Memorial Day weekend. Hundreds of thousands of race fans gathered in Speedway, Indiana, a small town just west of Indianapolis, to attend the race. However, the race wasn’t the only buzz in Speedway during the week leading up to the race: the Foyt Wine Vault opened.

The name A.J. Foyt is synonymous with racing: he’s the only driver to win not only the Daytona 500, 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans, but also the Indianapolis 500 – FOUR times (only three drivers have done that, Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser). He’s a hall of famer who continues to hold numerous records, even after his retirement after the 1994 NASCAR season. Today, Foyt owns his own racing company, which had three drivers in the Indy 500, two that finished the race.

But this isn’t an article about racing; this is about wine. In 2014, Foyt’s company bought a 45,000 sq. ft. building in downtown Speedway. This was one of the largest businesses to relocate to Speedway in lieu of the town’s revitalization project, which is expected to be completed by the time the 100th running of the Indy 500 takes place in May 2016.

The building had some unused space, which led to the creation of the Foyt Wine Vault, the tasting room and lounge that is a part of the Foyt Family Wines collection. Foyt Family Wines was started in 2008, by Larry Foyt (son of A.J. Foyt) and Anthony Joseph Foyt IV (grandson of A.J. Foyt), who shared a passion for wine, which was complemented by their passion for racing – both Foyt’s have raced in the Indianapolis 500 and in the NASCAR Busch Series. Today, Larry is the President of A.J. Foyt Enterprises, which oversees A.J. Foyt Racing, and Anthony is a scout for the Indianapolis Colts. Both men can add “winery owner” to their resumes, too.

“I’ve always loved wine,” said Larry Foyt at the opening of the Foyt Wine Vault, “even when I was young and in college, if we had a party, I was the guy who showed up with wine instead of beer.”

Both Foyt’s quit racing in the late 2000s and wanted to work on a project together. They both enjoyed wine and while they could not afford to buy their own vineyard, they were able to connect with winemaker Tom Meadowcroft, who serves as the Foyt’s lead winemaker and the winemaker of his own label, Sonoma County’s Meadowcroft Wines. Their first release was No. 14, a 2006 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wines are named after A.J. Foyt’s famous race cars and Larry and Anthony are proud to showcase the elder Foyt’s racing career in the tasting room. The tasting room has Foyt’s Copenhagen 14 IndyCar, which he raced in the 1991 Indy 500; vintage racing footage; a Foyt family racing timeline with rare photos; and super cool memorabilia including model cars and racing gear.

Not into racing? The tasting room also features retro video games and tabletop shuffleboard. It’s also more than just a wine tasting room: they offer local beers by the bottle and on tap and have late evening hours, allowing locals and tourists to enjoy the happenings in downtown Speedway and grab a drink in a classy setting.

All three Foyts, Anthony, Larry, and A.J., were humble about the opening and remain so about the exciting evolution from a wine label to a Indy-based tasting experience that offers local cheeses, chocolates and racing memorabilia. But why not open the tasting room in California? “This is where I spend a lot of time,” says A.J. Foyt, who beamed with pride for the Foyt boys at the opening of the tasting room, “This is where A.J. Foyt made his name,” he says in third person.

“I won some races in California, but I won bigger races here – including the Indianapolis 500, but wow, I had a lot of fun in California,” he says as a boyish smile forms upon his 80-year old face and I can only imagine what type of fun he’s talking about.

“But this is about the boys,” he says. Just behind him is a photo from when he won his 4th Indy 500. This isn’t another celebrity/sports wine – it’s about family – something the wine industry can relate to. Will the Foyt racing legacy lead to a Foyt winemaking legacy, in the tradition of names such as Gallo and Sebastiani?

The Foyt boys are in it for the long haul and want to make wine they like to drink. “At first we weren’t going to call it Foyt, but it’s such a legendary brand…” Larry shared. Anthony agrees: “We want to make good wines and not get stuck with just being a celebrity brand.” Both Foyt’s express a desire for wine and Foyt-family fans to drink the wine, not just hold it on their racks as collector’s items. “We don’t want to just sell it – we want people to drink it and enjoy it,” says Anthony.

Their wines feature Napa and Sonoma grapes, with a few varietals from Lodi. Sonoma highlights from the Foyt collection include the 2013 Foyt No. 61 Carneros Pinot Noir, a 100% sustainable Burgundian style Pinot that is mellow, earthy and one of those “it was so good I drank it a little too fast,” types.

We also enjoyed their 2014 Foyt No. 60 Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc, which my mother drank two glasses of and couldn’t stop raving about, “it has more of a mellow taste than most sauv blancs which are often citrus overloads,” she said as she wrapped up glass #1. And it does, with a mellow apple and candied lemon peel start and a warm spice finish. This is a sauv blanc you can drink during the fall and winter. Their Sonoma-based winery team includes Meadowcroft, winemaker Peter Kirilov, and Chris Perry, who serves as a managing partner in the winery.

If you’re interested in tasting Foyt Family Wines locally, contact Meadowcroft Wines, located in Sonoma, at 934-4090 or info@foytwines.com. Find yourself in my hometown of Indianapolis? Head to the Foyt Family Vault at 1190 Main St, Indianapolis. foytwines.com