{"id":10270,"date":"2020-05-14T11:35:17","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T18:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10270"},"modified":"2020-05-14T16:25:38","modified_gmt":"2020-05-14T23:25:38","slug":"sonomas-field-of-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10270","title":{"rendered":"Sonoma’s Field of Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sonoma’s Field of Dreams originally published in Touring & Tasting spring\/summer 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n

Come by Balletto Vineyards winery on any given\u00a0Sunday in the spring and summer, and you\u2019ll hear the happy\u00a0sounds of bats cracking, children laughing and the occasional\u00a0cheers. Nestled among the winery\u2019s 700 acres of Russian River\u00a0Valley AVA<\/a> estate vineyards is a four-acre regulation-sized\u00a0baseball field.<\/p>\n

How did this real life field of dreams come to be? \u201cJohn\u00a0Balletto\u2019s hardworking vineyard staff approached him and\u00a0asked if he would sponsor their league baseball team,\u201d says\u00a0brand ambassador Nick Frey. \u201cIn true John Balletto<\/a> fashion,\u00a0he went above and beyond. The Balletto family set four acres\u00a0of land aside and donated the materials while the vineyard\u00a0crew donated the labor, so everyone feels a sense of ownership\u00a0and pride.\u201d<\/p>\n

Employees now use the regulation-size field to play in a\u00a0league with teams from the Bay Area, says Frey. The Balletto\u00a0team includes vineyard operations manager Manuel Vallejo,\u00a0a 32-year employee who first approached the boss about\u00a0building the field in 2002 and still plays with Los Uveros\u00a0(The Grapers).<\/p>\n

Surrounded by vineyards and nestled below a winemaking\u00a0production area, the field is not directly viewable from the\u00a0tasting room, but offers a great view for the Balletto staff. The\u00a0winery does offer a walking tour that takes you around the\u00a0vineyard and stops right at the field. ballettovineyards.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Originally published in the spring\/summer 2020 issue of Touring & Tasting<\/a>. Click here to read this story and more! TT-SP20.digital<\/a><\/p>\n

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