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Ricky Hatton is a fan of this knock-out Californian wine

One Paso Robles producer has found an unlikely cheerleader in former two-weight world champion boxer Ricky Hatton.

Instagram @rickyhitmanhatton

Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton, who won world titles in both the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions, snapped himself enjoying a bottle of luxury Californian wine during an extravagant meal in Pattaya.

The former professional boxer, fondly given the nickname ‘Ricky Fatton’ by fans due to the amount of weight he would gain between fights in the thick of his career, revealed in his recent Sky documentary Hatton that his binge-eating and drinking led opponents and fans to underestimate him.

“Back then I was having full English breakfasts on the morning of a fight,” he said. “Absolutely nobody fancied me to win.”

Hatton famously used to shed as much as five stone during a seven-week training camp before going on to win his world title bouts.

Famously a beer drinker, Hatton told tabloid newspaper the Daily Star that at one point he drank 20 pints of Guinness a day.

However, he appears to have developed a taste for fine wine judging by a series of photographs he posted on social media during a recent trip to Thailand.

Instagram @rickyhitmanhatton

California dreaming

While dining at Italianate restaurant Castello di Biageo in Pattaya, Hatton captured a sommelier decanting a bottle of Daou Vineyards wine at his table. The bottle looks to belong to the Californian producer’s Reserve collection, typically priced at around US$60 per bottle in its domestic US market. Daou has a strong focus on Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties, with its co-founder Daniel Daou being one of the first vintners to bring Cabernet clones to Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County.

Daou also oversees the coopering of its own custom barrels, including one style made from an especially rare, fine-grained pink oak called the bois rosé tree. This rare wood is aged for up to five years and according to the producer imparts “an array of complex yet subtle flavours.” It is widely thought of as one of the finest barrels available in the wine world.

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Money talks

As db reported, Treasury Wine Estates bought Daou Vineyards for US$900 million in October 2023, after two years of “closely monitoring” the winery. At the time, TWE’s CEO Tim Ford said that while Daou generated 98% of its sales within the US, it had the potential “to go global.” Hatton’s purchase confirms this, as the boxing legend was able to order a bottle in the Thai on-trade just 15 months after the announcement of the acquisition.

Ford also stated that he has “grand plans” for Daou to replicate the international success of Australian fine wine Penfolds. He said Daou would become “the next brand with the international scale and luxury credentials of Penfolds”.

In the US market around 69% of Daou’s sales come from bottles priced at US$20 to US$40. A further 13% of sales are for wines priced at US$100+ per bottle. Slap on import taxes and a mark-up for the on-trade and Hatton likely paid well in excess of this to enjoy a bottle of Daou wine overseas.

Favourite sips

In 2015, the paparazzi photographed Hatton drinking Dom Perignon in Marbella, Spain. Ice buckets containing magnums of Veuve Clicquot also lined the table where he was enjoying a pool party.

His Instagram grid shows the former boxing champ is partial to Dorada and Peroni beers, and Hatton also had a pub-style bar installed inside his Manchester home. Called Hitman’s Bar, the drinking den is, said Hatton, “his favourite room in the whole house”, and is decked out with Man City FC memorabilia, Hatton’s hard-won boxing belts, signed boxing gloves and his MBE, awarded by King Charles (then Prince Charles) for services to sport.

In an exclusive interview with fellow former world champion boxer Johnny Nelson, db explored why the world of boxing is about to break open opportunities for premium drinks brands.

Meanwhile, some of the most famous boxers in the world have released their own food and drink brands. Tyson Fury teamed up with budget supermarket Iceland to launch his own line of ready meals, while Mexican boxing superstar Canelo launched his own range of Tequila-based RTDs.

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