Words To the Wine

With the NBA title corked, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich talked with SI's Jack McCallum about his other passion--wine.

SI: How many bottles do you have in your wine cellar?

GP: About 3,000. A third of them won't be ready to drink until I'm planted in the ground.

SI: What is your preferred wine to sip while you're breaking down basketball film?

GP: If it's during the day and the weather is warm, it has to be a Riesling or a sauvignon blanc. If it's evening, a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

SI: If you pull into a wine store to buy a nice everyday wine, what do you buy?

GP: A good common white would be a New Zealand sauvignon blanc or a Rudd Chardonnay from Napa, specifically from the Bacigalupi vineyard. Red would be one of the Oregon Pinot Noirs.

SI: What is the one wine you'd like to taste that has eluded you?

GP: A French Burgundy, De La Romanee Conti. It's hard to find and expensive.

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FOX SEARCHLIGHT/PHOTOFEST (SCENE FROM SIDEWAYS)

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LUCY NICHOLSON/REUTERS (POPOVICH)

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RYAN MCVAY/PHOTODISC GREEN/GETTY IMAGES (WINE BOTTLE)