Nearly 82 years old now, Dick Vermeil still possesses that commanding Buzz Lightyear voice, ageless aura of vitality and … sheer need to work.
So walk into Vermeil Wines’ Calistoga Tasting Room during the harvest season, and chances are you’ll be greeted by its namesake. Because Dick Vermeil is Dick Vermeil, he isn’t merely lending his name to some detached celebrity wine operation.
The now 10-year-old business is a direct reflection of the former Eagles, Rams and Chiefs coach, after all, so as ever he is compulsively obligated to focus on the details.
Part of that is being an amiable host, albeit one who jokes that he’s a terrible businessman in one sense: “You wouldn’t believe how much wine I give away,” he said, laughing.