Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/267019
7 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a r - A p r 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m hile the connection b e t w e e n f o o t b a l l and wine may not be obvious at first glance, it's clear that John Kent Cooke, owner of Boxwood Estate Winery in Virginia, acquired some invaluable skills as former owner and president of the NFL's Washington Redskins. Among the essential things he learned during his career in sports was to always aim for the top. During the Cooke family's leader- ship, the Redskins were one of the most successful teams in the NFL. Another fundamental message he brought from the rough-and-tumble world of sports to the presumably more genteel milieu of wine is the importance of recruiting the best available talent. Rachel Martin, Cooke's step- daughter, has been a driving force o f t h e B o x w o o d p r o j e c t f r o m its beginning. With a bachelor's degree from Tufts University's School of Fine Arts, a love of wine, and innate managerial moxie, she fulfilled the one winery job require- BY MARGUERITE THOMAS, EASTERN CORRESPONDENT Boxwood Estate Winery Scores in Virginia Team-playing vintners apply NFL lessons to their family business Boxwood Estate Winery Scores in Virginia Rachel Martin is the driving force behind Boxwood Estate.