Complete the Collection with No. 61!

SONOMA, Calif.—In honor of the single victory which changed A.J. Foyt’s life, Foyt Family Wines is releasing the Collector's Edition No. 61, the number signifying Foyt’s 1961 Indianapolis 500 victory.

This wine rounds out the Special Collector’s Edition bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon that the company previously released in honor of Foyt’s three other Indy 500 triumphs as a driver. No. 61 is available for purchase on the Foyt Wines website here.

“We’ve previously produced reserve wines celebrating three out of A.J.’s four Indianapolis 500 wins,” said Managing Partner Chris Perry. “I’ve been wanting to complete the set with his 1961 win for years now. Our 2016 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon was tasting especially amazing, so we bottled only 25 cases to make this 1961 tribute wine as a special treat for our collectors.”

That 1961 triumph was the first of five Indy 500s wins for Foyt: four as a driver with the

fifth one coming as solely an owner in 1999 when Kenny Brack won. For Foyt, it was the fifth checkered in just 41 races as he was 26 years old. He would continue on to win a record 67 Indy car races and seven national driving championships.

The 1961 race was the Golden Anniversary of the 500 and it featured a classic battle between Foyt and runner-up Eddie Sachs where the outcome wasn’t determined until the final laps.

Foyt’s team had a problem with a fueling rig and he needed to make an extra fuel stop, giving the lead to Sachs. Sachs had to pit with two laps to go because he had worn out his right front tire trying to keep up with Foyt. That pit stop gave the lead back to Foyt on the penultimate lap and ultimately, the victory.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Foyt. “It was one of those days where I thought, ‘Yes, I’ve got it won, No, I don’t have it won.’ And then at the end, I won. I’m quite sure I had tears running down like a big ole baby because I was so happy and thrilled after all the years I listened to the race (on the radio) and dreamed about it and then be lucky enough to win the race.”

Larry Foyt, co-founder of Foyt Family Wines along with A.J. Foyt IV, is thrilled with this new release.

“I like to think we’ve saved the best for last,” Foyt said. “The winemakers knocked it out of the park with this delicious wine. It’s a beautiful package and we are very proud of this offering and the special day in Foyt history it represents.”