A former major-leaguer trades the infield for the corkscrew.
Ex-major leaguer goes from infielder to owner of Sorso Wine Room
When Mark Teahen booked a trip to Italy with his wife, Lauren, after being released by the San Francisco Giants in 2014, he intended to search for a job with an Italian baseball league. ¶ But after they visited a wine bar in the Chianti region, he decided to launch a career in a different field. The wine bar had an Enomatic dispensing system in which each bottle was attached to a tap that dispensed wine in any increment from a full glass to a taste. They learned that this helped preserve the quality of the wine after it was opened, but also saw that it was visually intriguing and made for an unusual focal point.
“We thought the concept could fit well in Scottsdale,” Mark recalled.
They returned to the Valley and Mark’s quick transition from the baseball world into the wine bar world began as he and Lauren started the business plan for Sorso Wine Room, which they opened in Scottsdale in 2015. Sorso is the Italian word for “a sip.”
“We knew we didn’t want to sit on our hands. We always wanted to run a business together so we just ran with it,” Teahen said.
The road had its share of learning curves. When it first opened, the Teahens wanted to keep the wine wall as the focus without the complexities of a trendy menu generated from a hectic kitchen. Feedback from customers and suggestions by staff and friends inspired them to expand their plans and test the waters.
“If something didn’t work, we could get rid of it. If we wanted to try something new, we did. There’s no corporate ladder to climb or wait for approval from,” Mark said.
A brunch trial didn’t work but a few other food ideas did. Those led to a selection of small bites, bruschetta, salads and sandwiches. Two toaster ovens comprise the heavy kitchen equipment. All food prep is done out front and in plain view of patrons sitting at the bar.
“A lot of customers are surprised our menu can be created right there.
The food has been the biggest surprise,” Mark said. “People love their wine but love the food to pair with it.”
Since opening, sales
“We knew we didn’t want to sit on our hands. We always wanted to run a business together so we just ran with it.” MARK TEAHEN SORSO WINE ROOM
have grown at least $10,000 each month, spiking additionally in summer, he said.
The growing popularity of wine is a factor. About 40 percent of adults in the United States drink wine, according to the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium. In the wine drinking population, 35 percent drink wine several times a week, according to the Wine Market Council.
Demystifying wine is part of the Teahens’ mission.
“It’s funny to walk into a nice steak house and have the server make us feel dumb that we didn’t know so much. We make it so the person who’s coming in trying to get into wine for the first time doesn’t feel intimidated,” he said.
The 32-selection wine wall remains the centerpiece of the restaurant and is one of the few such systems in the state. It also allows patrons to experience wines that they’ve never heard of as well as those they would love to try but are out of their price range.
Many wines are available for $2.50 for a 11⁄2-ounce pour and $10-$12 a glass. High-profile labels that are rarely, if ever, available by the glass are also here.
“A lot of people enjoy the fact they can try a Silver Oak Cab but can also try an Italian Sangiovese that they would never open a bottle of,’ ” Mark said, referencing the noted Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that commands a bottle price in the triple digits. A 2012 vintage is available at Sorso for $110 a bottle and $30 a glass.
Silver Oak is among the favorites of J.J. Putz, a Sorso regular and former teammate of Teahen’s when both played for the Chicago White Sox in 2010.
Putz has visited Sorso two or three times a month since the day it opened. He likes the bruschetta and gluten-free bread option to pair with his wine.
“The fact that you’re able to taste different levels of wines all over the board is really unique. The staff is very helpful and friendly, and the vibe in there is like no other wine bar that I’ve been to,” said Putz, a veteran pitcher who retired with the Arizona Diamondbacks and is currently the special assistant to Arizona Diamondbacks president Derek Hall.
Putz also co-chairs Driving Out Domestic Violence, an annual fundraiser that the Teahens founded to benefit Chrysalis, a Phoenix non-profit that works to prevent domestic violence and assist its victims.
“Mark and Lauren are very charitable people. They seem to always have something going at Sorso to give back. It speaks to the character of the ownership there,” Putz said.
Lauren became involved with Chrysalis after witnessing her stepfather abusing her mother. While Lauren emerged from the cycle of abuse a stronger woman, Mark said her mother wasn’t as fortunate.
“If they had a place like Chrysalis, her mom would have bounced back more. She never got rid of the guilt. She internalized it and never got her confidence back,” Mark said of his late mother-inlaw.
Lauren’s volunteering led to the couple’s creation of Driving Out Domestic Violence, which takes place in November. It draws 500-600 attendees and has raised more than a million dollars for Chrysalis, Mark said.
The Teahens met in Kansas City and made the Valley their off-season home in 2003, eventually making it their full-time home. Baseball afforded them the opportunity to make investments when Mark’s playing days were over. But they wanted something they could do together.
They crafted Sorso based on their own experiences with restaurants and wine bars and incorporated what they liked and left out what they didn’t. Profits have gone back into the business to keep it evolving and improving.
“When we set out to do this, we didn’t want to squeeze every dime out of every guest that came in. We wanted a place that people would enjoy,” he said.
Mark, Lauren and their young children will spend this summer in Italy after he got a call from an Italian team. It’ll be a last hurrah of sorts as he experiences one more year of pro ball.