Things are looking promising in the mustard world for Gene Goldschmidt.

        It was almost two years ago that we first told you about Mr. Goldschmidt, an Oakley resident who makes and sells horseradish sauce and spicy mustards. A former flooring contractor, he learned to grow horseradish after taking gardening up as a hobby.

        He sells his sinus-clearing condiments under the Organic Cornucopia label on Saturdays from a stand at Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine. Several stores at Findlay Market and Jungle Jim's Market in Fairfield also sell his products.

        Last month, Mr. Goldschmidt was pleasantly surprised to learn his Findlay Market Honey Mustard won one of 14 gold medals at the prestigious Napa Valley Mustard Festival in California. To win the medal, his sweet mustard competed against more than 30 others from around the world.

        “I thought it was a one in million chance when I sent the entry in,” Mr. Goldschmidt says.

        It was only the second time he had entered the annual contest. And because he won a medal, his honey mustard is now for sale at the swanky Dean & DeLuca gourmet store in St. Helena, Calif., and on the Mount Horeb (Wis.) Mustard Museum Web site (www.mustardmuseum.com).

        But even before his surprising victory in Napa Valley, Mr. Goldschmidt had started pitching his mustard to the Cincinnati Reds. He was inspired by Enquirer columnist Cliff Radel, who called on the Reds in September to begin selling a hometown mustard at the new Great American Ballpark, scheduled to open next spring. Mr. Goldschmidt quickly picked up the campaign by sending a case of his mustard to Reds' owner Carl Lindner.

        This year, he began putting labels on his mustard asking that customers call the team's front office to suggest that the Reds serve Mr. Goldschmidt's mustard with its ballpark hot dogs and brats. He even included the Reds' phone number on the label.

        “I checked with my attorney,” he says, of his aggressive tactics. “He says it's fine.”

        While he never heard from Mr. Lindner, the mustard man did receive an encouraging letter from Reds chief operating officer John Allen this month. Mr. Allen wrote that he thought the mustard was “delicious,” but that the ultimate decision whether to buy it was up to Cincinnati Sports Service, the company that handles food services at the baseball stadium.

        So of course, Mr. Goldschmidt called Sports Service.

        “They said they'd love to give me a chance,” he says.

        Mr. Goldschmidt then shipped out more mustard samples. He's not giving up until someone says no.

        “It's only one in a million,” he says. “But hey, I'm on a roll, and I'm going for it.

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