Ready, Set, Pour!

Gale Sayers was one of the best of all times. Don Maynard was Joe Namath's favorite target. Jan Stenerud kicked field goals in three decades. What do they have in common today? They are three of 15 NFL Hall of Famers whose portraits appear on the labels of a new red table wine called Legends Gridiron Cuvee.

Just in time for the '97 football season comes a wine that just might entice football fans to trade in their beer and chips for some wine and cheese. Legends Cuvee is a blend of several California red varietals. Back labels contain anecdotes from featured players and their sometimes humorous points of view on wine. It retails for $10 per bottle.

"The Legends program is turning out to be a lot of fun for us and the players," says Lee Nordlund, senior brand manager with Delicato Vineyards, which created the brand. "It is a way to attract new customers to the wine industry and everyone realizes that an expanded consumer base is critical for continued industry growth."

The wine is intended for light drinking around the barbecue or in front of the tube. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Legends Cuvee is donated to local charities. Other famous retired football players participating in the series include Jim Otto, Marv Hubbard, Mel Renfro and Paul Warfield.



This article was found in
The Wine Enthusiast
http://wineenthusiast.com/wine/v1/magazine/August97/news3.html