Charity Baseball Wines

By Brendon Rosenau
Love of Sports Correspondent

You know the old saying, “Two heads are better then one.”

Well in this case, two charities are better for everyone.

Thanks to a partnership between Charity Wines and Charity Hop the world of wine and the world of sports have teamed up to form a duo that could rival that of Mantle and Maris.

Charity Wines has a simple mission statement, “Utilize our expertise in the wine business … take advantage of the immense drawing power of celebrities … and raise as much money as possible for charitable organizations.”

So, instead of using P-Diddy to further sales at Burger King, they’re using Manny Ramirez to help raise money for kids in Miami. According to its website, Charity Wines donates roughly 70% of its pre-tax profits to the celebrity’s charity. It’s a family owned and operated business that genuinely cares. Their philosophy is one of respect, honesty and integrity. What’s not to like?

Charity Hop is a Boston based sports marketing company that helps athletes raise money for their respective charities. Brett Rudy, Co-Founder and Marketing Director, explained how the two business formed their championship tag team.

“In January of 2007, Charity Wines contacted my company, Charity Hop, looking to do a baseball wine for charity. Our names were similar, and we worked with a lot of athletes to raise money for charity, which is what I’m sure led them to google us.”

Rudy and his group had established a relationship with Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling when Schilling arrived in Boston to erase an 84-year-old curse in 2004.

One of the first events Schilling and Charity Hop joined forces on was the 100 Innings of Baseball Spectacular. The game, in association with the Boston Men’s Baseball League, was a two-day event in April of 2004.

The game pitted Gehrig’s Stamina 100 and Schilling’s Endurance 51 in a 101-inning marathon that lasted more than 30 hours. Nearly 175 players took part in the game held at Kelly Field in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, and over $112,000 was raised in that day alone for the ALS Association. The check was presented to Schilling at Fenway Park a week after the game.

The game has since continued through the years, with funds totaling more than $373,000 in the first four years. This year, the game will take place on Labor Day Weekend (more on that even in the coming month).

As a result of this event, when Charity Wines contacted Charity Hop, Schilling was the first guy they turned to. Rudy also thought that while Schilling could certainly help, the more the merrier. Rudy looked for more Sox players to get involved and didn’t have to wait long for an answer. The Red Sox have an exemplary record when it comes to charity. Tim Wakefield and Manny Ramirez immediately stepped to the plate.

In 2007, Charity Wines was able to announce the development of three wines; Manny Being Merlot, Schilling Schardonnay and CaberKnuckle.

The charity Ramirez chose was the CHARLEE Program, which provides homes for children in Miami. Wakefield’s charity was Pitching in For Kids, which supports several New England Charities.

The success of the wines was equivalent of a postseason walk-off homer. Once word got out there would be three Red Sox wines, Massachusetts liquor stores were flooded with phone calls. Stores couldn’t keep the wine on the shelf. It was the largest wine presale in Massachusetts history. Over $35,000 was raised in just the first three months.

By the end of the year more than a quarter million bottles were sold, which resulted in donations of over $100,000 going to each charity. You have to love it!

It’s just a great product. Spend $13.99 for a bottle of wine with your favorite player on it and you’re getting a keepsake and making a charitable donation.

Reaction to the Sox wines, which are under the Longball Cellars brand, allowed an increase in production and a foray into other sports and markets. Rudy claims that over $1,000,000 had been donated in just one year of production.

This year, the Red Sox wines are Vintage Papi (The David Ortiz Children’s Foundation), Captains Cabernet (Pitching in For Kids) and SauvugnYooukBlanc (Hits for Kids).

The New York Yankees (Jorge Cabernet for the Jorge Posada Foundation and Abreu‘s Finest for Police Athletic League of New York), New York Mets (CaberReyes for MLB Players Trust, Santana‘s Select for The Johan Santana Foundation and Schnieder Schardonnay for The Catching for Kids Foundation) , Atlanta Braves (Chipper Chardonnay for The Miracle League, Cabernet Glavingnon for CURE Childhood Cancer and McCann Merlot for The Rally Foundation), Cincinnati Reds (Junior Cabernet for The Ken Griffey, Jr. Family Foundation, B-Lark Merlot for Champions Sports Foundation and Homer Chardonnay for Outdoors Without Limits) have all put their names of wine labels.

Brooks Robinson has a Brooks Robinson Chardonnay for the Baltimore Community Foundation, and there is also the 500 Home Run Club group: Ernie Banks 512 Chardonnay (Live Above and Beyond Foundation in Chicago), Mike Schmidt 548 Zinfandel (The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Philadelphia) and Eddie Murray 504 Cabernet (The Baltimore Community Foundation). All of the baseball wines come under the brand name, “Longball Cellars.”

Hat Trick Cellars had produced Bourque Merlot for the Celebrities for Charities Foundation and Cambernet for The Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Cure. Gridiron Cellars has Vintage Brees Chardonnay (The Brees Dream Foundation) and Cajun Cannon Cabernet, Bobby Hebert’s contribution to The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Marino Estates has produced Vintage 13, which benefit’s the Dan Marino Foundation.

One more reason to love this story: All of the wine is made in the U.S.A. Prices for the wines range from 13.99 to 18.99. In Massachusetts, they can’t keep them on the shelf. Not only does the money go to charity, but the wines are good.

So, next time you have a few friends over for the game, or are having dinner with that special someone, grab a selection from Longball Cellars and you’re guaranteed to hit a home run.

If your local store doesn’t carry these selections, you can order them online at http://www.charitywines.com.

(If you truly love wine, then the chances are you may also love you some beer! Our sister site, The Love of Beer, has you covered for all your fermented beverage needs. Click over now!)