Last month, the Indianapolis Colts celebrated Peyton Manning’s exit from football with a bronze statue in front of Lucas Oil Stadium and the retirement of his number 18 jersey. As a companion to the festivities, a company called Wine By Design is helping the Colts celebrate Manning much in the way his fans would: with a bottle of wine. Their bottle, however, is a little fancier than what is next to the wings on game day.
Ring of Honor, named after the ring around the stadium that pays tribute to those who have made significant contributions to the history of the Colts, is a medium-bodied red wine blend with flavors of blackberries, cherries, and spice. Crafted by the master winemaker of Masion Noir Wines, André Hueston Mack, this is a limited edition label.
“With his induction into the Ring of Honor, releasing a commemorative bottle of wine with our partner, Wine By Design, gives Colts fans a way to remember an incredible weekend and have a keepsake to hold onto for years to come,” said Matt Godbout, senior VP of Business Development for the Colts. “It’s a way to recognize what he did for our organization and what he did for the city over the course of his phenomenal career.”
Of course, events such as Manning’s retirement and promotions such a bottle Ring of Honor pair as well as wine and cheese. But this particular tie-in sets a certain precedent for other sports-star-wine combinations. Perhaps a Sauvignon Lebron? A Cristiano Ronaldo Cabernet? Maybe the bubbles of a sparkling wine can match the speed of Usain Bolt? Or how about pairing with baseball’s Mike Trout? Well, “trout” might not be the best word to associate with wine. We’ll keep brainstorming.
Wouldn’t it be a great idea to keg some of this new blend into stainless steel win barrels? We may be a little biased, but it would certainly cut down on the production and distribution costs, not to mention we can definitely picture some more sophisticated Colt super-fans tapping Ring of Honor in their homes.
For you Colts fans who would like to commemorate Peyton’s legacy with the team, you can go to Colts.com/wine to find yourself a bottle.