That's it, game over, we have a champion in the What's the Most Despicable Way to Exploit 9/11 sweepstakes. The winner? Lieb Family Cellars of Long Island, who are selling a 9/11 Memorial Commemorative Merlot and a 9/11 Memorial Commemorative Chardonnay, both for the price of—we kid you not—$19.11. They're made with "grapes grown 90 miles from the site of the World Trade Center," and the chardonnay "finishes with a toasty vanilla flavor on the palate."
But it gets better worse. This actually isn't the first 9/11 wine Lieb Family has produced. In 2004 they introduced a September Mission Merlot that sold for $9.11, a whopping 91.1 cents of which went to 9/11 charities (the winery's general manager says they've "probably donated $25,000 from that wine," which, based on the percentage above, means they've grossed in the neighborhood of a quarter million on its sales).
Oh, and one more thing. The whole 9/11 series Lieb is producing is part of their "Great Wines for Good Causes" line (please note the wines are "great," the causes merely "good"). The "Great Wines for Good Causes" is Lieb's way of supporting "a few select charities that represent our favority (sic) causes" (yes, the website actually says "favority"). There's a syrah on that list, named Syrah, after the vineyard mascot, a dog who recently died of kidney disease. And 20% of the proceeds from Syrah go to research on kidney disease in animals. Presumably they settled on 20% for that one (as opposed to the 10% they're giving to 9/11 charities) because...ol' Syrah shuffled off to doggie heaven on the 20th? [via Gothamist]
