Sporty wines raise money for charity

Rocky Mountain News - Denver, CO, USA - Raise your glass for a good cause. And your favorite athlete.

In an unusual and surprisingly successful blend of sports and retail philanthropy, a wine company is launching its second vintage of athlete-endorsed wines that raise money for charity.

Since 2007, Boston-based Charity Wines has raised more than $400,000 for various causes through sales of wines bearing the images of athletes such as Manny Ramirez, Cam Neely and Dan Marino.

This year, the company will introduce several dozen new baseball-themed wines, including Santana's Select Merlot (New York's Johan Santana), Cabernet Glavingnon (Atlanta's Tom Glavine) and Vintage Papi (Boston's David Ortiz).

Each bottle sold generates a $1.25 donation to the players' chosen charities.