Editorial: There's no time for 9/11 wine
Lieb Family Cellars' September's Mission wine did not create the criticism that its 9/11 Memorial wine has. Credit: Handout
The only real problem with the Lieb Family Cellars' new "9/11 Memorial" wine is the name. Perhaps 10 years is too soon and the wound is too fresh, but marketing a product with the same moniker as our nation's most defining tragedy in generations doesn't sit well.
There were vendors hawking 9/11 memorabilia almost as quickly as the smoke from the attacks cleared. Some of the items were crass. Others shared sentiments, like support for the victims or love for the emergency workers who tried to help them, that the heartbroken and enraged could relate to meaningfully. The vast majority were made and sold for profit, but that's true of most things in life.
The Mattituck-based winery's decision to sell the 9/11 merlot and chardonnay seems well-intentioned. Any profit the company makes on them is going to the National 9/11 Memorial Museum, and the two new varieties have generated thousands of dollars already. The winery doesn't deserve some of the harsher comments being thrown its way.
In 2004, Lieb Family Cellars created a bottle that sells for $9.11 and has generated over $25,000 for the memorial. Why no controversy for that label? It's called "September Mission" merlot. That's a strong, reverential name, while "9/11 Memorial" wine is a poorly chosen one.
Lieb Family Cellars hasn't done anything wrong, but it has created a product and a marketing campaign that just don't feel right.hN
