Wine 'paired' with politics
Mawby puts Obama's name on label as a fun fundraiser.
As most Leelanau Democrats in the know can tell you, it's no secret Larry Mawby is a supporter of presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama.
If there's any doubt just visit Mawby's vineyard on S. Elm Valley Road in Suttons Bay Township, where clearly evident on the shelves in his tasting area are bottles of Obama sparkling wine.
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LARRY MAWBY holds a bottle of Obama |
“They were having the governor of Kansas come in and asked me to provide a special wine. I took our US sparking wine and made up a label, put Obama’s name on it. It was a big success at the event and I’ve had a lot of people asking for it,” he said.
Mawby has approached the initiative with both humor and purpose. For every bottle of Obama that’s sold, $1 will go toward the candidate’s campaign fund.
“However, it should be noted that what I am doing is not officially endorsed by Obama campaign. This is something I did on my own, and it’s a little fun,” he said.
The US brut is blend of pinot noir and chardonnay and is made under Mawby’s M. Lawrence process. M. Lawrence wines use the cuve close method, or tank fermentation method, versus the methode champenoise.
Mawby said he is somewhat surprised by how much the Obama-labeled wine has sold. He said his US wine has always been a good seller, but the Obama label has moved a little quicker out the door.
“I’ve had people ask about it and buy it. When I made the label, I thought it would sell a half-dozen cases or so. We’ve sold 30-40 cases so far,” Mawby said.
The Obama has been a big seller at Cedar City Market and is proving popular outside of Leelanau County as well. Mawby said his Chicago distributor heard about the Obama wine and asked him to ship some for a big campaign fundraiser for the Democrat nominee. “I asked the distributor to not go too nuts selling it because I don’t want to run out,” he said with a laugh.
Mawby said he’s been asked whether he would be OK with the concept of putting a John McCain or Sarah Palin label on the sparkling wine.
“I said I was open to the idea. I told them I would be happy to make up label like I did with the Obama wine and put it on any bottle of wine we sell. But, for each bottle of Sarah wine sold, $1 would go to the Obama presidential campaign,” Mawby joked. He then amended his answer, and said he’d let some other winery take up the cause for the Republican Party presidential candidate or his running mate.