Indianapolis Colts Release a Wine Honoring Peyton Manning

It's been a tough season so far for fans of the Indianapolis Colts. The team is off to a 1-3 start; its only win coming against the Cleveland Browns. And with starting quarterback Andrew Luck not set to return from off-season shoulder surgery for another few weeks, the Colts' prospects of making the NFL playoffs look pretty bleak. But the team has announced a sliver of good news for fans: If they find themselves in need of something a little stronger to drown their sorrows moving forward, they can sip a beverage honoring one of the Indianapolis's all-time greats… The Colts have released a wine celebrating Peyton Manning.

For 14 seasons, the legendary quarterback and TV commercial mainstay played for the Colts, winning the franchise its only Super Bowl since moving to Indianapolis. To commemorate his achievements, the Colts are adding a bronze Manning statue outside of Lucas Oil Stadium this Saturday and then retiring the quarterback's No. 18 on Sunday, hoisting his jersey into the "Colts Ring of Fire." But for fans looking for something a bit more personal to celebrate Manning, the team has also commissioned a special Ring of Honor wine.

"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, Sr. VP of Business Development. "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."

So what makes a wine a "Peyton Manning wine"? Wine By Design enlisted the help of winemaker Andre Hueston Mack of Maison Noir Wines in Oregon's Willamette Valley to craft "a medium-bodied red wine blend with flavors of blackberries, cherries, and spice" (though the exact grape blend isn't mentioned). "What I loved about this wine is it's so well balanced out of the gate… You always look for a solid start and a great finish after each sip," Diane Karle, CEO of Wine By Design, said, comparing the wine—which retails for $19.95—to a quarterback. "This wine is also going to age beautifully. Each year it will just keep getting better." So hopefully you won't decide to trade your wine to the Denver Broncos while it's still at its peak.