Most everyone has sampled at least one of Newman’s Own food products — the salad dressing (I love the Creamy Caesar), popcorn, salsa, tomato sauce, steak sauce or lemonade.

They’re all the products of actor Paul Newman’s great humanitarian effort. Every cent of profit from these products is donated to charity; since 1982 that amounts to more than $200 million. And now, Paul has added a new item on his line-up: Newman’s Own wines, both a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

They come about after a two-year joint venture project of a group called Three Thieves and the Trinchero Family Estates, one of the largest wine producers in California. Just released to the public in March, the wines capitalize on the extensive wine distribution capabilities of Trinchero and the wine-making talent of Three Thieves, a group of young men who are noted for bringing new and exciting wines to the market with unique marketing techniques and eye-catching labels.

The wines are quite notable. The 2006 Newman’s Own California Chardonnay is made from grapes primarily from Santa Barbara and Monterey, both places noted for producing great Chardonnay. This Chardonnay is very lightly oaked so it is more in the style of French Chablis than what we are more accustomed to from California; and that’s why I like it so much. It goes much better with fish and light foods than those heavy, rich and buttery Chardonnays.

The style of Newman’s Own shows more of the tropical fruit flavors, with a touch of vanilla and apple on the nose.
The 2006 Newman’s Own California Cabernet Sauvignon is quite another story. This one is something of a “brute.” Big, heavy, tannic, oaky and very dry — it’s probably the kind of big red wine Butch himself would drink! Even so, it retains a black cherry and spice character.

The grapes for this wine come mostly from Napa and Sonoma where most of the great Cabernets are made and is true to the region. Some who prefer their Cabernets with more fruit-forward character may find this wine less to their liking, but if you’re looking for a big red to go with a juicy grilled steak, this is the one.

The back label of these wines tells a rather fanciful tale of how they came into being — it seems that Butch Cassidy had a common-law wife named Bunny and they had a son they named Catastrophe Cassidy. Aptly named, everything he did turned into a huge catastrophe. But as to how they got into the wine business, I won’t spoil the fun; you’ll have to pick up a bottle of Newman’s Own and read it for yourself. It’s quite a tale. It’s said that Butch’s final words of advice to his son were, “This wine’s gonna be delicious, but don’t you go and drink up alla profits.”

That’s important because all of the profits go to charity, as noted above, over $200 million since 1982 going to thousands of non-profit organizations and programs. You can get a glimpse of all the good works by logging on to www.newman’s own.com and checking out their story.

Dave Ethridge is a nationally known wine writer, certified wine judge, and the Director of the Lapeer Chapter of Tasters Guild International.

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