Larry Vino.

When I was 12 years old I gave my heart to Larry Bird. Now he wants my palate:

The Larry Bird/Mitch Cosentino Legends Meritage is a blend of 41 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 37 percent Merlot, and 22 percent Cabernet Franc. Next month the label will release a chardonnay and a merlot. In the summer, there will be a Legends cabernet.

And just how did Larry get involved in this venture?
Julie Weinstock, president of Cosentino Winery, said, ''A mutual acquaintance of Larry and Mitch knew that Larry was looking to be associated with the production of a wine. Larry tasted some of our wines and liked them and said, 'Let's do it.' When I heard about it, I said, 'Larry Bird, the basketball player? I don't get it.' But he has such a following. It's introduced wine to a group of people that may not have been interested in wine. It opens a whole new world to them."
Cosentino said, ''He seems to appreciate better wines. I've always said that great wines can be enjoyed by people that may not be wine-collector types. Larry's goal was to say, 'They've got to be championship-style wines.' He wanted to strive to be at the top level. I think we both shared that vision in the project. And he definitely has a wide range of appeal to folks all over the world."
Celebrity wine is something of a trend. Director Francis Ford Coppola has his own label, as does golfer Greg Norman. According to Larry's press release, fewer than 500 cases of Legends Meritage were produced and the company suggests a retail price of $80 per bottle.
Eighty bucks per bottle. That killed me. I mean, we're talking about Larry Bird here. This is the man who refused to leave a tip when he went out to eat in New York his rookie year. He just couldn't believe the price of lunch in Manhattan in 1979. In 1992, when he was in Monte Carlo with the Olympic Dream Team, he walked out of a lounge when the barkeep told him he owed 7 bucks for his bottle of beer.
Larry said something like, ''You can keep your $7 bottle of beer."