Butch Cassidy Jumps into the Vat

Back in October, I wrote about a downright decent jug wine from Three Thieves, which I bought more for the John Wayne-ness of the design and the silver screwcap than the substance inside.

Today, it was announced that Newman’s Own, the food company-cum-charity owned by Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward, is adding wine to its list of wares. And their partner in this venture is Rebel Wine Co., the parent of Three Thieves and brother or sister (or distant cousin) to the more pedestrian Sutter Home.

Newman’s Own already produces everything from bottled salad dressing to organic fig cookies to healthier-than-thou pet food. And its founders appear to exert a power second only to Oprah’s. Most winemakers wait for years to produce their first vintage. But Newman’s Own will release its first wines — a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, both from California — in December. Each will retail for approximately $16 a bottle, making Butch Cassidy’s jug of hooch roughly 40 percent more expensive than Three Thieves.

I like the idea behind Newman’s Own. It was founded by Newman and his friend A.E. Hotchner, the author of King of the Hill, in 1982. It’s a for-profit corporation that gives 100 percent of its net (after taxes and operating costs) to educational and charitable organizations, including Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer program for seriously ill children in Connecticut. The company’s spot-on tagline: Shameless exploitation in pursuit of the common good.

I’m amused by the baldly kitschy, folksy way they market their products, with Paul and Joanne dressed up like the couple from American Gothic on many of the labels. Then there’s Paul in a straw hat and bowtie, Paul in a sombrero, Paul like Julius Caesar with a tomato smashed on top of his head.

But about their products I am, frankly, torn. There’s no doubt in my mind they’re more expensive (by 10-30%) than foodstuffs of similar quality. Yet, this is a company that’s given away $200 million; that premium clearly is going to good use. What’s more, I’ve never seen a food company so forthcoming with information: go on the Newman’s Own website and you can find detailed ingredient and nutrition data on every single thing they sell.

It remains to be seen whether the Newman’s Own cachet is enough to put a $16 price tag on what likely will be a garden-variety California Chardonnay. With really solid French, South American, Spanish, and Italian wines selling for under $12 a bottle, it will be a tough leap for me to make. I might prefer to drink a white Rhone wine and make my own charitable donations.