Two things I know a little about collide

As I watched Manny fly out in his only All Star at-bat last night, I enjoyed a nice glass of the red wine that bears his name (and visage), Manny Being Merlot.

The wine, which raises money for charity, is made from Chilean grapes and is imported through a Massachusetts wine distributor. Mrs. N-B picked it up for $12. My expectations were very low, and I'm pleased to say Manny exceeded them.

I was struck immediately by the wine's strong nose, or smell. I picked up on ripe fruit flavors almost immediately after opening the bottle. After swirling a small tasting sample, I also detected some pepper and cherry. Mrs. N-B said there was cassis in there, too, but I don't know what cassis tastes like.

Right off the bat, I was most impressed with the wine's color. It lightened just a bit at the top of the glass, indicating it had been aged slightly. A good sign.

Satisfied with sight and smell, I moved to taste. Very dry initially, Manny opened up a bit, but there was some sourness on the finish. Not surprisingly, the slugger tasted meaty and would probably go well with a steak. Mrs. N-B noted that the taste was very alcoholy, a good observation given the wine's high 13.5% alcohol content.

I thought Manny would pair well with some chocolate, but I'm disappointed to report the chocolate only exacerbated the sour. This undercuts what Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon once said about Manny.

In all, I say it's a buy. Worth $12 for a bottle, not worth $160M over eight years.