9-11 commemorative wine is in bad taste

911 Wine

September 11. It’s a date that evokes images of destruction, loss and devastation. For some it brings to mind the loss of a loved one, and for all it symbolizes an assault on our nation, and the death of a simpler, safer way of life. But for the vintners at Long Island’s Lieb Cellars, it symbolized a convenient opportunity to make a profit.

The winery has created a 9/11 memorial collection, which includes varieties such as a Commemorative Merlot and a Commemorative Chardonnay. Although workers at Lieb Cellars were probably hoping people would perhaps appreciate the complex undertones of their product, most of their potential customers are only feeling sour about the collection.

This seemingly innocuous collection of wine is, in reality, the indication of an excessively commercialized nation.

To pour salt in the wound, the vintners priced each bottle of wine $19.11, which is a move that seems both tacky and offensive. The date of the horrific event is being used jocularly as a simple dollar amount, which demeans those personally affected by the attack and irritates nearly everyone.

Lieb Cellars does seem to have a tinge of positive intent in some respects, donating 6 to 10 percent of its profits to the National September 11th Memorial and Museum. However, 6 to 10 percent is still a small portion of the profits, which indicates that donating to help 9/11 memorial efforts is not the first order of business on the winery’s agenda. Lieb Cellars does not appear to truly have a charitable intent, as most of the profits are still flowing swiftly back to the company.

Over the years, companies have become more daring, and they are willing to take more risks to make a profit. They often cross boundaries of taste along the way, and offend many people unnecessarily. Businesses are becoming painfully numb to sensitive topics. Perhaps strength in numbers allows people to act in a way they would not as an individual … Human emotions are no match for brute strength and robotic corporations.

However, it is not corporations that are harmed when businesses infringe on emotional territory. The ones harmed are people, in flesh and blood.

So it is necessary for companies, big and small, to think before they act. Because no amount of money can heal the injury they have the potential to inflict.