Tayshaun Prince launches "TRUE BLUE" wine bottle

Tayshaun Prince, the former University of Kentucky basketball star who played for the winning Detroit Pistons in its championship game the first year he was in the NBA, will help launch a commemorative wine bottle that will benefit the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s child nutrition program.

Elk Creek Vineyards of Owenton will release the first of its True Blue Legends wine bottle series in honor of Prince, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in the 2000-2001 season, on Friday, Sept. 21, at the Elk Creek store at Fayette Mall in Lexington. Prince and Agriculture Commissioner James Comer will be on hand for the festivities.

“Tayshaun and Elk Creek have come together for a great cause – encouraging Kentucky’s children to eat right and live a healthy lifestyle,” Comer said. “Funding from sales of this commemorative bottle will help us in our efforts to end childhood obesity in Kentucky. We’re grateful to Tayshaun and Elk Creek for their generosity.”

Elk Creek, Kentucky’s largest winery, will release 21,000 limited-edition bottles of its best-selling Kentucky Blue Riesling for $21 per bottle in honor of Prince’s uniform number at UK. The bottles will feature graphic artwork by Chris Rosenthal Design bearing Prince’s likeness and signature.

Part of the proceeds from sales of the commemorative bottles will go to Eat to Win, the department’s official “Healthy Habits” program. Prince, an Olympic gold medalist and star for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, is the official spokesperson for Eat to Win, a nutritional education initiative aimed at teaching Kentucky students about the benefits of eating locally grown fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle. To find out more about the Eat to Win program, go to www.eattowinky.com.

Prince (c) poses with friends and family in 2009

The Fayette Mall launch and bottle signing will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 21. Prince also is scheduled to appear for bottle signing events at the Elk Creek store at the Mall St. Matthews in Louisville on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 1 to 3 p.m. and the Elk Creek store at Crestview Hills Town Centre in Florence on Sunday, Sept. 23, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Bottles in the True Blue Legend Wine Series will be available for purchase from Elk Creek’s website,www.elkcreekvineyards.com, and at all Elk Creek Vineyards retail locations. Collectors may pre-order bottles in advance online and pick them up for Prince to sign at any of the Sept. 21-23 events.

For more information, call Brad Allnutt at Elk Creek Vineyards at 502-484-5456.

Photo by Kurk Johnson. ©2009. All rights reserved.