A wine for Henry

I was getting a turkey sandwich recently at The Wine Merchant in Lutherville, but I was really on a search for wine—and not just any wine. I was looking for Henry’s Passion.

The story behind the wine captivated me, and I had to have a bottle or two. The wine was created in memory of 21-year-old Henry Lubke, an ’05 Boys’ Latin alum who passed away from an undetected heart condition in 2007. He was in California at the time, pursuing his love of winemaking at Chateau Felice Winery in Sonoma County. (His story is on the winery’s website.)

In his honor, the winemaker bottled two barrels of merlot that Henry and the cellar master had made. The wine sold out last year by Christmas, said Joe Ciletti, owner of The Wine Merchant. The second vintage ($17.99) is available now at several local stores. "The wine is great," Ciletti said. "It's another great blend."

The best part is that proceeds benefit the Henry George Lubke IV Scholarship Fund at Boys’ Latin. What a wonderful tribute to a young man who was following his dreams.