Basketball legend Charles Barkley is launching his own wine label

Former basketball legend Charles Barkley is venturing into business almost 20 years after retiring from the sport to launch his own wine label.

The athlete and sports commentator made an appearance in San Francisco this week to launch CB Vineyards based in Paso Robles, California.

The former power forward partnered with Chris Cameron, director of winemaking at Broken Earth Winery, to produce three wine varieties; one Chardonnay, and two red blends including a Reserve label

Barkley, who currently presents TNT’s Inside the NBA, told reporters that he decided to launch his own wine label after striking up a friendship with US industry veteran, Donald Kowalski, nearly 10 years ago.

Over the course of their friendship, Barkley, who retired from professional basketball in 2000, developed a keen personal interest in wine, according to Haute Living.

Keen to separate himself from the scores of celebrities who have landed lucrative drinks deals in past years, Barkley criticised celebrities such as MBA player Shaquille O’Neal for jumping on the drinks bandwagon and launching their own brands “just to make money.”

“I’m excited about this venture, really excited,” he said at the launch party in San Francisco. “When we first started talking about it, I said ‘I don’t want to put my name on something just to make money.’” Barkley said. “That would make me Shaq.”

Barkley and his team spent months working on developing his Chardonay and red blends.

“We tried more wine in the last year than I’ve had in my whole 54 years of existence.”

All profits from the sale of CB vineyards’ 200 bottles will be donated to charity, according to Barkley.

Barkley, who has played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, and represented the USA in the 1992 Olympic Games, joins a long and prestigious line of sporting stars who have turned to the drinks industry.

Back in 2015, Miami Heats player Dwayne Wade launched his own label, Wade Wines, during a tour in China.

And in 2014, David Beckham made history by partnering with Diageo to launch Haig Club Whisky.