News
 
USA Today
March 26, 2006
Winemakers pitch macho merlot for men
HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) - They're making macho merlot in California wine country.

Hot on the stiletto heels of last year's wines-for-women trend, new releases from Ray's Station Vineyards in Sonoma County are being pitched to the Y-chromosome set as "Hearty Red Wines for Men."

The bottling of the sexes seems to be part of a wider industry trend that includes cute labels and easier-to-use packaging. Vintners want to break from the pack by making wines more consumer friendly.

"You face this challenge: How do you even get people to know you're alive?" said Robert Smiley, a management professor at the University of California, Davis, who follows the wine industry.

Click here for full story.