Red Staters ARE drinking wine, it’s just not what those of us in the Blue States think they should be drinking. Consider, again from Wine Business Monthly’s latest issue that contains a list of "The Hottest Small Wine Brands of 2004, the case of Oliver Winery. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, Oliver produced 140,000 cases in 2004. Their number one selling wine was something called "Soft Red Wine." No vintage. No varietal on the label. In fact the wine is made…

Wine Business monthly’s annual list of the Top 30 U.S. wine companies arrived yesterday in the mail. It had the usual list of companies. To wit: 1. Gallo 2. Constellation Brands 3. The Wine Group 4. Bronco Wine Company 5. Beringer 6. Trinchero 7. Brown Forman 8. Kendall-Jackson 9. Ste. Michelle Wine Estate 10. Diageo Chateau & Estates 11. Allied Domeq 12. Heck Estates 13. Delicato 14. Vincor 15. C. Mondavi & Sons 16. Don Sebastiani & Sons 17. Ironstone…

Where does personal responsibility end and corporate responsibility begin? For me, this question has always been answered by determining who was primarily responsible for causing the effect. So, if I drink too much zinfandel, walk to my car, get in, start the ignition, drive away, then break my neck when I drive into a tree I pretty much have to identify myself as the causing the effect. I mean who else could be responsible for this? Do I point to…

The way by which facts, ideas or myths become accepted and common knowledge among the broader public is an important dynamic. Politicians and marketers in particular study the mechanics of how something moves from below the radar to above it. In public relations one of the rules that govern the practice is that if you say it over and over and over again, eventually "IT" will become common knowledge. The idea that wine in moderation is good for you first…