Diet Wine

It's no secret that most women in the Western World think they are too fat. Estimates put the U.S. weight-loss industry at a $20 billion yearly business.

Wine producers want a piece of this. After all, Bud Lite and Coors Lite are the top selling beers in the U.S. (No, I don't know why either).

Light wines are aimed at women figuring they are the ones usually looking to cut calories with a side benefit of cutting alcohol consumption (lighter wines have lower alcohol levels). The calories come from alcohol and any residual sugar left in the wine. Most table wines are dry (no residual sugar from the fruit) so the calories are all from the alcohol.

A typical table wine is about 14% alcohol. Light wines come in about 8%. The calories in a five ounce glass of "regular" wine is under 100. So if you do the math you can see the saving isn't huge. But I've seen people add Diet Coke to their rum so I guess it makes people feel better to think they're doing something healthy.

Treasury Wine Estates, owners of Beringer, Chateau St. Jean, Meridian, and many others, launched Little White Lie a few years ago. That diet wine failed in the market place. This year they tried again with Skinny Vine and the sales are off to a good start. There's Slim Chardonnay, Thin (white) Zin, and Mini Muscato. Yes, the names are damn cute. You can guess who they are aimed at in the market. That's why I'll never be able to buy one and try it. I'm not going to be caught buying something called Skinny Vine Mini Muscato. I don't want to put my manhood into question.

Diet wines are big business in the UK. Maybe they'll catch on in the U.S. next.

No thanks. I'll take a nice manly glass of Petite Sirah