Low-end fortified wine
Encyclopedia
Low-end fortified wine is an inexpensive fortified wine
that typically has an alcohol content
between 13% and 20% ABV
. These inexpensive wines usually contain added sugar
, artificial color, and artificial flavor.
It is reported, however, that the popularity of cheap, fortified wines in the United States arose in the 1930s, as a product of Prohibition
and the Great Depression
:
In 2005, the Seattle City Council asked the Washington State Liquor Control Board
to prohibit the sale of certain alcohol products in an impoverished "Alcohol Impact Area". Among the products sought to be banned were over two dozen beers, and six wines: Cisco, Gino's Premium Blend, MD 20/20, Night Train, Thunderbird, and Wild Irish Rose. The Liquor Control Board approved these restrictions on 30 August 2006. The cities of Tacoma, Washington and Spokane, Washington also followed suit in instituting "Alcohol Impact Areas" of their own following Seattle's example.
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
that typically has an alcohol content
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
between 13% and 20% ABV
ABV
ABV is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* Alcohol by volume, a measure of the alcohol content of alcoholic drinks* Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nigeria, from its IATA airport code...
. These inexpensive wines usually contain added sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, artificial color, and artificial flavor.
Brands
- MD 20/20 is an American fortified wine. MD 20/20 has an alcohol content that varies by flavor from 13% to 18% (with most of the 18% varieties discontinued, although Red Grape is still available in 18% ABV). The MD actually stands for its producer, Mogen DavidMogen DavidMogen David is a company based in Westfield, New York, which makes wines, including the fortified wine MD 20/20. Mogen David is the Yiddish pronunciation of the Hebrew Magen David which directly means the shield of David, but in English it is more commonly referred to as the six-pointed Star of...
, however, it is widely known as "Mad Dog." Originally, 20/20 stood for 20 oz @ 20% alcohol. Currently, MD 20/20 is not sold in 20 oz bottles nor at 20% alcohol by volume. A slogan was made about it by U.S.S. Brumby sailors in 1988: "20 twice aint nothing nice, put in my hand my friend."
- Cisco is the brand nameBrandThe American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of a fortified wine produced by the Centerra Wine Company (a division of Constellation Brands) with varieties selling at 13.9%, 17.5% and 19.5% alcohol by volume. Cisco has a syrupy consistency, sweet taste and, because of its color and bottle shape, it was often mistaken for a wine coolerWine coolerA wine cooler is an alcoholic beverage made from wine and fruit juice, often in combination with a carbonated beverage and sugar.Traditionally home-made, wine coolers have been bottled and sold by commercial distributors since the early 1980s, especially in areas where their lower alcohol content...
. The Federal Trade CommissionFederal Trade CommissionThe Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
required the company to put a label on the bottle stating that Cisco was not a wine cooler, and to change its marketing strategyMarketing strategyMarketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.-Developing a marketing strategy:...
from "Takes You By Surprise."
- Three popular brands in this category have been produced by the E & J Gallo WineryE & J Gallo WineryE & J Gallo Winery was founded in 1933 by Ernest Gallo and Julio Gallo in Modesto, California. E & J Gallo Winery is the largest exporter of California wines and is a large promoter of wines from Sonoma County.-History:...
, and were a large part of that company's early success.- Ripple was a fortified wine produced by E & J Gallo Winery that was popular in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, particularly in the 1970s. Possessing a low 11% ABVAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, it was originally marketed to "casual" drinkers. Due to its low price, it had a reputation as a drink for alcoholics and the destitute. It was popular among young drinkers, both underageLegal drinking ageLaws about the legal drinking age cover a wide range of issues and behaviours, addressing when and where alcohol can be consumed. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different to the age when it can be purchased. These laws vary among different countries and many laws have...
and college students. Ripple was often referred to on the TV series Sanford & Son as it was Fred SanfordFred SanfordFred G. Sanford is a fictional character portrayed by actor/comedian Redd Foxx on the 1972-1977 NBC sitcom Sanford and Son.Foxx, whose real name was John Elroy Sanford, modeled the character after his real-life brother, whose name was also Fred Sanford. The character Fred is an elderly, widowed,...
's alcoholic beverage of choice.. - Night Train Express (usually abbreviated to Night Train) typically contains 17.5% alcohol by volumeAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
. Night Train Express has been condemned by some civic leaders who think inexpensive high alcohol content drinks contribute to vagrancyVagrancy (people)A vagrant is a person in poverty, who wanders from place to place without a home or regular employment or income.-Definition:A vagrant is "a person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place and lives by begging;" vagrancy is the condition of such persons.-History:In...
and public drunkenness. Night Train no longer carries the Gallo logo or other indication of this source. It is also the origin of the Guns N' RosesGuns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
song NightrainNightrainPersonnel=* Axl Rose - lead vocals* Izzy Stradlin - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, backing vocals* Slash - lead guitar, rhythm guitar* Duff McKagan - bass, backing vocals* Steven Adler - drums...
. - Thunderbird (The American Classic), between 13% and 18% ABVAlcohol by volumeAlcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
. Popular since the 1950s, when a popular rhythm and blues song went: "What's the word? Thunderbird / How's it sold? Good and cold / What's the jive? Bird's alive / What's the price? Thirty twice." Once marketed in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as "The California Aperitif." There is now a sister version, Thunderbird ESQ. It has also been the subject of many songs, three of which by ZZ TopZZ TopZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, Seasick SteveSeasick SteveSteven Gene Wold, commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American blues musician. He plays guitars, and sings, usually about his early life doing casual work.-Childhood and early life:...
and They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
, with songs aptly named 'Thunderbird'. Influential Detroit garage rock band The GoriesThe GoriesThe Gories are an American garage rock trio that formed in Detroit in 1986. They were among the first 1980s garage punk bands to incorporate overt blues influences...
had a song entitled "Thunderbird ESQ." Rock band ClutchClutch (band)Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...
mentions the beverage in their song "Worm Drink." Townes Van ZandtTownes Van ZandtJohn Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
sings a Talking bluesTalking bluesTalking blues is a form of country music. It is characterized by rhythmic speech or near-speech where the melody is free, but the rhythm is strict....
song reflecting on his experiences with Thunderbird entitled "Talking Thunderbird Blues".
- Ripple was a fortified wine produced by E & J Gallo Winery that was popular in the United States
- Richards Wild Irish Rose is an alcoholic beverage produced by Centerra Wine Company, which is part of the Constellation BrandsConstellation BrandsConstellation Brands, Inc., headquartered in Victor, New York, is the world’s leading wine company with a broad portfolio of widely admired premium brands across the wine, beer and spirits categories.-History and description:...
organization. It was introduced in 1954 and currently sells about two million cases annually. The brand is available in 13.9% and 18% alcohol by volume.
- Buckfast Tonic WineBuckfast Tonic WineBuckfast Tonic Wine, commonly known as Buckfast or Buckie or Tonic , is a fortified wine licensed by Buckfast Abbey in Devon, south west England. It is distributed by J...
is a caffeine- and sugar-laced Tonic wine with added alcohol, produced under license from an English Monastery. Very popular in Glasgow and Coatbridge, critics have blamed it as the cause of social problems in Scotland and Ireland.
- Stones Green Ginger WineGinger wineGinger Wine is a fortified wine made from a fermented blend of ground ginger and raisins that was first produced in England.-History:The first documented appearance of Ginger Wine occurred with the foundation of 'The Finsbury Distilling Company' based in the City of London in 1740...
is a ginger-based wine, produced in the UK. It has an alcohol level of 13.7%.
- ScotsmacScotsmacScotsmac is an alcoholic drink consisting of a blend of whisky and wine. It is sold in 700ml bottles from discount supermarket stores such as Netto and Lidl across the United Kingdom. Scotsmac has a strength of 15% and retails for approximately £3.50 a bottle. Also known as the "Bam's Dram", it is...
is a blend of wine and whisky sold in the UK. It typically retails for about £4.00, significantly cheaper than its rival, BuckfastBuckfast Tonic WineBuckfast Tonic Wine, commonly known as Buckfast or Buckie or Tonic , is a fortified wine licensed by Buckfast Abbey in Devon, south west England. It is distributed by J...
.
- Solntsedar was a Soviet brand of low-end fortified wine, marketed as "port winePort winePort wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
," infamous for many severe cases of poisoning. Its production was canceled after Mikhail GorbachevMikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
's anti-alcohol laws.
- 777 is a Russian "port wine" similar to Solntsedar, but still in production. It is nicknamed "Three axes" after the shape of the digits, attained a near-legendary status among Soviet and Russian students and members of youth subcultures, who were and are often poor.
History
An early reference to the problem of cheap and poorly made wines is in the "Report on Cheap Wines" in the 5 November 1864 issue of The Medical Times and Gazette. The author, in prescribing inexpensive wines for a number of ills, cautions against the "fortified" wines of the day, describing of one sample that he had tried:It is reported, however, that the popularity of cheap, fortified wines in the United States arose in the 1930s, as a product of Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
:
Concerns and media attention
More recently, the appeal of cheap fortified wines to the poor and homeless has raised concerns:In 2005, the Seattle City Council asked the Washington State Liquor Control Board
Washington State Liquor Control Board
The Washington State Liquor Control Board is an administrative agency of the State of Washington. The Liquor Control Board is part of the executive branch and reports to the Governor. The Board holds a monopoly on the distribution of hard liquor because Washington is a control state...
to prohibit the sale of certain alcohol products in an impoverished "Alcohol Impact Area". Among the products sought to be banned were over two dozen beers, and six wines: Cisco, Gino's Premium Blend, MD 20/20, Night Train, Thunderbird, and Wild Irish Rose. The Liquor Control Board approved these restrictions on 30 August 2006. The cities of Tacoma, Washington and Spokane, Washington also followed suit in instituting "Alcohol Impact Areas" of their own following Seattle's example.