Smart Sip

It's not just a wine buzz that came over you. Vineyards know what you want in your glass.

Just like Nielsen ratings for television, IRI data is very important for gauging consumer wants for wine. The data is based on scanned sales through the registers, so it shows wineries what vino guzzlers are buying. Focus groups also add the visual and emotional piece to gauging a wino’s wants, helping wineries decide on the color, shape and size of bottles, the paper and font used for labeling, and answering the question: How much would you pay for this bottle of wine?

Research shows that the $10 to $20 price range is the fastest-growing segment in the wine industry right now. Making wine in bourbon barrels is another growing segment. In an unexpected twist, consumers are enjoying wine in cans more and more, for both the convenience and portability. The next time you make a run to the liquor store, stock up on these varietals embracing trends from the data.

Beringer Bros.

These affordable Beringer Bros. cabernet, chardonnay and red blend varietals are aged for 60 days in charred oak bourbon barrels in the Napa Valley.

Taste the rich flavors of aging with notes of black cherry, toffee, dark chocolate and roasted hazelnut in the cabernet. In the chardonnay, the bourbon barrels produce warm notes of baked Golden Delicious apples and toasted almonds, ending with a buttery finish. Black cherries, toasted coconut and dark caramel engulf the mouth before the pleasant smoky finish of the red blend.

Samuel Wynn & Co.

Research shows there is a gap in the wine selection for men under 40 who enjoy discovery and consider wine as an alternative to craft beer — yes, a lot of research goes in to producing a new wine — so Samuel Wynn & Co. brings you Risk and Reward Cabernet, and Dice with Destiny Red Blend targeted at light wine consumers at a reasonable price.

Matua

Every wine drinker enjoys a clean, crisp, refreshingly chilled New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Now you can sip one almost anywhere your imagination takes you. Matua, the first winery to plant sauvignon blanc grapes in New Zealand, introduces the Thermal Ink indicator in cans.

Spoken Barrel

Introducing Spoken Barrel’s straightforward but never boring cabernet sauvignon and meritage red blend. Rugged and refined, these wines are proudly made in Washington, which was the 42nd state, hence the number 42 is boldly shown on the capsule of each bottle. Spoken Barrel targets the male craft beer drinker with the bold, complex flavors he craves. Folllowing the reaserch that $10 to $20 wines from Washington are hot, Spoken Barrel wines are $17.99.

Wine Wisdom: Wine Can Help Your Diet

Those looking to whittle their waistline in the new year might reach for a new glass of wine.

Studies showed that women who regularly drank moderate amounts of alcohol, or about one glass per day, had nearly 10 pounds less body fat than women who didn’t drink. Experts think the calories in alcohol are not metabolized the same as carbohydrates, fats or protein. So even the diet-conscious can treat themselves to a glass of vino.