New wine offering & vision test

[Adam in CO]

Wal-Mart announced on October 30, 2006 that it will begin offering customers a new discount item, Wal-Mart's own brand of wine. The world's largest retail chain is teaming up with Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery of California, to produce the spirits at an affordable price, in the $1-$3 range.

Wine connoisseurs may not be inclined to put a bottle of the Wal-Mart brand into their shopping carts, but "there is a market for inexpensive wine," said Kathy Micken, professor of marketing at University of
Arkansas, Bentonville.

A spokesman for Gallo said the company has long searched for an avenue for properly marketing its less well known products. Micken said, "The right name is important." Customer surveys were conducted by Wal-Mart to determine the most attractive name for the Wal-Mart wine brand. The top surveyed names in order of popularity were:

10. Chateau Traileur Parc

9. White Trashfindel

8. Big Red Gulp

7. World Championship Riesling

6. NASCARbernet

5. Chef Boyardeaux

4. Peanut Noir

3. I can't Believe It's Not Vinegar!

2. Grape Expectations

1. Nasti Spumante


The beauty of the Wal-Mart brand of wine, she said, is that it can be served with either white meat (Spam) or red meat (Bologna); or it can be mixed with beer.