Tracing the Birth of the Wine Cooler: A California Coast Tale

Wine coolers might be a punchline today, but there was a time when they dominated the drink scene. While wine-based cocktails like sangria have a longstanding history, it wasn’t until 1981 that the bottled version now known as “wine coolers” emerged, quickly becoming a staple in the 1980s alcohol market.

In Northern California, Michael Crete, a beer and wine salesman, concocted a blend of tropical fruit juice, white wine, and club soda for Santa Cruz beach gatherings. Seeing potential for broader distribution, Crete partnered with his high school buddy Stuart Bewley to launch California Cooler. The brand capitalized on a beachy, surfer vibe in its promotions, showcasing ads with lively beach festivities, appealing notably to a female audience with its fruity taste and beer-like alcohol level.

The trend set by California Cooler not only popularized wine coolers but also boosted California’s economy—home to nearly 90% of U.S. wine production. During the early 1980s, the American wine market was suffering from stiff competition with international imports, causing an excess wine supply. As Bewley described to Vice, this surplus was metaphorically referred to as a “lake of wine.” The introduction of wine coolers provided a significant outlet for these excessive stocks, helping stabilize the local wine industry.

Read more: 15 Popular Hard Seltzer Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

At its peak, California Cooler was incredibly successful, selling 12.5 million cases annually. In 1985, founders Crete and Bewley sold the company to Brown–Forman, a major liquor company known for distributing Jack Daniel’s, for $55 million. Shortly after its launch, California Cooler began facing stiff competition from large wine and spirits companies like E & J Gallo Winery and Seagram’s, who introduced their own wine coolers and significantly cut into California Cooler’s market share.

The fad of wine coolers did not last, with sales sharply declining across all brands within a few years. A 1992 report from Cornell University’s Department of Agricultural Economics highlighted that wine cooler consumption fell by 17% in 1989. The decline intensified in 1991 when the federal government hiked the excise tax on wine by about 500%, making it too costly for its use in coolers, prompting many companies to switch to malt liquor as a cheaper alternative.

Wine coolers eventually gained a negative image as a drink primarily consumed by underage drinkers, owning to their sweet taste, lower alcohol content, and appealing packaging. In 1991, teenagers drank about 35% of all wine coolers sold in the U.S., as reported by Education Week. This unsavory reputation led mature drinkers to look for other options for their fruity cocktail preferences.

While the cooler trend faded, the recent popularity of canned, ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages suggests a revival of sorts. Although California Coolers no longer exists, its old competitor Bartles & Jaymes has made a comeback in the wine cooler market. In 2019, they introduced a new line of canned wine coolers with more sophisticated flavors, targeting both nostalgic consumers and new drinkers, as per an interview with Esquire.

They might be one of the original players, but the market is once again expanding, creating fierce competition. We recently ranked our favorite wine coolers available today, and upscale, contemporary brands with a European flair, like Ramona and Lolea, came out on top. Most of these brands aren’t marketing themselves as wine coolers anymore, preferring terms like “spritzer” or simply “sangria.” But the classic combination of wine, fruit juice, and carbonation remains the same.

Though malt-based beverages, like White Claw and Smirnoff Ice, still lead the RTD pack in popularity, the canned wine sector is growing exponentially. A 2020 trend forecast by Grand View Research predicted that, between 2021 and 2028, the global canned wine market would grow at a compound annual rate of 13.2% and be valued at $571.8 million by 2028. Whether because of nostalgia, the pandemic, or their hectic schedules, consumers once again want their wine on the go.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.

About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!