For several years, winemakers and wine marketing teams have tried to come up with ‘cheap and cheerful’ wines appealing to the cosmopolitan contemporary woman, whose drink of choice is usually a fruity cocktail. A Californian winemaker may have cracked the code to this elusive market, with the creation of Cupcake Wine. Playing off another culinary trend, cupcakes for adults, Cupcake Vineyards produces wines with clever names like ‘Red Velvet’ (a zinfandel, merlot and cabernet blend).

Cupcake wine has recently been featured in the hit television show ‘Glee’, reality show ‘Mob Wives’ and the American summer smash hit movie ‘Bridesmaids’, firmly embedding the brand in pop culture consciousness.

The New York Times wrote in a recent article:

‘The appeal of Cupcake wine is probably best understood within the context of broader trends. Over the past decade, Americans increased their annual wine consumption by more than 200 million gallons, according to the Wine Institute, an industry association. More telling, 59 percent of wine is bought by women, according to 2009 figures from the Beverage Information Group, which analyzes the industry.’