THEY JUST WANNA HAVE FUN (WINE)

Amanda Chater

EDINA, Minn. -- Fat Bastard, 3 Blind Moose, Smashed Grapes, Virgin Vines and Twin Fin are just a few of the wines that retailers are using to draw younger shoppers into their stores and show them wine need not be intimidating.

Consumers in the 21- to-35-year-old age group are the target of these so-called fun wines, which are easy to drink, sweeter and less complex.

These wines are a great way to attract 20- and 30-somethings to the category, said Kathy Jones, a manager of wine and spirits at Lund Food Holdings here, which operates Lunds and Byerly's stores.

While older people who are looking for cheaper wine tend to choose bottom-shelf Australian wines and boxed wines, she said, "Younger people are more materialistic and want a bottle."

Byerly's creates window displays featuring fun wines, often using animals, which are frequently depicted on the bottles' labels.

The store offers wine tastings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Jones features the cheaper wines on Thursdays, then offers better wines on subsequent days. "We like to hear what they think of the wines, and that way we can help them pick out wines that better suit them," she said of young wine consumers.

Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, Ohio, often features fun wines on endcaps and includes them in tastings and classes. "The more people know, and the more the mysterious overtone is taken out of wine, the more it works better for all of us," said David Schmerr, wine and beer director.

To add easy opening to easy drinking, many of the fun wines have screw tops. According to Wine Business Monthly, 60% of U.S. households don't own a corkscrew. And many younger people don't even know how to open a bottle, said Schmerr. He has seen little resistance to the screw tops, which he attributed to the fact that they tend to be on less expensive bottles. "Screw tops help take out the mystique, and you don't feel stuffy with it," he said.

Two recent fun wine introductions are Virgin Vines, a joint venture from Virgin Group and wine and spirits company Brown-Forman, and 3 Blind Moose from Canandaigua Wine Co.

"We want to shatter the myths of wine and make it more engaging, less intimidating," said Don Freytag, brand director of Virgin Vines in Louisville, Ky. "We don't even want people to think about what to pair it with, but just to drink it, and our positioning is challenging the status quo of wine."

The proposition is similar for 3 Blind Moose. "We tried to develop a brand personality the customer could relate to, and that would tell a story and put a smile on people's faces," said Gary Glass, Canandaigua's vice president of marketing for premium wines.

Virgin Vines is available as a shiraz and chardonnay, at $9.99, or in a four-pack of 187-milliliter bottles for $8.99. Three varietals are offered under the 3 Blind Moose label: chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, also for $9.99.

Since fun wines that fit this under-$10 price point have hit the market this year, wine sales have taken off, Schmerr said.

Jones sees a good future for fun wines. "Some of these labels will come and go, but the fun, funky labels are here to stay, because they speak to younger people."

The wine itself needs to be good without being too complex, however, she said. "If you attract people because of your label and they don't like what's in the bottle, you'll lose them as customers."