Remember the "pop" wines of the 60s?  Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill comes to mind.  Cost about a dollar or so and was a sweet treat that made us feel "grown-up" sneaking it!  Then, of course, Sangria had its heyday, and still does in many areas. 

Even earlier, I remember when the Portuguese roses such as Mateus and Lancers were a must in my grandparents' home for special occasions.

How about cold duck ?  Did you know it originated in Germany and was first produced in this country in 1937 !?!  The secret formula for this big seller was to blend one part Concord grapes with New York state "champagne."  

Next we come to the Liebfraumilch craze.  Remember Black Tower and Blue Nun?  They're still around, but their sales aren't near what they were.  This light, floral and slightly sweet wine was a refreshing well balanced drink that we all seemed to drink at one time or another.

The early 80s started the Lambrusco fad.  As I recall, Riunite dominated that category.

Then, Robert Mondavi laid the foundation for varietal wines.  Around the years 2000 and 2003 the Aussie wines hit our shores with Yellowtail driving the sales.  Aussie wines are still popular.

We had the Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot Noir craze in recent years, so what do you think will be the 2012 hit?

I'm betting on Moscato. It seems as though our area of Florida is on a Moscato craze right now, and I think that's going to continue.  This sweet, sometimes evervescent wine is a refreshing style for the warm weather we have here. 

Marie Griffin, West Coast Wine Supervisor