Active Baby BoomersThe Bad Wine That Made A 'Ripple' In Our Culture
Glad You Asked
By Jeff Elder, Knight Ridder NewspapersDo they still make Ripple? If so, where is it available? -- Craig Pasley, Matthews, N.C.
Craig, you are a man of taste.
Very, very questionable taste.
Gallo does not make Ripple anymore. The brand died as the California winery uncorked more upscale vintages.
But Ripple, which filled brown bags and undiscerning gullets from the '60s to the '80s, left an enduring, if notorious, mark. (On the '70s sitcom "Sanford and Son," Redd Foxx used to mix champagne and Ripple and call it "champipple.")
Gallo still brews a stronger, sister vintage in small supply: "What's the word? Thunderbird!" (That was the old ad slogan for the skull-knocking, alcohol-fortified wine.)
Boone's Farm, that Kool-Aid with a kick that was a part of so many young adulthoods, remains "an important product for Gallo," says Tim McDonald, a public relations rep for the giant California winery. In fact, there are now flavors like Tropical and Wild Island to go with the old-school Apple and Strawberry Hill flavors.
And who could forget those trends of the '80s -- wine coolers and wine-in-a-box? (The latter was graced with a delicate cardboard bouquet and just a hint of plastic bag.)
We scoff, but some remember these drinks with light-hearted affection -- even though American tastes have moved on to much, much better wine. (And so has Gallo, which now produces $50 Cabernets and runs highly touted wineries like Mirassou.)
What pooch has the longest dog ears in the world?
A basset hound named Mr. Jeffries has ears that are 11.5 inches long, says Guinness.
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