“Dude… there’s weed in my wine”

Buffalo Trace Newsletter reprinted a story from the Daily Beast headlined, “Marijuana-Laced Wine Grows More Fashionable in California Wine Country.”

Apparently, it’s quite common for winemakers to produce cannabis cuvées with bold reds such as Cabernet and Syrah.  The recipe is a pound of marijuana dropped into a cask of wine, which yields about 1.5 grams of weed per bottle. The article quotes the president of the Napa Valley Marijuana Growers who says the combination of alcohol and marijuana produces “an interesting little buzz.” “People love wine,” he goes on the say, “and they love weed.”

I think there are a number of good reasons for marijuana infused wine to be more readily available.

First, the restaurant industry will benefit as the amount of food consumed increases, particularly desserts. Second, the wine maven reviews will become more interesting and more fun. As in, “This unpretentious wine, with earthy notes, may have a skunky aroma but pairs exceptionally well with brownies.”

Let’s also not forget the great naming opportunities that will result such as Sensimilia Syrah or Ganja Valley Vineyards or even Good S**t Wines.

Mixing alcohol with marijuana reminds me of a Seagram story. While working in new products, the team came up with the idea of a flavored tequila called Coyote (see July 18, 2011 posting). The flavor was hot peppers and well, it was awful. Great name, undrinkable product.

My office at the time was down the corridor from The Glenlivet Tavern, a company run dining room where executives could have breakfast. On the few occasions when I stopped by I would always get into trouble. This one thought the market research was wrong, that one thought we needed to be more aggressive in new products. In short, it was a place to avoid.

I slipped up one day and went in to get a cup of coffee to take back to my desk and ran into one of the owners. He had heard about Coyote’s development and suggested that we consider adding the aroma of cannabis to the product. He thought it would enhance the macho and bad boy aura. I kind of liked the idea but realized that it couldn’t happen. I recall thinking, “No way the TTB approves the liquid. It’s a waste of time.”

I told him that we would think about it and explore the possibilities. We then totally ignored the idea. He never asked about it again.

So to all the wine-pot makers out there, I have some experience in this “emerging” category and will happily share my marketing plans.