# Anyone familiar with old defunct cheap wines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** wine\ **Created:** [February 14, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080 "2005-02-14T21:14:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/1 "2005-02-14T21:14:49Z")
Like “Annie Green Springs” and “Black Bear.” Seems like there might have been one called “Cold Duck,” but I’m not sure. Anyone every try any of those (and any idea on when they went under)? I remember them in the mid-70s. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/2 "2005-02-14T21:35:22Z")
Wasn’t there one called Boone’s Farm? ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/3 "2005-02-14T21:46:57Z")
I once got very very sick on Cold Duck. Boones Farm always treated me right. (This was back in the early 70’s.) Don’t remember Black Bear. I think Thunderbird and Mad Dog 20-20 are still around. Those two tasted like cough syrup. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/4 "2005-02-14T21:57:05Z")
Is Mateus extinct? I used to like that, but I haven’t seen it in a coon’s age. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/5 "2005-02-14T22:12:47Z")
No one has mentioned Ripple? Truly wretched, but what the hell did we know back then. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/6 "2005-02-14T22:16:10Z")
Cold Duck is still around. An Aunt gave us a bottle as a Christmas present this year. We drank it on New Year’s Eve. First time I’d had it. Not bad. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/7 "2005-02-14T22:19:56Z")
We used to drink something called Wild Irish Rose. I think it was a fortified wine. Looked & tasted a little like gasoline. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/8 "2005-02-14T22:20:18Z")
Forgot to mention great family story…elderly aunt and uncle go to fine restaurant with friends, some very special occasion and came time to order drinks. Aunt probably hadn’t had alcoholic beverage in 30 years, but husband said, “go ahead, this is a special occasion.” She smiled and asked the waiter for a small glass of Mogan David. (Needless to say they didn’t have it, and the waiter had never even heard of it. However, hilarity ensued with the others at the table for her choice of wine.) ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/9 "2005-02-14T22:22:44Z")
Here is an amusing website: [http://www.bumwine.com/](http://www.bumwine.com/) And this page: [http://www.bumwine.com/wildirishrose.html](http://www.bumwine.com/wildirishrose.html) says Wild Irish Rose is made in Canandaigua, NY. Which explains why we drank so much of it in Ithaca. ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/10 "2005-02-14T22:32:57Z")
Wow, I didn’t think I drank all that much in college (the 70’s), but I’m sure familiar with WAY too many of these 😉 One I haven’t seen mentioned that I recall talking about just a few days ago was Bali-Hai. That might be the same night we decided that 500 Rummy wasn’t long enough, so we played 5,000 Rummy. That **WAS** long enough :smack: I suppose I shouldn’t admit I actually enjoyed Richard’s Wild Irish Rose, so let’s just make believe this is a big typo 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/11 "2005-02-15T22:47:51Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Wasn’t there one called Boone’s Farm? Still is. I see it all the time. I don’t imbibe, though. If I’m going to act risky, give me Whiskey. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/12 "2005-02-15T22:55:52Z")
The other day I was at a liquor store buying a present for a friend that just broke up with his boyfriend. We were making jokes about Boone’s, and a man working there- who I honestly thought was just a homeless guy- delightedly informed us that you can mix the Strawberry Fields kind with icees. “Yeah” I said, kind of touched that he was sharing his wino tips “That probably would taste pretty good” He laughed and said “That way, you can walk around…all over…with like…a slurpee…and no one will know.” ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/13 "2005-02-16T00:51:30Z")
I came in just to post about Boone’s Farm and Baker beat me to it on the second post. I remember drinking this at family functions. We weren’t all legal but I think the parents felt it was okay because it had fruit flavors and a little wine was always considered okay. I remember the Strawberry; wasn’t there an Apple or Berry? I seem to recall something with “Mountain” in the name, “Wild Mountain” maybe. My Italian grandma always liked the Mogen David Blackberry wine so my mom always kept some on hand. Man that stuff was like fermented blackberry syrup. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/14 "2005-02-16T00:53:53Z")
Dunno whether or not Zonin Lambrusco is still around, but I used to imbibe immense quantities of that stuff. It was cheap, tasty, and red. I like those things in a wine. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/15 "2005-02-16T01:02:59Z")
Not only was there a Cold Duck, but there was also a Baby Duck. I don’t know if the Duck family had any further members. I also remember Strawberry Angel. Dunno if either of the latter two are still around. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/16 "2005-02-16T01:20:53Z")
Boones Farm is indeed still around. From my experience, avoid the Strawberry Hill variety: It’s a “citrus wine” and is labeled “Serve Very Cold”, just like the notorious Thunderbird. Also, like I’ve mentioned in a previous thread on cheap wine, it has a distinct aftertaste of swimming pool water. The shoppette on base sells just about every bum wine in production. Bonnes Farm, Thunderbird, Wild Irish Rose, MD 20/20… everything but Night Train and Cisco. I’m pretty sure Ripple is no longer being produced. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/17 "2005-02-16T02:06:42Z")
Md 20/20 made me the sickest I’ve ever been. Like drinking cough syrup spiked with rubbing alcohol. Ahh, college. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/18 "2005-02-16T03:19:31Z")
Oh man I had forgotten about Cisco! That stuff gives you a weird buzz that I never really enjoyed. When I was stationed in VA we drank that rotgut occasionally. A certain element among us called it “liquid crack” ---
**Author:** ![DrMemory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DrMemory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrMemory)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/19 "2005-02-16T14:09:35Z")
Mateus Rose is still around, too (In the lovely bottle) I remember seeing a lot of this stuff at functions when I was a kid (late 60’s early 70’s) Never tried it 'til a year, or so, ago. This is a bottle for laying down, and avoiding. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080/20 "2005-02-16T15:03:59Z")
Not falling into the fortified wine category like Night Train, etc., but more in the cold duck and Mateus area, was Red Mountain. I seem to recall great piles of empty gallon jugs of Red Mountain in college apt. trash bins. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-familiar-with-old-defunct-cheap-wines/290080.md?page=2)