# The silent guy from the Bartles and James Wine Cooler Ads has died. (Dick Maugg)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silent-guy-from-the-bartles-and-james-wine-cooler-ads-has-died-dick-maugg/736011>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** wine\
**Created:** [October 28, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silent-guy-from-the-bartles-and-james-wine-cooler-ads-has-died-dick-maugg/736011 "2015-10-28T20:21:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silent-guy-from-the-bartles-and-james-wine-cooler-ads-has-died-dick-maugg/736011/1 "2015-10-28T20:21:11Z")

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I always loved the ads for Bartles and Jaymes Wine Coolers. Always funny and creative ads. We started buying Wine Coolers for awhile.

heres two vintage ones from 1986.

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/OyiI5qDcN-U/hqdefault.jpg "Bartles and Jaymes Wine Cooler Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyiI5qDcN-U)

Dick Maugg was the thin guy that never spoke. The talkative one with the glasses was Dave Rufkahr. They say he died in 1996. That may be why the ad campaign ended so abruptly.

Another bit of my past gone. RIP

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silent-guy-from-the-bartles-and-james-wine-cooler-ads-has-died-dick-maugg/736011/2 "2015-10-28T20:31:07Z")

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Dave Rufkahr article/obit. He was a career Air Force veteran and cattle rancher.

> **[David Joseph Rufkahr; Played Frank Bartles in Wine Cooler Ads](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-04-26-mn-63112-story.html)**
>
> David Joseph Rufkahr, 61, who gained fame as the lovable, talkative Frank Bartles in wine cooler advertisements.

iirc weren’t these ads the beginnings of using amateur spokesmen? Using amateurs gave the ads a folksy charm that people enjoy. They are a nice change from the slick ads done with actors.

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silent-guy-from-the-bartles-and-james-wine-cooler-ads-has-died-dick-maugg/736011/3 "2015-10-28T21:01:44Z")

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[Alternate take.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_dvHdQPLVw)😃

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silent-guy-from-the-bartles-and-james-wine-cooler-ads-has-died-dick-maugg/736011/4 "2015-10-28T21:50:32Z")

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😃 thats hilarious. thanks for posting.

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**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silent-guy-from-the-bartles-and-james-wine-cooler-ads-has-died-dick-maugg/736011/5 "2015-10-28T22:17:17Z")

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“Thanks for your support.”