Name (also Wine cooler) for a drink that is very popular in the USA, is drinkable and low in alcohol, and is mixed from wine and fruit juice, often in combination with a carbonated drink and sugar. The taste is masked by the fruit juice and sugar, so the wine used for it is mostly of very simple quality. When the US Congress quintupled the excise duty on wine in 1991, many producers replaced wine with malt liquor for tax reasons. Alcopops, which are particularly popular with young consumers, are produced in a similar way. Bowle, Gespritzter (Austria), Schorle (Germany) and Sangria (Spain, Portugal) can also be counted to this group of beverages in a broader sense. See also under wine-like drinks, wine-based drinks and special wines.
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