Mad Housewife is a fairly middle of the road California Cabernet Sauvignon—and that's in no way meant disparagingly. This is a reliable, affordable table wine. It's a lovely crimson in the glass, with a dark cherry aroma that has a hint to something darker. It's definitely fruity on the palate, but the dark cherry is restrained by a hint of something that's almost like bitter chocolate. I note that Mad Housewife Cabernet Sauvignon won a Silver Medal at the 2009 National Women’s Wine Competition in Santa Rosa, California. It's 13.5 ABV, and while it usually runs around $8.00, I found this at Fred Meyer for $4.99. There's an interesting recipe section on their Website; I like that they've included drinks made with wine, something that's a lot of fun at this time of year. You'll notice that there are a fair number of recipes that rely on Mad Housewife as both a pairing and as an ingredient. I thought this varient of Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon (inspired by watching Julie and Julia) was both appealing and simple.

Mad Housewife wines are produced by Rainer Wine Negociant, at The Ranch Winery, in St. Helena, California. In addition to the Cabernet Sauvignon, Mad Housewife produces a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a White Zinfandel. If Turn Me is the textbook example of bad branding, then Mad Housewife is the textbook example of great branding and reliably good table wine. Take a look at the label in the image above. Notice the art, and then read the back copy:

Somewhere near the cool shadows of the laundry room. Past the litter box and between the plastic yard toys. This is your time. Time to enjoy a moment to yourself. A moment without the madness. The dishes can wait. Dinner be damned.

That's a pitch designed specifically to appeal to women, and it's both realistic and just cheeky enough to be funny. In the signs that accompany Mad Housewife wine displays and end-caps, and on their Web site, Mad Housewife declares that "Above all else, wine should be fun, relaxing, memorable, and something you can afford to look forward to at the end of each and every day." This is not only true, in my view, but it's marketing table wine as something that's just part of a day, part of meal planning, and in a way designed to appeal to women, both those who are employed by third parties and those who work at home. This is wine presented in ordinary, matter of fact terms as part of your routine—very much the way table wine is treated in Europe. They've hired women to dress the part of the "Mad Housewife" and conduct tastings at wine shops and grocery stores. They're presenting their wine honestly, realistically, and with a sense of humor that's designed specifically to appeal to women—and it's been extraordinarily successful not only in terms of brand recognition but in terms of sales. You can see women buying Mad Housewife by the case at Costco, as well as picking up a bottle as a gift, or as a regular part of weekly grocery shopping.