Munchies:

The story of wine coolers’ rise and fall fits almost perfectly into the pocket of Reagan-era America. The first wine coolers were sold in 1981. At their peak popularity, in 1987, wine cooler sales topped a billion dollars annually, and accounted for 20 percent of all wine consumed in the US.

This history of (disgusting) wine coolers is actually interesting. Sadly, it seems wine coolers are making a comeback.