Red Bicyclette, E&J Gallo's first French label, is set to launch in Chicago in July and will be available nationwide by September. The Syrah, Chardonnay and Merlot wines will be labelled by varietal and priced between US$10 and US$12.
 
"We hope this is a brand that will give Americans a new way to enjoy French wine," Gallo spokeswoman April Sachs said. "The wines themselves are really easy to enjoy, and the labels are much more fun and whimsical than traditional French labels."

The wines are produced by a cooperative in the Languedoc region and will be imported by Gallo, which declined to say how many cases it plans to release. The French newspaper La Tribune reported in May that Gallo had agreed to buy 1m cases from the cooperative by 2006.