Atkins fans toast new wine

Slimmers are to be tempted by the first low-carbohydrate wines.

A Chardonnay and a Merlot with around half the carbs of traditional wine are about to go on sale in the U.S. as winemakers target the millions of Americans on low- carb/high-fat regimes such as the Atkins Diet.

Competitively priced at £6, they will be called under the names of One.9 Merlot and One.6 Chardonnay - a reference to the grams of carbs they contain per five-ounce glass.

Wine expert Edward Deitch sniffed yesterday: 'Nobody seriously interested in wine is going to ask how many carbs it's got.'

But manufacturers Brown-Forman - best better known for Jack Daniel's whisky - were unconcerned.

They said they simply wanted to help the public lose weight and drink wine at the same time.

Low-carb beer has already been a big hit in the U.S., with the Michelob Ultra brand leading the way.

Brown-Forman said they have made its vineyard equivalent by choosing the right grapes and fermenting them as dry as possible, while keeping an average alcohol content of 14.5 per cent.

The wine will be launched with a major advertising campaign which will tell drinkers: 'Life is full of compromises. This isn't one of them.'