Pansy wine to target Sydney gays

A New Zealand wine company is targeting their gay neighbors in Sydney, Australia, with a pink wine called Pansy--a word often considered a derogatory term for gay men. The wine was first launched in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, in 2002 and will be introduced in Sydney next week at a nightclub on the route of the city's annual gay Mardi Gras, a huge pride march taking place early each year that attracts thousands of gay and lesbian visitors. New Zealand winemaker Erica Crawford said Thursday that links between the gay communities in Auckland and Sydney had created a demand for the wine in Australia's most populous city, where gay men are estimated to drink $3.1 million of wine each month. "Pansy is about friendship, kindness, and generosity of the human spirit," she said, adding, "Here's a straight mother from [Auckland] launching a gay wine in Sydney." The wine comes with a pink screw cap and a label that describes it as "fresh, funky, and fun."