• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, December 11, 2006

Sales of red wines surged in the month following media coverage of new research that found resveratrol, a substance found in red wine, extended the life and improved the health of middle-aged, overweight mice.

Volume sales had been growing at 3.3 percent for the full year, but jumped to 8.3 percent for the four-week period ending Nov. 18 compared to the previous year's sales and more than 11 percent in dollar gains.

The overall surge in red wine sales led to a strong increase in sales for the entire table wine category, which was up 4.3 percent in volume and 8.4 percent in dollars--an increase of almost $50 million in retail sales compared to the same period a year earlier, according to A.C. Nielsen.

Red wines accounted for a record 52.4 percent of table wine dollar sales, compared to just less than 50 percent in the immediately preceding four-week period, and 51 percent in the comparable year-ago time frame.

Annual sales of wine in the U.S. have nearly doubled in volume and tripled in value since 1991, when "60 Minutes" aired "The French Paradox." They have increased by roughly 125 million cases since that year to about 300 million cases in 2006.