'Slender' Wine Part of the Oscars' Swag Bag

An Indiana winery is getting some national attention after its latest wine "Slender" was chosen to be a part of the Oscars baskets for the stars. The wine, created by Chateau Thomas winery in Indiana, has the slogan every woman wants to hear:

"No Sugar
No Carbs
No Fats
No After-taste
No Kidding!"

Perfect for people on a diet who still want the taste and alcohol of table wine, as well as diabetics, "Slender" is the world's only naturally-sweetened sugar-free sweet wine. The wine is sweetened with the no-calorie, sugar alcohol, Zerose. There are three "Slender" wines to choose from:

White (Muscat Canelli) with "floral scents of peach, apricot, & citrus with a lingering floral sweetness to the finish", Blush (Chenin Blanc) with aromas that "suggest strawberry, berry, and citrus with elegant sweetness", and Red (Rubired) with aromas that "include cherry, classic berry, plum, and spice."

All the sweetness gets even sweeter. The proceeds from "Slender" wines will be donated to The American Diabetes Association. Think it can't get any better? The price is only $10. The wines can be purchased online here.

It's likely that the wine will be the cheapest thing in the Oscars gift baskets, even if the Awards Show is cutting back a little on its spending due to the economy. According to CNN, many of the giveaways in the bags will be more affordable and economical. Of course, that's affordable in "Hollywood-speak."

VIP gift bag and product placement company Madison and Mulholland is focusing on offering more practical luxuries to its customers, such as a high-end vacuum cleaner (worth several hundred dollars), a $200 handbag and handmade jewelry. In the past, they had offered such things as a $5,000 commode, $5,000 vacation and a $3,500 diamond watch.

But Gavin Keilly, CEO of GBK Productions, told CNN that though the free stuff is supposed to be "scaled back", his company is still offering things like a year's worth of Botox, Restylane and microdermabrasion. Yes, that would be $3,000 worth of beauty products. But the Oscars are scaling back.

In the past, the Oscars had been allowed to give gift bags worth up to $100,000, but in August 2006, the IRS cracked down on the Academy, due to the fact that they owed money for the lavish gifts they've given to the stars over the years. Last year, the gift bags contained items worth only about $5,000, but still included things like diamond jewelry and a $250 gift certificate for a cheesecake made with edible 24kt gold.

The purpose of the swag bags is free publicity. People see celebrities with a certain product and that will influence them more than any commercial or article. While I'm glad there's at least something in the freebie baskets that's in the low double digits, the spending is still ridiculous.

Chateau Thomas Winery

Michael Geller, Inside the Oscar Gift Bag, WGRZ.com

Kathleen Day, IRS Targets Award Show Goody Bags, Washington Post

Nikki Weingartner, 'Skinny' Wine Will Be Among the Oscar Freebies, Digital Journal

Steve Almasy, At Oscars, Some Celebrity Freebies to Be a Bit Less Blingy, CNN