Business Notes DRINKS

What do Rhett, Scarlett and the burning of Atlanta have to do with California Cabernet? Frankly, my dear, absolutely nothing. Still, Fujisankei Communications Group is betting that the gang from Tara may hold the key to marketing American wines in Japan. The company has uncorked a new line of four California wines to be sold in Japan under a Gone With the Wind label. It hopes to capitalize on Japan's near obsessive love for the 1939 epic, which company official Tsutomu Nakamura describes as "a symbol of American culture and an unforgettable dream of youth."

Thus far French imports have dominated Japan's small but growing market for foreign wine. Fujisankei's offerings, moderately priced at between $10 and $17 a bottle, have been blended "with the Japanese palate in mind," says a company spokesman, meaning that they are slightly sweet and fruity. Who knows, maybe mint juleps will be next. But Fujisankei can think about that tomorrow.