A bottle of California burgundy, usually made from a number of cheaper grapes, is known as a generic, or jug, wine.

Further illustrating the change in America's wine-drinking tastes is the continuing decline in interest for inexpensive generic wines.

In 1996, the retail value of chardonnay sold in this country topped that of all generic wines combined, according to Impact.

Some, at least, recognize that we are not talking about the cheap generic white wine that for decades has been called "chablis" here.

A generic Pessac-Léognan third wine is produced since 1987.

They, too, produce a generic red wine for about $3 a bottle that isn't bad as a pleasant picnic wine.

And even then, he said, "there is no interest in the generic wine."

He said in a telephone interview, "I don't think anyone believes a generic, label-less, anonymous wine poured from taps will raise the region's reputation."

That was a 16 percent jump for varietals over 1991, while generic wines continued their long slide by dropping 1 percent, the Infoscan report said.