By Clyde Noel

Town Crier Correspondent

If you’re thinking of dad on Father’s Day, remember the episode of CBS’ “60 Minutes,” where Morley Safer proclaimed moderate consumption of red wine was a significant part of the answer to the low rate of heart disease in France. That television show made an enormous impact on American wine-drinking habits.

While much of that initial consumer frenzy was focused on inexpensive red jug wines, it soon moved on to moderately- priced “fighting varietals,” cabernets, merlots and zinfandels.

The chief beneficiary in this veritable change in American wine-buying habits was merlot, which these new-to-good-wine consumers found to be much more user friendly than the ubiquitous cabernet sauvignon in terms of tannin levels and delicious, fruity flavors that didn’t require much help.

Keeping in mind the health benefits associated with red wines, wine stewards at local supermarkets and bottle shops offered several suggestions. Mike Seager, Beverage Department head at the Safeway store in Los Altos, offered his suggestions for Father’s Day.

Merlot: Rodney Strong 1998, $11.95; William Hill 1997, $19.99.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Kenwood 1998, $16.99; Alexander Valley 1998, $16.99.

Zinfandel is California’s most abundant red wine grape. There are almost 50 percent more acres of California zinfandel than of Cabernet Sauvignon. There are good reasons for this.

The zinfandel grape is hardy, adaptable and versatile.

Long before the penchant for Cabernet developed, California’s biggest red wines were made from zinfandel.

Mike Del Carlo, wine steward at Andronico’s in Rancho Shopping Center, suggested his reds for Father’s Day.

Merlot: Concha y Toro 2000, from Chile. Young but drinkable, with a full body, at $9.99.

Zinfandel: LaLonis 1998. A wine made with no pesticides. A good price at $16.99.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Heitz Cellars 1997. A vintage-year wine at $31.99.

For the dad who likes white, Del Carlo offered Thomas Fogarty Chardonnay at $22.98.