Julia Child to Promote Wines

California’s wine industry is hoping that Julia Child will do for its wine what her books and television shows are credited with having done for French cooking--popularize it among increasingly food-conscious Americans.

Starting in September, Child will appear in a series of television commercials promoting California wine as the beverage of moderation to accompany meals, the Winegrowers of California said Monday.

Added Robert Young, vice chairman of the trade group: “A lot of people are still intimidated at serving wine with meals. We would like her to do for California wine what she did for fine dining.”

The commercials, to be created by the San Francisco ad agency D’Arcy MacManus Masius, will be tested this fall, financed by wine-grape growers and vintners.