Handmaid's Tale wine launched, then immediately pulled after social media backlash

The harrowing scenes of rape and abuse in Channel 4 drama The Handmaid's Tale may have left viewers in need of a stiff drink, but a recent attempt to cash in on the show's success left a sour taste in the mouth for many fans.

A line of promotional wines "specially crafted to highlight the personalities" of the show's characters was launched yesterday – and scrapped just hours later, after a backlash on social media.

Adapted from Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, The Handmaid's Tale imagines an alternate America where women are enslaved by a religious patriarchy.

A now-deleted page on wine company Lot18's website said the novelty wines were ideal "to enjoy while you watch these women's stories unfold on screen, or while you contemplate their impossible situations afterwards".

A French Pinot Noir is described as "smooth, earthy, and similarly seductive in profile to Offred".

Offred is the slave-name given to the show's heroine, June, by Fred, a government official who keeps her as a servant in his house, and rapes her with the assistance of his wife, Serena Joy.

A Bordeaux Blanc wine inspired by Serena Joy, meanwhile, is described as "sophisticated, traditional and austere".

New York Times television critic Margaret Lyons, quoting a promotional description which calls the Offred wine impossible to "resist", tweeted: "Who the f--- thinks rape-themed wine is a good idea?"

People magazine reports that Lot18 and the show's production company MGM have decided to cancel the wine "after further consideration".