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Wine Buzz Grows, Beer Flattens

The beer class is finally embracing the grape, Slate says

By Dustin Lushing, Newser Staff

Posted May 31, 2007 8:00 AM CDT

(Newser) – The American middle class has become connoisseurs of everything—coffee, '80s Japanese garage-rock bands, environmentalist toilet paper, and now wine, writes Slate's Field Maloney. Fermented grape juice doubled its audience in the past decade, while consumption of lower-brow beer stagnated. And for the first time in history, Americans pollees prefer wine to beer.

"Wine has cleaned itself up, with a freshly shaved face and a fashionable suit of casual clothes, and is headed uptown," writes an industry insider. Maloney attributes the boom to a rise in pastoral chic—ordinary Americans can now be epicures but not snobs—and a change in wine jargon from posh and esoteric to passionate and flavorful.

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Wine Buzz Grows, Beer Flattens

The beer class is finally embracing the grape, Slate says

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food • alcohol • wine • beer • pastoral chic • middle class • drink • drinking • Americans • wine industry

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Finally, World-Class Wine From Japan

Critics applaud vino from local grape

French Wines Wither Under Climate Change

Industry pushes President Sarkozy for carbon emission cut

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Blowfish contains a mix of aspirin, caffeine, and a stomach-calming agent

Brewing at Chicago Starbucks: Beer, Wine

Chicago-area stores to offer booze, entertainment

For Good Health, Have a Beer

Drink offers the same benefits as wine: researchers

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Wine Buzz Grows, Beer Flattens

The beer class is finally embracing the grape, Slate says

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

food • alcohol • wine • beer • pastoral chic • middle class • drink • drinking • Americans • wine industry

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Finally, World-Class Wine From Japan

Critics applaud vino from local grape

French Wines Wither Under Climate Change

Industry pushes President Sarkozy for carbon emission cut

Drink Up! FDA OKs Hangover Pill

Blowfish contains a mix of aspirin, caffeine, and a stomach-calming agent

Brewing at Chicago Starbucks: Beer, Wine

Chicago-area stores to offer booze, entertainment

For Good Health, Have a Beer

Drink offers the same benefits as wine: researchers

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

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More News

What is Newser?