Niki Kelly, writing for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, has an article on how wine leads growth in Indiana alcohol sales. Beer is still the overall leader, selling 124 million gallons to wine’s 10 million gallons, but wine has been growing at a bigger clip. (That’s even if you consider the fact that you’re likely not going to consume the same volume of wine in a sitting as beer.)
Some of the comments in the article track my experience as well. I have always been more of a beer drinker and will probably remain that way for the foreseeable future. But, in general, my interest in wine has increased. (It probably doesn’t hurt that my sister-in-law is a huge wine fan.) The availability is up and prices are not intimidating. I was pretty amazed at the selection in our local CVS the other day. And you can buy a decent tasting, non-headache-inducing bottle for $7-$8.
The article talks about the increase in alcohol sales even in the face of the recession. But, my recollection is that alcohol sales are historically recession-proof anyway. I was going to suggest that maybe as a society we are developing a more relaxed attitude toward alcohol. But, I don’t think that’s the case. Old timers in the legal profession recount times in their youth when the old timers in their day would fairly routinely drink a fair amount at lunch and whatnot. The crusade against drinking and driving has increased awareness of the dangers of drinking irresponsibly. So I’m not sure how you would explain the overall increase in alcohol purchases. Maybe it’s just that the available stuff has gotten so much better: more wines available, more craft beers available. It’s not just Budweiser and Paul Masson (no relation) wines. Maybe we’re drinking a little differently – not just swilling a lot of crappy alcohol to get drunk, but also drinking good stuff because it tastes good. (Or maybe I’m just projecting the change in my own drinking habits from my early 20s versus my late 30s.)
“When people celebrate..they drink, When They’re depressed, they drink” I don’t recall what movie that’s paraphrased from…had something to do with favorable arguments for opening a bar. But it’s true. Here’s my logic for the increased sales in alcohol despite the increased awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving: People are drinking more at home in an effort to be safe as well as avoid the possibility of DUI arrests. Buying alcohol at a liquor store or super market is far cheaper than at a bar therefore people can drink more alcohol at a reduced personal cost. Thus a higher percentage of the money one spends on alcohol is attributed to alcohol sales and not the service costs that accompany drinking at bars. Just a thought…but I’m probably wrong. P.S. Your side note of Paul Masson being no relation cracked me up!
I would agree – with places like Lafayette Brew Co and Black Sparrow and Chumleys beer selections – your opinion on higher quality would be true. But then how do you explain the alomst cult-like status that Pabst Blue Ribbon in the can is getting. I’m told it’s hard to find it.
You should try the Whyte Horse Winery in Monticello. The wine is good and has variety to appeal to many tastes.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100912/NEWS01/9130301/1055/NEWS/City-s-brewing-past-bubbles-up
Down with knee-jerk reactionism and boo to intolerant religionists.
WWI and Prohibition also had serious negative impacts for German culture and brewing in both Indianapolis and Terre Haute.
I have to think that Prohibition, in particular, really hurt craft brewing. Maybe consolidation under a mediocre product was inevitable – makes me think of journalism & newspaper consolidation – but it seems like a lot of local brewers went belly up during Prohibition and didn’t make it back after.
Well, if you’ve got easy access to Trader Joe’s, you can’t go wrong with “Two Buck Chuck” (three bucks, actually).
But for those of us who don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, Aldi actually sells a version of that wine for LESS than three bucks. Aldi is actually the corporate parent of TJ’s.