E-Malt.com News article: USA: For the first time sine 1992 Beer gives up its place to wine as America's Drink of Choice

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced on September 1 that for the first time since 1992 when Gallup began tracking beverage preferences, wine has surpassed beer as America's alcoholic drink of choice. In the latest poll taken July 7-10, 39 percent of participants preferred wine, 36 percent preferred beer and 21 percent chose liquor as their drink of choice. As recently as 2000, beer topped wine 43 percent to 31 percent and was the top selection again in 2004 by a 39 to 33 percent margin. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board says the shift is no surprise.

"We're seeing more customers with a genuine curiosity and eagerness to try new things," said PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman. "The preconceptions of wine as a 'fancy' beverage are also being broken down. People are beginning to recognize wine as something they can enjoy in many of the same situations where they once enjoyed beer."

In Pennsylvania, wine sales increased from 18.3 million gallons in calendar year 2003 to 19.4 million in 2004. During the same time period, spirits sales rose from 12.8 million gallons to 13.7 million gallons. Beer sales still far outpace both wine and spirits sales in Pennsylvania, but sales fell slightly from 337.4 million gallons in 2003 to 334.2 million in 2004.

Wine's sudden rise to the top of the preference chart can be attributed to several factors, including pop culture forces like last year's hit movie "Sideways" and near-daily studies showing the many health benefits of wine. Several initiatives by the PLCB have also helped build a strong fan base.

Pennsylvania's Wine & Spirits Stores have led the charge by stocking some of California's finest reds and whites at prices up to 50 percent less than what Californians pay. The wines are part of the state's Chairman's Selection program - a series of top shelf, deeply-discounted varietals handpicked by Newman during his annual visits to wineries across the globe.

The PLCB has also worked hard to position the commonwealth as a "wine- friendly state" while highlighting the "new shopping experience" found in its customer-friendly stores. Online sales at http://www.pawineandspirits.com have also helped make wine more accessible.

On a national level, some point to demographic shifts as the primary reason for the surge in wine's popularity. Thirty-nine percent of non-Caucasian drinkers prefer wine compared to 22 percent in 1992. Although beer is still king among men, 25 percent of those polled chose wine compared to 19 percent who made the same choice 13 years ago. Not surprisingly, women and those over 50 are the most loyal wine drinkers, while the under-30 crowd indicated a growing preference for blended malt liquor beverages.

"Clearly, there are a number of cultural factors driving the trend toward wine," said Newman, "but as long as quality and accessibility remain high and prices remain low, it's hard to say how much momentum wine still has."


02 September, 2005