Recently I did a fun little blog post on the Top 10 Reasons Beer is Better than Wine. It was an obvious joke, and it was meant to poke fun at the ridiculous competition that some winos and beer geeks seem to have. However, it seemed to have struck a chord with Matt McGinnis of What Are You Drinking, in a good way. He became very curious to find out more about the two cultures and how they differ. So what did we do? We joined forces of course. Matt (the other Matt) wanted to look into the wine culture and dive into peoples' perceptions of the two. I'm sure you can figure out which culture I focused on...right?
Perception is a powerful device, and everyone perceives beer and wine differently. For me, there really is no difference between a hand crafted beer and a world class wine. Sure we could get into details on how aesthetically different they are, but both are beverages enjoyed around the world, and both are made with passion. For some reason though, they're worlds apart.
Okay, so you have wine. You have red wine, and you have white wine. It's made from drunk people stomping on the grapes in a large vessel. Oh, and France makes the best wine.
See what I did there? Yeah, those are obviously horrible assumptions and perceptions on the wine culture. Yet, they're real. The same goes for beer though.
Beer. You have Budweiser, Coors, and Miller. Women don't like beer, and Germany makes the best beer.
Wow, it was difficult just typing that.
As much as I love and respect wine, I will always be a beer lover at heart. Don't get me wrong, I love going to wineries. There's something very charming and relaxing about sitting at a table with friends, in the country, drinking a glass of vino. But, beer has gotten a horrible reputation over the past 40-some years and it's a mission of mine to educate people that there is more to beer than the mass produced yellow fizzy stuff. It's because of that perception that people think wine is more sophisticated than beer. It has been embedded into our culture that beer is drunk by Joe Six-pack straight from the can after a hard day's work. Maybe that's the charm in beer though.
So what about the people behind the beverage? Who drinks wine, and who drinks beer?
When I think of wine, a lot of times I think of dinner parties. When you're invited to a dinner party, what do you bring with you? Bottle of wine...jackpot. Why wine? Why not beer? All I see is wine being drunk at dinner parties. Is it because wine is truly sophisticated, or is it the perception of wine being sophisticated so that's what you're SUPPOSED to drink? Think about it. Perception has a lot to do with what you drink.
Take the craft beer culture for example. Some people think craft beer and its culture is more 'hip.' It can be a little 'clique-y' at times and if you don't know anything about beer, you may be pushed aside instead of embraced with open arms. This isn't always the case, but it's a common perception of the growing craft beer culture, and it can push people away.
Here's a sample of thoughts and perceptions that I heard from some beer geeks and brewers (and a wino to round it out).
Josh Hare, owner/brewer of Hops and Grain - @hopsandgrain
'At least from my own experience the beer community seems to be more inviting of newcomers. I've been to plenty of breweries and plenty of wineries and I can definitely tell you that I've been offered more samples at breweries than at wineries. Could be a matter of the cost per sample or could be a matter of the wineries being able to sell product directly to consumers in TX. Seems counterintuitive that the industry that cannot charge for samples would be the one that gives the most out but that has been my experience. Considering you can buy a 12 pack of craft beer for roughly the same cost as a bottle of decent wine it makes sense that the beer drinker would be more apt to give a few away. And each 12 oz. container is separate whereas with wine you've got one bottle and must have enough glasses to go around. Haven't seen a crowd of wine drinkers passing a bottle around a circle and drinking directly from it!'
'I don't believe that either one is elitist. I try to avoid people that come across as elitist, regardless of the activity.'
'What I truly love about both wine and craft beer is that there seems to be no gender preference. There is definitely a male following with macro beer but I don't really care to discuss that. In craft beer women are the fastest growing segment of the market, and for good reason. I can only imagine that wine is the same. Women have a better capacity than men to taste and smell. Because drinking wine and beer is such a sensory experience it only makes sense that women are leading the charge in the growing craft beer market.'
Mark Starr, beer blogger for The Hopry - @thehopry
'If we’re focusing on the word aficionado, I would say both are basically the same in that they are trying to explore and learn as much about their passion as possible. Same goes for those who enjoy Scotch or Bourbon.'
'I don’t know enough about the wine world to know whether wineries collaborate or not, but breweries are definitely starting to become more collaborative. In fact, with distribution laws the way they are I think this trend will only become more prevalent in the years to come.'
'All you have to do is go to BeerAdvocate.com to see that beer lovers are extremely unwelcoming of newcomers. It’s pretty pathetic. In the rare instances I have been to wine tastings, I have not been looked down upon. But that’s not saying wine elitists aren’t out there. Assholes are everywhere. So are kind people who are happy to share their joy with you. Ultimately, I’ve had far worse luck meeting kind beer enthusiasts than I have with wine enthusiasts. And that may just be because I spend more time in that realm.'
'To be specific to the term hipster, I’m going to have to go with beer. Wine and beer typically attracts two different segments of people. Wine is generally thought of as being more socially acceptable and “classy,” while beer is more “of the street.” So my generalization reduces me to think that hipsters would be more interested in beer than wine.'
Jake Maddux, brewer/evangelist of Thirsty Planet - @beerevangelist
'There is a saying in wine country that it takes a lot of beer to make wine. I noticed that at the end of a long day at harvest, myself and other winery workers would go up the road to a brewpub north of St.Helena and relax over a cold one. Even while in and working around one of the top wine regions in the world, beer was usually the preferred choice for relaxation and community amongst my coworkers. I think there is something inherently communal about drinking beer with others.'
'For me, making beer is a way to connect with and offer something good to the world. Something that enhances discourse, disclosure and community. When I'm milling in for a brew at Thirsty Planet, I imagine the final product. I imagine two or three people sitting at a table drinking our beer and relaxing. They talk about whatever they want but the point is that they are talking. Walls come down and thought provoking discussion abounds. I truly believe that if more people had a chance to sit over a beer and discuss issues, we'd be a much happier as a society.'
Ron Extract, brewer of Jester King Craft Brewery
'Beer and wine do have lot of similarities but they also have some very distinct differences that go well beyond the differences in their base ingredients. Overall, beer uses more ingredients and a lot more complex processes, and in that respect, introduces more variables into the equation, but this doesn't necessarily mean that the finished product will be inherently more flavorful or complex. The winemaker deals with basically one ingredient, grapes, and the relatively straightforward process of extracting the juice from those grapes and allowing yeast to convert the sugar in that juice to alcohol. But seemingly small variations in the quality of those grapes, the procedures for extracting and fermentation, and the process of aging and blending the finished product can result in tremendous variation in the quality of the finished product, and that's where the the winemaker's skill comes into play. It's less about conceptual innovation than it is about practical skill, and this is exactly why "winemaker collaborations" aren't something that we normally see.'
Jon Hicks, self proclaimed wino of Des Moines, IA
'I think wine is by far more collaborative. There are constantly tastings around town where people share a bottle or two and try new wines. You don't often see beer tastings where people are getting together and splitting six packs to try new beers.'
'I wouldn't say that all wine aficionados are elitist but there are definitely those out there that can have that attitude. I personally think a true wine aficionado can find something good in all price ranges and doesn't exhibit that attitude. There are many out there with money that claim to be an aficionado but when it comes down to it only buy based on price and claim a good palate. I don't think you find many others buying expensive beer to do the same.'
'I see more people going to beer festivals that are just interested in drinking as opposed to evaluating the beers. Although depending on the price point of the wine festival or tasting this can be the case too. I would expect to see a few of the same people but not many.'
So what do you think? What are your perceptions on the two cultures? Are they really so different?
Take a look at what winos had to say over at What Are You Drinking. Cheers!
http://whatareyoudrinking.net/2011/08/beers-is-from-mars-wine-is-from-venus/
Perception is a powerful device, and everyone perceives beer and wine differently. For me, there really is no difference between a hand crafted beer and a world class wine. Sure we could get into details on how aesthetically different they are, but both are beverages enjoyed around the world, and both are made with passion. For some reason though, they're worlds apart.
Okay, so you have wine. You have red wine, and you have white wine. It's made from drunk people stomping on the grapes in a large vessel. Oh, and France makes the best wine.
See what I did there? Yeah, those are obviously horrible assumptions and perceptions on the wine culture. Yet, they're real. The same goes for beer though.
Beer. You have Budweiser, Coors, and Miller. Women don't like beer, and Germany makes the best beer.
Wow, it was difficult just typing that.
As much as I love and respect wine, I will always be a beer lover at heart. Don't get me wrong, I love going to wineries. There's something very charming and relaxing about sitting at a table with friends, in the country, drinking a glass of vino. But, beer has gotten a horrible reputation over the past 40-some years and it's a mission of mine to educate people that there is more to beer than the mass produced yellow fizzy stuff. It's because of that perception that people think wine is more sophisticated than beer. It has been embedded into our culture that beer is drunk by Joe Six-pack straight from the can after a hard day's work. Maybe that's the charm in beer though.
So what about the people behind the beverage? Who drinks wine, and who drinks beer?
When I think of wine, a lot of times I think of dinner parties. When you're invited to a dinner party, what do you bring with you? Bottle of wine...jackpot. Why wine? Why not beer? All I see is wine being drunk at dinner parties. Is it because wine is truly sophisticated, or is it the perception of wine being sophisticated so that's what you're SUPPOSED to drink? Think about it. Perception has a lot to do with what you drink.
Take the craft beer culture for example. Some people think craft beer and its culture is more 'hip.' It can be a little 'clique-y' at times and if you don't know anything about beer, you may be pushed aside instead of embraced with open arms. This isn't always the case, but it's a common perception of the growing craft beer culture, and it can push people away.
Here's a sample of thoughts and perceptions that I heard from some beer geeks and brewers (and a wino to round it out).
Josh Hare, owner/brewer of Hops and Grain - @hopsandgrain
'At least from my own experience the beer community seems to be more inviting of newcomers. I've been to plenty of breweries and plenty of wineries and I can definitely tell you that I've been offered more samples at breweries than at wineries. Could be a matter of the cost per sample or could be a matter of the wineries being able to sell product directly to consumers in TX. Seems counterintuitive that the industry that cannot charge for samples would be the one that gives the most out but that has been my experience. Considering you can buy a 12 pack of craft beer for roughly the same cost as a bottle of decent wine it makes sense that the beer drinker would be more apt to give a few away. And each 12 oz. container is separate whereas with wine you've got one bottle and must have enough glasses to go around. Haven't seen a crowd of wine drinkers passing a bottle around a circle and drinking directly from it!'
'I don't believe that either one is elitist. I try to avoid people that come across as elitist, regardless of the activity.'
'What I truly love about both wine and craft beer is that there seems to be no gender preference. There is definitely a male following with macro beer but I don't really care to discuss that. In craft beer women are the fastest growing segment of the market, and for good reason. I can only imagine that wine is the same. Women have a better capacity than men to taste and smell. Because drinking wine and beer is such a sensory experience it only makes sense that women are leading the charge in the growing craft beer market.'
Mark Starr, beer blogger for The Hopry - @thehopry
'If we’re focusing on the word aficionado, I would say both are basically the same in that they are trying to explore and learn as much about their passion as possible. Same goes for those who enjoy Scotch or Bourbon.'
'I don’t know enough about the wine world to know whether wineries collaborate or not, but breweries are definitely starting to become more collaborative. In fact, with distribution laws the way they are I think this trend will only become more prevalent in the years to come.'
'All you have to do is go to BeerAdvocate.com to see that beer lovers are extremely unwelcoming of newcomers. It’s pretty pathetic. In the rare instances I have been to wine tastings, I have not been looked down upon. But that’s not saying wine elitists aren’t out there. Assholes are everywhere. So are kind people who are happy to share their joy with you. Ultimately, I’ve had far worse luck meeting kind beer enthusiasts than I have with wine enthusiasts. And that may just be because I spend more time in that realm.'
'To be specific to the term hipster, I’m going to have to go with beer. Wine and beer typically attracts two different segments of people. Wine is generally thought of as being more socially acceptable and “classy,” while beer is more “of the street.” So my generalization reduces me to think that hipsters would be more interested in beer than wine.'
Jake Maddux, brewer/evangelist of Thirsty Planet - @beerevangelist
'There is a saying in wine country that it takes a lot of beer to make wine. I noticed that at the end of a long day at harvest, myself and other winery workers would go up the road to a brewpub north of St.Helena and relax over a cold one. Even while in and working around one of the top wine regions in the world, beer was usually the preferred choice for relaxation and community amongst my coworkers. I think there is something inherently communal about drinking beer with others.'
'For me, making beer is a way to connect with and offer something good to the world. Something that enhances discourse, disclosure and community. When I'm milling in for a brew at Thirsty Planet, I imagine the final product. I imagine two or three people sitting at a table drinking our beer and relaxing. They talk about whatever they want but the point is that they are talking. Walls come down and thought provoking discussion abounds. I truly believe that if more people had a chance to sit over a beer and discuss issues, we'd be a much happier as a society.'
Ron Extract, brewer of Jester King Craft Brewery
'Beer and wine do have lot of similarities but they also have some very distinct differences that go well beyond the differences in their base ingredients. Overall, beer uses more ingredients and a lot more complex processes, and in that respect, introduces more variables into the equation, but this doesn't necessarily mean that the finished product will be inherently more flavorful or complex. The winemaker deals with basically one ingredient, grapes, and the relatively straightforward process of extracting the juice from those grapes and allowing yeast to convert the sugar in that juice to alcohol. But seemingly small variations in the quality of those grapes, the procedures for extracting and fermentation, and the process of aging and blending the finished product can result in tremendous variation in the quality of the finished product, and that's where the the winemaker's skill comes into play. It's less about conceptual innovation than it is about practical skill, and this is exactly why "winemaker collaborations" aren't something that we normally see.'
Jon Hicks, self proclaimed wino of Des Moines, IA
'I think wine is by far more collaborative. There are constantly tastings around town where people share a bottle or two and try new wines. You don't often see beer tastings where people are getting together and splitting six packs to try new beers.'
'I wouldn't say that all wine aficionados are elitist but there are definitely those out there that can have that attitude. I personally think a true wine aficionado can find something good in all price ranges and doesn't exhibit that attitude. There are many out there with money that claim to be an aficionado but when it comes down to it only buy based on price and claim a good palate. I don't think you find many others buying expensive beer to do the same.'
'I see more people going to beer festivals that are just interested in drinking as opposed to evaluating the beers. Although depending on the price point of the wine festival or tasting this can be the case too. I would expect to see a few of the same people but not many.'
So what do you think? What are your perceptions on the two cultures? Are they really so different?
Take a look at what winos had to say over at What Are You Drinking. Cheers!
http://whatareyoudrinking.net/2011/08/beers-is-from-mars-wine-is-from-venus/
