Wine vs Beer. And the winner is...

Recent ABS statistics have shown that wine is on it's way to overtaking beer as the Australian drink of choice. The figures reveal that wine consumption is up by an average of seven glasses per year per person since 2008, whilst beer consumption has remained static over the same period. If this trend continues then by 2015 wine will overtake beer as the most consumed alcoholic beverage amongst Australians. These staggering figures will surely surprise most punters considering the beer culture in which we live, particularly with the meteoric rise of the craft beer industry within Australia. But what else do these figures tell us?? Does it mean that because of the emergence of the craft beer industry, is the average amount that we are paying for beer increasing meaning we are consuming less, or does it signal that we are savouring the craft beer alternative: opting for quality over quantity? Another factor could be the emergence of food-centric reality television programs, which may be enhancing our appreciation of good food and it's subsequent matching with good quality wine. It is obvious to this commentator that more and more males are publicly consuming wine especially with dinner or as pre-drinks, so perhaps the trend is a result of a public shift towards a more perceived sophistication in drinking wine in public. Or is it because we are being taught more about wine, whether actively or indirectly, by the growing online and retail presence of wine and the competitive advertising marketplace of wine. Whatever the cause, Aussies are beginning to take full advantage of our global reputation for producing some of the world's best wine. Although there will always be a beer culture deeply engrained into our DNA surely there is room for both - I don't think either are going anywhere in a hurry!