Grape vs. Grain
A Historical, Technological, and Social Comparison of Wine and Beer

This is the first book to compare beer and wine from several important perspectives.

Charles Bamforth (Author)

9780521849371, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 10 March 2008

224 pages, 7 tables
23.6 x 16 x 1.6 cm, 0.44 kg

"...good in covering the technical side of both wine making and beer brewing..." -Gastronomica

Why is wine considered more sophisticated even though the production of beer is much more technologically complex? Why is wine touted for its health benefits when beer has more nutrition value? Why does wine conjure up images of staid dinner parties while beer denotes screaming young partiers? Charles Bamforth explores several paradoxes involving beer and wine, paying special attention to the culture surrounding each. He argues that beer can be just as grown-up and worldly as wine and be part of a healthy, mature lifestyle. Both beer and wine have histories spanning thousands of years. This is the first book to compare them from the perspectives of history, technology, the market for each, and the effect that they have on human health and nutrition.

1. Beer and wine: some social commentary
2. A brief history of wine
3. A brief history of beer
4. How wine is made
5. How beer is made
6. The quality of wine
7. The quality of beer
8. Types of wine
9. Types of beer
10. The healthfulness of wine and beer
11. Conclusions about beer and wine - and the future.

Subject Areas: History of engineering & technology [TBX], Popular science [PDZ], History of science [PDX]