This Slate article makes some speculations about why the popularity of wine in the US is skyrocketing while that of beer seems to be remaining, um, flat. The author argues that it has to do with selling a certain lifestyle, and beer isn’t keeping up. He says that wine, which used to be perceived as rather hoity-toity, has come to be seen as part of a relaxed and “passionate” Mediterranean lifestyle, a shift away from the associations with high English and French culture. This makes wine connoisseurship seem more accessible and egalitarian.

This may be a function of getting older and having a bit more money as much as anything, but I’ve definitely noticed that in the circles I move in wine seems to be the beverage of choice for dinners out, etc. Wine also has a reputation for being healthier, which is probably a consideration. And certainly the increased availability of mass-market decent quality wines must have something to do with it.