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

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 nutritive value? Why does wine conjure up images of staid dinner parties while beer denotes screaming young partiers? Charles Bamforth explores several paradoxes involving these beverages, 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, nature of the market for each, quality attributes, types and styles, and the effect that they have on human health and nutrition.

Author: Charles Bamforth
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 03/01/2008
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.96lbs
Size: 9.05h x 6.31w x 0.72d
ISBN: 9780521849371

About the Author
Bamforth, Charles: - Charles Bamforth is Chair of the Department of Food Science and Technology and Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at the University of California, Davis. He is Editor in Chief of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists and a member of the editorial boards of Master Brewers Association of the Americas Quarterly, the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, and the Journal of the Institute of Brewing. Bamforth has been referred to as one of the top two or three brewing scientists of his generation.