When wine is cheaper than beer

One of the most amusing debates over the perfect beverage to consume with Italian cuisine is the Wine versus Beer banter.  There is always someone who says that beer and pizza is a match made in heaven.  Then there’s the wine with spaghetti discussion.  But one debate that often gets glossed over is the “which one costs you more” angle.

So if you’re going to even go there about the “best buy”, here is a little fuel for the fire.  Because nearly everyone thinks that beer is cheaper than wine (about $8 a glass for vino and $5 a pint for beer), you may actually turn some heads by proclaiming that wine is often cheaper, and by a good margin.

Here’s a quick example.  Right now, Phoenix area Trader Joe’s stores are selling 750 ml bottles of Italian “vola” Sangiovese for $3.49 and our valley Total Wine stores are selling 750 ml bottles of Belgian “Adriaen Brouwer Dark Gold Ale” for $7.99.  Yep, this time wine is cheaper, and that’s not even taking the amount alcohol into account (wine 12% – beer 8.5%).  Of course there is always the issue of quality.

We can vouch for the Sangiovese as being a bit better than Trader Joe’s 3-Buck Chuck.  It’s a great quaff with Italian take-out.  As for the Belgian Ale (these are normally perfecto), you’ll have to try that one yourself.

So there you have it.  There are real possible $$ savings in the offing for wine drinkers.  Granted, this is with stuff that might not be top (or even middle) shelf; but when it comes to making your informal dinner guests happy, you just might get away with it.

Anybody want to run a “per milliliter” analysis for canned American beer vs. cheap imported wine?  Didn’t think so.  Such calculations are best left to mathematicians with good palates, possibly a rare breed in itself.

Article by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com

View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.