ABSTRACT
The most striking aspect of the world beer and wine industries since the late 1960s has been its globalization. International trade in these products has grown rapidly. Production of beer in export markets under licence and then by direct investment in brewing capacity has become commonplace. The world beer market has become increas ingly homogenized as lager has come to replace ale as the over whelmingly favoured style of beverage in all major markets. Wine from the ‘new world’ has increasingly found favour in Europe which remains the major centre of both production and consumption. Both industries have come to be dominated by large multinational enter prises, some of which are diversified food, tobacco and beverage producers, although this process of concentration has taken hold more for beer than wine. Marketing has come to play a critical role in capturing sales (for a review of recent trends in the global industries, see Cavanagh and Clairmonte 1985; Unwin 1991; for a study of the European brewing industry, see Steele 1993). The success of Australian brands in both beer and wine in the United Kingdom market since the early 1980s reflects these broader trends in the global markets for alcoholic beverages. Sales of Australian beer and wine have expanded from a low base in 1985 to the point where both occupy an important place in the market. This dramatic flowering raises a number of important questions.
