You see beer commercials all over the place. You probably even have your favorite, especially if you're a chest pounding, sports watching brute of a he-man. The only thing you really care about is getting your hands on a nice cold brew. But did you ever sit down and wonder who the top beer manufacturers actually are? Of course not. That's why you're reading what's about to follow as we reveal the top beer manufacturers in the world today.
The top five beer manufacturers have quite a few surprises, especially for those of you who are glued to your TV and see nothing but ads for Bud, Bud Light, Miller Light, Molson, Schlitz and the whole cast of characters that follow one bad B-Movie after another.
Well, would it surprise you to know that the fifth largest beer manufacturer in the world is Inbev? Who? You heard right. This worldwide company comes in at number five. They own a ton of premium brands like Beck's. Ah, yes, now you know who they are. They also manufacture a few specialty brands like Belle-Vue. Okay, so maybe you're not so familiar with that one. This company sells most of their beer in America, Europe and Asia.
Coming in at number 4 on the hit parade of brews is Scottish & Newcastle. In case you're not familiar with them, they actually make a lot of other drinks besides beer, including water, cider and even soft drinks. Talk about diversifying. Their main markets are in the United Kingdom and Europe. They export their beer to over 60 countries. Their main base of operations is in Edinburgh.
The third largest beer manufacturer in the world is one you have probably heard of. The company is Heineken. This company is literally all over the place, operating in over 170 countries in Africa, Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and even Asia. What most people don't know is that Heineken also manufactures many soft drinks and other non alcoholic beverages. The company operates out of Amsterdam and employs more than 60,000 people.
Just missing the top spot is a company by the name of Asahi. Asahi is all over the world, literally. There is hardly a county in which they don't operate. Their main beer is Asahi Super Dry. You may not have heard of it but it's the number two seller behind the company we're about to reveal. This company also makes soft drinks and nutritional supplements. And if you think beer and Japan don't go together, then you better think again because that's just where the headquarters of this giant resides.
And finally, we get to the number 1 beer manufacturer in the world and this should come as no surprise to anyone who's ever walked into a bar or just watch a little TV. The Anheuser-Busch brewery is the number 1 beer making company, not only in the United States, but all over the world. It's Budweiser brands are known by all. Even though they operate mostly in the United States, they own 50% of Mexico's leading brewer and 27% of the top brewer in China. Yes, Anheuser-Busch, or Budweiser, really IS the king of beers.
Just like it says on the commercial.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Beer
The wine regions of Austria are divided into 4 areas, called Lower Austria, Styria, Burgenland, and Vienna. Each of these regions is then further divided, for a total of 19 designated wine growing areas. To roughly get your bearings, Lower Austria encompasses the wine growing areas north and west of Vienna, with Burgenland south and east of Vienna and Styria south and west of Burgenland.
Vienna is the only national capital in the world with an economically significant wine industry within its city limits. Some 400 wine growers work the 1730 acres, producing a range of wines from great to merely drinkable, the latter being enjoyed mixed with sparkling mineral water and called G’Spritzr, which is bought in the jolly wine-gardens known as Heurige. In fact, almost all of the wine produced in the vineyards of Vienna is used to slake the thirst of the Viennese, with only very small amounts being exported. This Heurige culture dates back to the time of Charlemagne, but was officially recognized in 1784 by Emperor Josef II. Today there are about 180 licensed Heurige in Vienna, and there is nothing quite as enjoyable as a summer afternoon spent outside at a long Heurige table, drinking the local wine and tasting the local foods.
The oldest Viennese vineyards are officially documented in 1132, but the winegrowing tradition began in Vienna with the Celts, when the city was a village called Vidunia whose people planted vines on the slopes of what are now known as the Vienna Woods. A more systematic viticulture came with the Roman Empire, when the village was a military port called Vindobona. By the middle ages, vineyards were planted in every part of the city, and the winemaking culture was so important that when the Turks laid siege to the city, the Viennese held them off bravely until the Turks began burning the vineyards. That was too much to bear. They surrendered.
The region is divided roughly into two areas: the Bisamberg to the Northeast, with its loam and gravel loess, and the Kahlenberg in the northwest, with its shell limestone. It is widely accepted that the best vineyards are in the Kahlenberg, and the best of those is the Nussberg, which is planted predominantly with Riesling and Gr�ner Veltliner. The important wine districts of Vienna include Heiligenstadt (of which Nussberg is a part), Sievering, Neustift am Walde, and Grinzing. The wine districts of Bisamberg are called Stammersdorf, Strebersdorf, and Jedlersdorf.
The main grape variety grown in Vienna is Gr�ner Veltliner, but one can find Riesling, Neuburger, Traminer, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon and a few other varietals planted as well. The best wines come from the wineries Wieninger, Winzerhof, Zahel, Christ, and Weingut der Stadt Wien Cobenzl. Wieninger’s vineyards include the famous Nussberg, so a good bet would be to seek out his Gr�ner Veltliner Nussberg (2000 is a good vintage) and his Nussberg Alte Reben, which is a cuvee of a few different varietals. While it may be difficult to find these wines in your local shop, a search online will produce a few different places to purchase the great wines of Austria.
Emily Schindler is a wine importer with the Schindler Weissman Company, based in Los Angeles. To read more of her wine writing, or to find great wines from Austria, visit http://www.winemonger.com
Next time you visit the wine country, hire yourself a big limousine and follow these simple guidelines:
1. Plan your day around visiting as many wineries as possible.
2. Go to the same wineries everybody else does. After all, those are the popular wineries to go to, and they're more than ready to put a wine glass in your hand.
3. Don't listen to the tasting room staff, and be especially sure not to ask them too many questions. They're not paid enough to be knowledgeable professionals.
4. Have a strong desire to self-medicate. Start your wine tasting early in the day, and get sideways by noon.
5. Get your exercise! Walk back and forth from the limo to the tasting room, and repeat often.
Now THAT'S your kind of wine country vacation, right? Many others just like you think so, too. Aren't you glad you're not alone?
Be sure to keep the above guidelines handy, and refer to them often.
A Word to the Wise
Dear reader, as you may have guessed, the 5 guidelines above only apply to April Fools. For the rest of us who might consider ourselves to belong to the greater majority of responsible wine-loving adults, tasting wine is an experience to be savored and discussed, appreciated and remembered.
To tour a series of wineries to get a buzz is not what the wine-tasting experience is all about. Wine is food! And like the pleasure that comes from eating your favorite cuisine, wine can provide a similar allure. Food and wine, as many know, complement each other well. As with food, if you choose to taste wine, do it because you truly enjoy tasting it. But unlike food, don't go to a tasting room because you'd rather be drinking a lot of wine. Instead, stay home! But be responsible there, too.
If you would maximize your visit to the wine country, let us then provide contrast to the above guidelines and consider what will allow your wine country vacation to be a memorable experience - not just a sideways tour.
5 Ways to Maximize Your Wine-Country Experience
Call it wine country appreciation. Or, call it self-appreciation. In either case, if you would choose to truly benefit from a trip to the wine country, here now are five responsible guidelines signified by letters, instead of numbers, to differentiate from the list above.
A. Plan your day around visiting the wine country, not just its wineries.
There are a whole host of wonderful opportunities to be found in the wine regions of the world, whether you're touring the famed Bordeaux region, Oregon's Willamette Valley, or the up-and-coming Amador County area west of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. A visit to these wine regions can include a number of historical, cultural, educational, heritage, and active outdoor pursuits. Quite often, having a local guide can dramatically enhance the personal growth aspects of vacationers.
Gaining appeal with today's travelers are tours ranging from culinary education classes that take place in spectacular settings to wellness retreats that offer exercise and nutrition counseling as well as superb pampering. Or, if you desire to be more active, you can find tours that offer a few days of exploring the flora, fauna, and scenic vistas of local open spaces, then a superb meal with wine tasting. Travelers are increasingly booking such tours, and they are trending heavily toward booking them online on a myriad of tour and travel websites.
B. To properly enjoy your wine-touring experience, choose your winery destination carefully.
Visitors are often drawn to the popular wineries that are located alongside the wine country's main arterial routes; for instance, Highway 29 in the Napa Valley. And yet those are the areas in which you'll find the greater share of vehicle traffic, especially during the summer tourist season. Of course, the traffic isn't just cars, limousines, and tour buses. After you get off the bus or out of your car and into the winery, you'll often wait in long lines of human traffic just to taste a wine or two. Ironically, this can defeat the purpose of Guideline A.
Many wineries and lodging operations offer better service and better vacation deals for your dollar during off-peak seasons. As a result, you'll find that you get to linger longer at a restaurant or have a conversation with a winemaker that goes beyond the merely casual. Having the time to relax and not compete with other tourists on your vacation can dramatically augment not only your sense of well-being, but also your wine knowledge and your social network.
In addition, there are many family-owned wineries that are real treasures. It's easy to overlook them, but once you make the effort to seek them out, you'll often be rewarded with an experience that will have you telling your friends about them. You may even find the winegrower getting off his tractor to take you for an impromptu tour of his vineyard or winery operation. Of course, he might have you consider purchasing a case of his wines for his trouble. But then, you may also find that you're not paying nearly the premium that you'll pay at the more popular wineries along the main wine roads.
C. The tasting room staff earn their pay, and they do it out of passion. Let them guide you.
The wineries aren't in business to attract more tourists. They're in business because they have a clear understanding of the needs of their customers. If you're not the world's greatest wine expert, don't worry! You're among friends. Learning is why you traveled to the wine country in the first place, and winemakers and their staff love to talk about what they do. Listen, and ask questions. If you should visit more than one winery, ask the same questions. You'll enhance your understanding by the answers you'll hear, and what's more, you'll be delighted that you asked.
D. Be fully aware of your experience. Participate in it, and find yourself enchanted by it. Don't desensitize yourself to the magic of the wine country.
'The advantages of wine touring are beautiful scenery and a new learning experience. The disadvantages are that there's not enough wine.'
This author has actually read the above statement in a review by a supposedly-serious wine expert. I've heard similar quips from the lips of the not-so-pleasantly plowed. While I might agree with the 'advantage' half of that statement, the desired outcome of your wine tour should be a quality experience, not a quantity experience. Wine touring is not meant to be a dormitory-style competition.
Therefore, pace yourself. Pour the wine you no longer want into the proper receptacle, usually a spit bucket. Spit the wine into the bucket if necessary - it's perfectly acceptable within the context of tasting wine. But nobody likes a drunken tourist - not the winery staff, not the patrons, and especially not the wine country police.
E. To properly enjoy the wine country, get out of the land yacht and explore your surroundings.
Bring your hiking shoes with you, and find a local trail. Or, if you prefer to connect to your new surroundings on a deeper level, hire a guide. The reasons that grapes do so well in the wine country are often the same reasons why most areas surrounding the wine regions of the world offer a number of marvelous outdoor experiences. You'll find that a walk in the redwoods, an expansive mountaintop view, a remote meadow full of wildflowers, or a glimpse of a bobcat on the trail can heighten your wine country experience in sensational ways.
Plus, the exercise and the fresh air you'll get from your outdoor excursion will build your anticipation of those fine meals and exquisite wines that you came to the wine country for. They are the reward for your physical efforts, they balance your intrinsic desire for deeper understanding, and they make your vacation complete.
Copyright 2006 California Wine Hikes
Russ Beebe is an experienced wine taster and hiking guide who leads naturalist tours in the California wine country. Discover how you can enjoy the quintessential California experience at californiawinehikes.com.
When I think of Hungary, I don't think of wine. I think of architecture, goulash, folklore, and a country that isn't very good at picking sides when it comes to world wars. Occasionally, I think of people named Helga. But, I don't really think of wine, at least not until now…
Despite my ignorance, Hungary maintains more tradition regarding wine than any other country in the Eastern side of Europe. However, most of this tradition, after being walled in from 1949-1989 by communist rule, is recently just coming to light and people are finally starting to hear through the grape vine great things about Hungarian wine.
Hungary, a landlocked country with forests, vineyards, rivers and orchards, is home to 22 wine regions, with the most prestigious one called Tokaj-Hegyalja. Boasting a number of different grape varieties, vineyards have flourished here since Roman Times. The climate, one that adheres to seasonal rules with hot summers and cold winters, allows for the country's soils to be diverse, leading to the variety of regions and a variety of wine.
The wines of Hungary come in all types and, despite previous communist control, are not limited to just reds. Though the vineyards of Hungary produce a variety of wonderful wines - Balatonlellei Cabernet Sauvignon, Tokaji Furmint, Tokaji Muscat - the one that is their claim to fame, the one they raise their glass to most often, is the Tokay Aszu.
The Tokay Aszu, whether accompanying a side of tiramisu or a pack of Twinkies, is one of the leading dessert wines in the world. Historically, it was discovered in the mid 17th Century and was soon filling the goblets of many European aristocrats. Certain types of it were even rumored to have magical healing powers.
Another famous Hungarian wine is the Egri Bikaver, also known as Bull's Blood. As legend goes, the name from this wine was derived during a 16th century battle between the Magyars (the modern day Hungarians) and the Turks. During the battle, in which the Magyars were protecting the fortress of Eger, the Magyars fought like lions and drank red wine like fish. While their arrows may have been a tad off target, their orders slightly slurred, and the bathroom line inside the fortress longer than usual, the red wine did the trick. When the Turks saw the Magyars with beards covered in red, they assumed the enemy was drinking bull's blood, and the Turks quickly retreated.
The best wineries to visit, if you ever find yourself in Hungary, are those in Tokay, which is located in the northeast, about three hours by train from Budapest. The wineries are usually open for tastings and tours of the underground cellars from May through October.
Overall, the wine in Hungary is a good thing to have by the glass, the bottle, or the case. Having been perfected over centuries, it gives connoisseurs something to study, something to order, and something to drink. And, of course, it keeps Hungary, as a nation, thirsty.
Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.
