Yes, I recognize the irony of writing about beer and wine stories the day after I wrote about sobriety stories.

Beer and wine companies are using storytelling in their marketing.

In fact, Matt Kramer writes in Wine Spectator that narrative is the most important word in wine today. “This business of narrative is vital, and never more so than today,” Kramer writes. “In terms of wine, the reason is as simple as it is stark: The wine world hasn’t merely changed, it’s exploded.” Further:

Bottom line: It’s no longer enough to say that your wine comes from “somewhere.” You’ve got to say more, and better. The idea of “narrative” is not simply a story but, rather, a story that sticks, that has resonance and allows its recipient to see the world differently. Think of French Champagne as an example. You see the world differently through a glass of Champagne. Somehow it, well, sparkles. It’s not the wine; it’s the narrative.

Bordeaux, he says, isn’t doing well “because of an inability to convey a compelling narrative that resonates with a modern audience.” On the flip side, though, burgundy “enraptures people, as its narrative is far more than just Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.” Wines from Argentina, Australia, Hungary, Greece, Portugal, South Africa, Chile, and New Zealand will have to acquire narratives, Kramer asserts.

You’ll also find lots of interesting comments to Kramer’s post.

Meanwhile Scott Nicholson extols the value of storytelling in beer marketing. Writing that storytelling “allows an audience to see beyond what is being sold, or the service being provided, and creates an opportunity to reach a consumer on a deeper level while adding personality and character to the brand, big or small,” Nicholson cites several beer brands as great examples of how storytelling can be used in brand building.

The most literal example is Just Beer’s “Case of the IPA” series [pictured], Nicholson writes. “To capture the attention of their consumers, the brewery teamed up with an author to create a detective/mystery story. The twelve chapter fictional piece is printed right on the labels of the 22 oz bottles, one chapter per beer.” Nicholson goes on:

This is an innovative way to narrate a story around a product, one that the reader (drinker) can delve deeper into as they go through the case of beer while trying to solve the mystery. Enjoying the beer while reading the story is a unique experience you cant get anywhere else.

The other examples Nicholson cites are true (more or less) origin stories about the people and places behind the brands.

I offer a (non-alcoholic) toast to beer and wine stories.