The "Sideways" effect - Slate examines how wine has supplanted beer as the alcohol of choice for drinking Americans. I made the switch a couple of years ago for the following reasons: 1.) as alcohol goes, wine is a healthier alternative, 2.) beer drinking is open-ended since you can always have "just one more" but wine (for me) is one and done, 3a.) I hate paying a deposit on empties and 3b.) taking them back for my nickel.