"It takes a lot of beer to make good wine"

“It takes a lot of beer to make good wine” is a popular saying in California’s Napa Valley wine region. After a hot day in the field, workers usually want cold beers.

“‘It takes a lot of beer to make good wine’ is the saying of workmen in the wineries in the 90 degree weather of the Napa Valley” was cited in print in 1983.

Google Books
The New Brewer
1983
Pg. 94:
“It takes a lot of beer to make good wine” is the saying of workmen in the wineries in the 90 degree weather of the Napa Valley!

Google Books
California Brewin’
By Jack Erickson
Reston, VA: RedBrick Press
1993
Pg. 2:
Here in California, up in the wine country, the winemakers like to say “it takes a lot of beer to make good wine.” They mean that the harvest is a hot and exhausting time, and that they could never survive to the end of the long crushing season without a lot of good cold beers to bring refreshing relief.

2 April 1995, Gazette Telegraph (Colorado Springs, CO), “Brew/California was on the leading edge,” pg. D11, col. 5:
So when asked why he built a brewpub instead of a winery, Rogers replied, “It takes a lot of been to make good wine.”

Google Books
The Food Lover’s Companion to the Napa Valley:
Where to Eat, Cook, and Shop in the Wine Country, Plus 50 Irresistible Recipes
By Lori Lyn Narlock
San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books
2003
Pg. 36:
“It lakes a lot of beer to make good wine,” the favorite motto of many of the Valley’s wine makers, is a sentiment that clearly reflects the quality and taste of the beers made here. Beer has long been a popular beverage in Napa Valley,

Dan’s Papers (The Hamptons, NY)
It Takes a Lot of Beer to Make a Good Wine
August 5, 2013 by Lenn Thompson
There is a saying in the wine industry that “It takes a lot of beer to make good wine.” Vineyard and winery crews work hard. And at the end of a long day in the field or in the cellar, many turn to beer rather than wine to quench their thirst.

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TheRanchWinery‏
@TheRanchWinery
The age old adage that ‘it takes a lot of beer to make good wine’ is especially true this weekend! Who’s headed… http://fb.me/20fJDRqqD
4:42 PM - 23 Aug 13