New papers from the Wine Economists? Do we seek solace in alcohol or is it the other way around?

The Association of American Wine Economists has published two new intriguing papers. The first is about the development of economic thinking and viticulture. The second is on a more unexpected subject: it is a study on the correlation between monogamy and alcohol consumption. It turns out that in societies that move from polygamy to monogamy alcohol consumption apparently goes up. Is there a link between the two? The papers can be found here:

• The Role of Viticulture and Enology in the Development of Economic Thought
• Women or Wine? Monogamy and Alcohol

There’s also a post on the monogamy and drinks issue on Freakonomics: "Do We Drink Because We’re Monogamous, or Are We Monogamous Because We Drink?"