I’d hate to give up wine
By Frank Whitman
A couple weeks ago I read an article in the New York Times asserting that drinking alcohol is bad for your health. Author Susan Dominus referenced several recent well-credited studies that concluded, “no amount of alcohol improves health.” She went on to say that even a modest drink or two have a negative impact on heart health and accelerate aging.
Shocking!
After decades of being assured by the French paradox, that wine, particularly red wine, is as heart healthy as it gets, the news was surprising. The long-lived Greeks also count wine along with olive oil and yogurt as the key to extending years. Has all this accumulated wisdom been debunked? What about the acclaimed benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which includes moderate amounts of wine?
Wine is the source of most of the alcohol I ingest. I’d hate to give it up.
Of course, drinking can be excessive. It’s possible to abuse almost anything: exercise, lack of exercise, eating, drinking, desserts, steaks, you name it. But it seems to me that the world is full of more urgent risks than alcohol. More that 43,000 die annually from auto accidents in the US. That’s pretty risky. More than 230,000 die from household accidents – watch out getting out of the bathtub!
Sooner or later, old age claims us all. But just think about how life expectancy has grown over time. Average lifetimes in the US run about 75 years these days. A hundred years ago it was around 60 years – we’re making progress. Life expectancy was only 30 to 35 years when the Apostle Paul told Timothy to, “take a little wine for thy digestion.”
In fact, fermented beverages – wine, beer and spirits – have been around for more that 11,000 years and were often the safest things to drink. When water carried disease, fermentation saved the day.Wine, for me, is much more than a drink with alcohol, although the buzz adds a unique dimension. It’s a window into another place as well as an introduction into a new culture. All this with a bounty of fascinating flavors to explore.
Wines come in three broad categories. There’s mass market wines from large producers who have developed recognizable brands usually priced under $20 – the wines seen in supermarkets and drugstores around the country (except in Connecticut). Pricy, collectable cult wines are at the top of the market, costing way more than I like to spend. These are connoisseurs’ darlings or just prestige in a bottle, or so I hear.
The third category, where my interest lies, has been growing in recent years. These are hand-crafted wines from around the world. Made by small producers, they have distinctive flavor and interesting stories. With a little searching and the help of a good merchant, there are plenty at $20 plus or minus. Often they’re from unfamiliar regions or new-to-me grapes, but that’s part of the fun.
When the story came out about the health hazards of alcohol, New York Times wine columnist Eric Asimov came to the defense of his favorite beverage. He said, “Good wine transports as it refreshes. It’s an invitation to visit other cultures and worlds, to learn about history and geology, agriculture and environmentalism. Aged wine offers a journey through time. It can be a gateway to philosophy and to contemplation.” I couldn’t agree more.
The other night I enjoyed a wine from Georgia, the country not the state. I was prompted to try the DILA-O by the presence of Cheese and Bread, a new Georgian restaurant in South Norwalk (more about that soon) and by the recommendation of a wine merchant I trust. Made from the Saperavi grape, the wine is fermented underground in large clay jars (to keep a cool consistent temperature, I’ll bet) in an 8000 year old tradition. An intriguing description of the flavors – cherry, berry and tannins like the most popular reds — from the back label and a low-risk price of $19 sealed the deal. It more than lived up to its flavor promise, invited me to learn more about Georgia, and stepped up my desire to try the new restaurant.
The same eclectic wine store suggested a bottle of Eminence Road Farm Winery Cabernet Franc ($23). This small seat-of-the-pants Catskill region winery practices low-intervention winemaking using Finger Lakes grapes from a sustainably farmed vineyard overlooking Seneca Lake. The earthy flavor and brisk acidity was set off by Burgundy-like clarity (despite being unfiltered) and low alcohol (10.7%). Lightly chilled, on a warm summer evening, it was a wine experience with a strong connection to place and people.
All that from bottles of wine! It seems worth the risk to me.
Hear! Hear!
The idea of living life without sharing good wine and food with friends and family seems entirely unappealing to me. Drink in moderation, but sip well-crafted wines from small-producers, mainly made like my grandfather made wine, but better :)–that’s my mantra.