Wine – To Drink Or Not (Opinion)

By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR

In recent weeks you have probably joined most adults in re-assessing your wine consumption. In light of the recent reports from the Surgeon General that any amount of alcohol is bad, you may be among the 49 percent of adults who are cutting back consumption and looking for alternative beverages.

Far be it from us – wine writers who promote consumption — to say health experts are wrong, but we’re here to tell you we’re not giving up on wine. And if you’re healthy and conscientious about how much you drink, you may choose not to give up either.

It wasn’t long ago that we were celebrating the news that wine is good for the heart and hearing about people who live long lives after consuming a daily dose of wine. Researchers tried to debunk that finding, but for years found no evidence to suggest wine consumed in moderation curtailed life. Just last year the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of death than not drinking at all.

All those researchers who painstakingly examined drinkers were full of it, if new studies are to be believed. Even one glass of wine a day for women and two for men could put one in the grave years before the abstainer. The Surgeon General concludes that any amount of alcohol can cause a greater risk of seven types of cancer, including liver, esophagus, mouth and breast.

Alcohol is the third-leading cause of preventable cancer in the United States, so one can’t easily brush off the risk. But we don’t know how many of those in the study who died from alcohol were obese, didn’t exercise, or had other conditions that contributed to their demise. They were, however, admittedly heavy drinkers.

The report reveals the majority of those who died drank more than a couple of glasses of wine a day.  It makes no distinction between wine and liquor, thus debunking the theory that wine is better for you than, say, bourbon or beer. Cue up the old advertisements that said a particular brand of cigarette was better for your health.

However, there is more to wine than alcohol. No other alcoholic beverage is more associated with fine food unless you count a beer alongside a slab of ribs as a healthy meal. You may have a glass while you’re in the kitchen preparing a great meal or you may mull your choices when choosing a wine that will best complement the meal. Bourbon or scotch drinkers don’t share that culinary experience. That doesn’t make wine better for your health, but wine is about the food experience and not just a means to get a buzz. It is not an experience we’re ready to give up because the risk is too high.

We had coffee recently with Brian Talley, president and CEO of Talley Vineyards. He’s a third-generation farmer in a family that has roots in the Arroyo Grande region. His family has been growing vegetables since 1948 and grapes since 1982.  Brian recognizes that his wine customers are growing more health conscious about wine, but he asks them to measure the risk alongside the other risks they take every day.

He was in Naples – his largest market in Florida – when he had coffee with Tom. He said, “I got on a plane and in a rental car. There’s a risk all around. Should I not travel?”

We were thinking about this as we read a story that the average human brain contains about a spoonful of microplastics, none of which came from wine but instead from bottled water. They are also in your liver, kidney and other organs. We breathe them, eat them, drink them. Are you going to stop drinking or eating because of the risk of consuming microplastics?  Sugar drinks such as soda cause obesity and lead to more than 125,000 deaths a year compared to the 3,437 deaths attributed to alcohol in the Surgeon General’s report. Are you giving up your wine but not your Coke or Monster energy drink?

We have friends who consume gummies laced with cannabis because they think it is safer than alcohol. Really? We understand the risks associated with alcohol, but cannabis and THC haven’t been studied long enough to know their health risk. Still, do you really think there is no health risk to consuming THC regularly? Already there is evidence it produces psychotic reactions and increased heart rate.

We are admittedly prejudiced about wine consumption. A doctor will be a better judge of what’s good for your health and he’s the one to whom you should listen. But our point is that all consumption comes with risk. Pick your poison: soda, cannabis, fast food, chocolate, donuts, red meat, farm-raised salmon, processed salami or whatever else we’ve been advised to avoid. We choose wine – in moderation, occasionally and alongside good food and friends.

(If you choose to abstain, here’s to your health. Next week we have a column about non-alcoholic wines).

Wine picks

Alma de Cattleya Rosé of Pinot Noir 2024 ($25). This rosé from Sonoma County remains one of our favorites year after year. It has good acidity and ample raspberry and watermelon notes.

Brassfield Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($22). This wine blew people away at a party where lots of wines were poured. More round than your typical tart sauvignon blanc, it had bold citrus flavors dominated by grapefruit, pineapple and lime. Beautifully textured, it begs for a second glass.

Ixsir El Ixsir Red Wine Batroun District Lebanon 2018 ($50). A wonderful red wine blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot. Plum, cassis notes, and mild tannins in a very complete style that blends style elements of Europe and California. Very appealing.