Yes, we are all doomed to die. But wine won’t do us in.

Hello friends,

Today's topic is the non-alcoholic movement that is happening around the world. I know it is a contraversial subject and I believe it must be left to health professionals to discuss. I was hesitant to write my thoughts on this subject for; a. I am not one of them b. I might be biased since I am an alcoholic beverage producer. I wrote and deleted a few attempted newsletters on this subject, but I cannot get through this if I do not share what is in my brain&hearth.

I came to Canada from Anatolia (modern day Turkiye), a Mediterranean region which was home to the invention of many foods&drinks. Wine has beeen made and drank in Anatolia for more than 8,000 years. Later wine moved to the western world by Greek traders and Roman Empire so wine has been made and drunk in Europe in the last 2,000 years. During these times and still in most of the Mediterranean, wine has been an irreplacable part of their diet. For example the Hittites of Anatolia around 1500 BC was the main grower of wine, they were declaring thruce with enemies during grape harvest so everyone including their enemies harvested grapes and made wine and then return to the battlefields. Each member of  Roman Empire's urban population (man, woman or child) consumed half a liter of undiluted wine daily. They generaly mixed water to the wine to make it one liter a day.
 
According to this article on National Library of Medicine ; "The Mediterranean diet originates in the food cultures of ancient civilizations which developed around the Mediterranean Basin and is based on the regular consumption of olive oil (as the main source of added fat), plant foods (cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, tree nuts, and seeds), the moderate consumption of fish, seafood, and dairy, and low-to-moderate alcohol (mostly red wine) intake, balanced by a comparatively limited use of red meat and other meat products." One thing almost everyone agrees the Mediterranean diet is the healtiest diet available to us.

In 1991, Hosted by Morley Safer, a 60 Minutes segment titled ‘French Paradox’ attempted to solve the mystery regarding French and American diets – and the odd results these contrasting diets had on the health of each nation.  The former, which consumed such rich delicacies as foie gras, duck, black pudding, and forty pounds of cheese annually per person, remarkably resulted in less cases of heart disease than the latter.  And yet, despite the fact that Americans exercised more regularly than their French counterparts, how could the average Parisian be in better health than the average New Yorker? And right after this red wine consumption in North America jumped by 40%. His findings were not based on scientific research but simple observations and statistics.
The French Paradox
Over the years these findings were attacked by many. But in January 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) dropped a bombshell- they announced there was "no safe level" on alcohol consumption. According to this very well investigated article by Felicity Carter "For the past five years, the WHO has been treating light alcohol consumption as a grave public health emergency. It seems a surprising priority for the world's premier health organization-until a closer read of their policy documents reveals who they are working with: Temperance groups, which have now found a way to introduce abstinence policies into the global health arena."

On a more recent article by Katherine Cole, she concludes "Yes, we are all doomed to die. But wine won’t do us in." WHO claims alcohol consumption leads to cancers but fails to mention only 4% of cancers are attributed to alcohol.

If you have time I suggest you read these two wonderfully written articles to make up your mind on wine drinking. For myself I will continue to make Organically grown and made wine from our Niagara-on-the-Lake vineyard will enjoy a glass or two fine wine.

Stay well
Adnan Icel
Owner&Winemaker
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