You don’t realize it’s a trap right away. It’s not until you get sucked into the wine narrative as part of the larger discussion about alcohol does the penny drop with a thud. It’s a seemingly impossible debate of observational studies, conclusions, and statistics.
There is no way to say one way or another that science has proven alcohol is safe.
Science doesn’t prove anything. It merely makes conclusions about what it observes. Anyone suggesting otherwise doesn’t understand science. And remember the statistician’s mantra: Correlation isn’t causation. It wouldn’t be ethical for scientists to conduct experiments with any possibility of adverse health outcomes to test the potential negative effects of alcohol. All we have is observational data.
However, getting into an argument about whose numbers are better than the other’s isn’t worthwhile, either. We should be talking about our ace up our sleeve, instead. Focus on what wine brings to the table.
The Social Element
Perhaps wine’s greatest value isn’t necessarily its impact on physical health but our collective mental well-being. Scientists have long recognized the need for social interactions as we age. It improves our quality of life and helps to maintain good mental health. The fact remains that wine has a social history that doesn’t exist in the same way as other alcoholic beverages or, dare I say, pot.
Our reimagined wine narrative can home in on these unique elements. Consider wine’s role in history. The ancient Egyptians appreciated wine, with it playing a dominant social, medicinal, and religious role. Likewise, the Romans embraced wine and led the charge to the modern era of wine production and consumption. Let’s not forget Pliny the Elder’s wise words on the subject: “In wine, there’s truth.”
The Catholic communion sacrament places the ultimate reverence on wine as the blood of Christ. It figured in miracles, further demonstrating its importance. Collectively, these facts speak of wine being on a different plane than other alcoholic beverages. It’s been our companion on this journey called life for roughly the last 10,000 years.
Nature’s Way
Additional evidence for a new wine narrative lies in Nature. Remember that wine can literally create itself without human intervention. Yeast existing on the berries and vines can catalyze fermentation. It’s not an accident that animals consume fermented fruit without an evident ill effect, including chimpanzees. After all, humans share 98.8% of their DNA with these primates. The evolutionary distance isn’t that far apart.
Evolution has an excellent way of getting rid of elements that don’t belong or compromise fitness. The fact that humans and other animals can consume and digest alcohol is compelling evidence. Scientists have documented fermented fruit consumption in birds, elephants, shrews, black bears, and bats.
For humans, there hardly hasn’t been a lack of pressure to change due to the ill effects of overconsumption and alcoholism. Yet, we still consume alcohol.
Risk and the Wine Narrative
Life is a risk. There is nothing you can do that doesn’t involve taking chances. Granted, some are greater than others. However, even water intoxication is possible if you drink too much H2O. That brings us to the often-quoted saying of the Father of Toxicology, Paracelsus: “The dose makes the poison.” It also makes a strong case for moderation, which wine writers embrace.
None of us gets out of this world alive. Wine is a social lubricant and has fulfilled this role through the centuries. Perhaps we can go as far as Edward Slingerland suggests about the dangers of a sober society without it. The Latin phrase, in vino veritas, doesn’t exist without a good reason.
Think about how you enjoy wine. Maybe you share a bottle with friends you’ve invited to your home. You clink glasses of sparkling wine at a wedding. You might order a special wine to celebrate a birthday or anniversary when going out to a restaurant with your significant other. They are positive experiences, enhanced with wine. And what’s wrong with indulging in something enjoyable?
The point isn’t to make a case to drink alcohol. It’s about recognizing the otherness of wine. It doesn’t exist in the same way as it does with spirits and beer. Its story has taken a different trajectory. Perhaps that’s what we enthusiasts should cultivate as our wine narrative. Let’s stand up for what it is and not what it isn’t.
Wine is part of our history. Its associations have given it a special place. For all that it has given us, we should embrace the wine narrative that aligns with its story.
