Why wine is good for you

There are drinks which intoxicate, and drinks which revive. There are factory mass-produced ‘beverages’ whose only story is that of the global brand power of American conglomerates. And then there is wine.

Any drink which combines a warming rosy satiated glow with the romance of a particular sunlit hillside in rural France has my vote. Even though wine is produced and consumed on an industrial scale world-wide, there is still, amongst all drinks, together with perhaps a golden Scotch Whisky, a uniquely vital connection with place which makes drinking a glass of wine so much more than just quenching your thirst.

Knowing the origin of a thing creates meaning. That meaning illuminates our connectedness, one to another, country to country, person to person. That New World wine with the punning name — that was, more often than not, christened by an individual, extrovert, wine-maker. A person with whom you could have a conversation, and ask what the real joke was. That French village name, in antique script on the label, is a geographical place you can visit, and taste more of the delicious wine, while walking the vineyards themselves.

So let’s share more of the food and wine that connects us with the world around us. Drink local. While drinking, read the stories of the people who made your wine. Be merry and warmed not just with the people around your table, but with the people across the world who tended the vines, and prepared the drink which you’re now enjoying. They would raise a glass back to you, and a toast to our common humanity is something we could all cheer.