In the course of the many wine tasting events I have conducted, I get confronted with this question a lot, and always from the females :"Are wines good for health?". 

One: I'm a wine merchant, and I am trying to make money selling wines... so what do you think my answer would me???!!

Two: Strange how men never bother to ask such a question?

Alcohol will always have a bad name, think liver damage, stroke, high blood pressure... all associated with excessive intake of alcohol. And then to the extreme, ALCOHOLISM, which has been reported to reduce a person's life expectancy by about 10 years.

Yet, studies are aplenty out there that point to the health BENEFITS of wines, particularly RED wines: increase HDL (good cholesterol), reduce blood clots, antioxidants, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, stall Alzheimer's disease etc. Greeks, for example, have always considered wines a part of a healthy diet since early history. And more recently, the French paradox has hypothesised the lower rate of heart disease amongst the French (as compared to the Americans and the British) to be due to their regular intake of red wines. I am no scientist and I can't vouch for the accuracy of these claims. As with all medical researches and reports, none are completely conclusive, and the debate on this topic will go on forever.

My simple answer to you is this - if you feel great after drinking wine, then it's probably good for you. My wife dislikes drinking wines, but she claims that she can sleep through the night like a baby after a tiny sip of wine at night. So I think wine is good for her. I love and enjoy drinking wines, and after a glass of wine everyday, I feel energised, satisfied and happy. So wines are good for me too. And on the other hand, if after drinking wine you get dizzy, feel hyper-ventilated, nauseous, moody or bad-tempered, or your blood-pressure rises, get hot flushes ... Then wine isn't good for you. Hahaha. 

Seriously, as with all things related to food and health, MODERATION is the key. And the moderation guideline for alcohol refers to:

- 5 oz (148ml) wines, that is roughly one glass, but I am pretty sure 2 glasses for men a day are typically fine (backed by studies of course), or

- 12 oz (355ml) beer, or

- 1.4 oz (44 ml) distilled spirits 

a day. 

And finally, with my professional instinct at play, allow me to add that 

"Experts agree that red wine is clearly the choice of drink if you are going for a light to moderate drinking for your health. A daily consumption just before, or with, an evening meal will be the most protective pattern."

And, read this:

100 Year Old Woman Says Wine is Secret to Longevity

Well then, let's salut to a healthy 2016 with a moderate glass of red wine everyday, and lots of exercise of course!