By Brad Gibson
Welcome to VinoView. I’ve been interested in wine for about 20 years and I’ve learned about wine the easy way – by drinking it! The goal of VinoView is to increase your knowledge, and thus, your enjoyment of wine.
Wine has a rich history dating back to 6000 BC and wine with meals has long been considered part of a life well lived. In many cultures, wine has traditionally helped mark special occasions, holidays and celebrations. Most weddings feature a bride and groom sharing a champagne toast. Along with being an enjoyable part of everyday life; wine has many other benefits.
In a non-scientific sense, wine can smooth out the bumps that come with life’s daily stresses, and it contributes to the sense of well being that comes from a pleasant meal with friends or family. Scientifically, each week seems to bring new evidence that wine is also good for your health. Moderate drinkers (about 2 glasses for men and one for women) tend to live longer and healthier lives.
“60 Minutes” first brought this to the public consciousness in their 1992 segment titled, “The French Paradox”, which concluded that daily wine consumption was how the French population lived longer despite a diet much higher in fat than ours. More recent studies have shown that moderate wine consumption can benefit the heart, delay dementia, prevent arthritis, head off the common cold, keep the flu away, lower diabetes risk, and reduce throat cancer risk. As always you must ultimately be your own advocate. You should consult your physician before embarking on any new lifestyle regimen but most evidence suggests that wine drinking, in moderation, goes hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle.
We are very fortunate to live in the midst of wine leaders and California wine pioneers as well as being very close to so many high quality wine regions. In Modesto, and in all of California, wine is already a part of our everyday live’s and an integral part of our economy. In 2010, for the first time ever, the United States led the world in wine consumption. So Cheers, Salud, Prost, Salve, Salute; to your health.
