Since yesterday was Ash Wednesday, I hope wine wasn’t something you gave up for Lent. February 18 — every year — is National Drink Wine Day. Not that you necessarily need an excuse to drink wine, but why pass up a national holiday that seems to encourage you do so?
Wine has been a staple in human culture since its invention around 7000 BC. Some ancient societies enjoyed their wine so much they even worshipped it.
Evidence of ancient wine production has been found in China, the Middle East, and Greece — so it appears that many different cultures discovered the process about the same time. The oldest known winery was found in a cave in Armenia and it’s over 4,000 years old. Barrels of wine have been found in the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs, and the Ancient Greeks used wine in secret religious ceremonies.
I did some extensive research and discovered a survey taken to determine how Americans thought about wine and the way they drink it. I’m not sure what they mean, but here’s some of the results:
Red wine is America’s favorite, preferred by 42% of those surveyed.
16% of American’s don’t know anything about the different types of wine.
Less than 10% drink 5+ glasses of wine in one sitting.
74% of Americans agree that 2 glasses of wine is about the right amount
9% have slapped a bag of wine (?????)
3% judge people who drink rosé.
9% say wine gives them the worst hangovers.
3% always cry when they drink wine (?????)
37% have finished a bottle of wine by themselves
9% always buy boxed wine because it is cheap.
42% think a $10 bottle is a nice bottle of wine.
24% think a $15 bottle of wine is a splurge.
Wine is complex — there are more organic compounds in a glass of wine than in your blood. Wine is also good for you — the tannins found in red wine are a powerful antioxidant and have been shown to lower blood pressure and risk of strokes, diabetes, and heart disease.
Due to their chemical makeup, white wines taste better slightly chilled, whereas reds are better at room temperature.
Prince Charles owns an Aston Martin powered by wine-based biofuel.
Wine affects men and women differently — due to a difference in stomach enzymes, women are more susceptible to the intoxicating effects of wine.
So, enough talking…. some years ago, Carlo Rossi had some wine commercials on TV in which he always said, “I like to talk about wine, but I’d rather drink it!”
Good advice — Happy National Drink Wine Day.
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