[Good] Wine Improves Most Everything

Music.

Have you ever listened to the same song before and after wine? Why do you realize the profound nature of “Achy Breaky Heart” after two glasses of wine? A song’s emotions can mingle with wine’s ability to make you happy, sad, nostalgic, and creative, and the music improves.  

People

With wine, the good company gets better, and the bad company gets better; you cannot lose. Wine allows for bores at parties: when someone starts to babble on, you can say, “Be right back; I need another glass of this.”

Wine is for sharing.

The famous wine quote around Champagne, “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars,” implies the shared experience of something alluring and delicious. It brings people together—even board games with wine are great!  

Dancing

Professor of neuro-psycho-pharmacology David Nutt conducted a study at Imperial College London that recorded the number of drinks consumed by people playing an Xbox dancing game that measures the accuracy of mimicking dance moves. The Xbox scores showed the non-drinking average score of 4400 points; when all 55 participants were six drinks deep, the score rose to 6200! The study at Imperial College London concluded that alcohol takes away social anxiety, and one bottle, about six drinks, significantly improved dancing quality. Still, after more than six drinks, things went south quickly.

Emotions

Alcohol.org surveyed over 1,000 people in the U.S. to understand how alcohol makes them feel. Wine makes men and women happy, sad, nostalgic, and creative, depending on their moods. With its unique properties, I conclude wine is superior to other forms of alcohol, allowing feelings to surface and expressiveness to flourish. Also, wine’s alcohol triggers the release of endorphins, chemicals that produce a feel-good response of pleasure in some brain regions.  

Sharing

I’ve seen this in action. The Urban Dictionary defines wine-cry as a noun meaning exaggerated emotive sobbing after three or more glasses of wine over any subject, including lost love, wasted youth, an unrequited crush, family dysfunction, or any topic covered on the Lifetime network. Example: “I don’t know what happened. One minute we’re talking about our outfits, and the next minute she’s wine-crying over that loser she used to date.” from Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Food

Food is better with wine, say no more.

Lifestyle

As it is referred to, the French paradox is based on data from the French population, showing that they have fewer heart and vascular issues than Americans while eating more fat. This was initially attributed to red wine consumption. It’s now understood that red wine’s alcohol and better fat types, naturally saturated fats, are probably the beneficial factors responsible for the French Paradox. Like the French diet, the healthful Mediterranean Diet includes red wine in moderation. Other components of Mediterranean countries’ diet must be considered: wine consumption slows down food intake, small portions are more enjoyable, and sitting down and eating mindfully increases the pleasure of eating less with satisfaction.  

Health is better with wine

Mineral salts are naturally occurring inorganic substances that are extracted from below the ground surface. Picked up by the vines’ roots as they extend deep into the soil for moisture. Wine contains mineral salts: potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu). The most abundant is potassium, a key mineral that the body relies on heavily to function properly and helps lower blood pressure by balancing out the adverse effects of salt.

Health – Resveratrol

Studies show high doses of resveratrol have been linked to longevity and cancer prevention. You may already consume a fair amount of resveratrol since it’s found in peanuts, pistachios, grapes, red and white wine, blueberries, cranberries, cocoa, and dark chocolate. These plants make resveratrol to fight fungal infection, ultraviolet radiation, stress, and injury. Wines, particularly red wines, are a source of resveratrol.  

 Health – Polyphenols

Certain plant-based foods contain micronutrients called polyphenols, which are loaded with healthful antioxidants. Polyphenols are believed to improve digestive issues, weight management challenges, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and heart / vascular diseases.

Research suggests that red wine polyphenols may reduce malondialdehyde levels, a marker of lipid peroxidation, which can contribute to the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and the development of arteriosclerosis. This antioxidant effect may help mitigate cardiovascular risk, particularly with moderate consumption.

Sources and Evidence

• Studies, such as those published in journals like Antioxidants and Circulation Research, have explored the role of polyphenols in reducing oxidative stress and protecting against cardiovascular disease. For example, a 2019 review in Molecules highlighted the antioxidant effects of resveratrol in reducing MDA and oxidized LDL.
• Though causality is debated, the “French Paradox” and related epidemiological studies (e.g., The Lancet, 1992) link moderate red wine consumption to lower cardiovascular risk.

Pass it on – wine improves almost everything.