WHEN IT COMES TO WINE THE ONLY RULE IS COMMON SENSE, ASSOCIATING IT TO ONLY ALCOHOL, AND OF COURSE WHEN YOU DRINK IT. THIS WAS THE SIMPLE REFLECTION ON A COMPLEX THEME AT THE UIV ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION, “ALCOHOL, REASON AND FEELING”

When it comes to wine, the only rule is common sense, when it is associated (wrongly) with alcohol and of course, when you drink it. This simple reflection, on a very complex subject emerged from the contributions of nutritionists, alcohol experts, doctors and politicians in the round table discussion, "Alcohol, reason and feeling", held at the Ministry of Agriculture, promoted by the Italian Wines Union (UIV). “We wine producers do not want to hide behind the risks that alcohol abuse implies”, said Sandro Sartor, chairman of the UIV discussion, "Wine and Health", “rather we want to be involved in this battle, promoting reflection like this discussion, pushing for correct information also about wine culture to consumers and so on. But we do not be compared to producers of dangerous substances”.

“Because this also means degrading and squashing the work of many producers that are protecting an historical, social and economic wealth of Italy that makes our country attractive to the world and is the driving force in exports of many other agribusiness products”, echoes the President of the UIV, Domenico Zonin. The most obvious answer to the age-old question, “is wine good or bad?” would be, "it depends".
In reality, it is the perspective that is wrong, “because wine is a "liquid food" like oil and milk and is primarily composed of water and other nutrients and then partially also alcohol, and that is how the question should be approached”, said the renowned nutritionist, Giorgio Calabrese. “We have only two things to say clearly: no to administering alcohol, in any form, to the under 17, because until then they do not have the enzymes to metabolize it and, never drink without eating”.

“Oil and wine are the foundation of the Mediterranean diet”, added Laura Di Renzo, specialist in Food Science and professor at the University of Tor Vergata, “and should be considered "nutraceuticals ", like food. There are some alcohol risks in wine, in particular ethanol, which clearly can be mitigated by moderate consumption, but that there are many positive nutritional components, like polyphenols and many others and these should be studied in depth, to understand how they interact with each person’s body through tailor made food studies”.

In any case, the fact that wine (and alcohol in general) should not be regarded as absolutely harmful substances, is confirmed also in medicine, explained the alcohologist, Marco Faccini.
"Alcoholic beverages, in this case wine, are dangerous, but there is a wide range between damage to health and consumption for pleasure that is relatively safe for one’s health. The medical world does not articulate words in favor of alcohol, but merely indicates the levels of risk associated with the amount ingested and other individual variables. This approach to alcohol is different than other psychoactive substances (including tobacco). The social and cultural context of wine that is consumed daily in Italy, signifies that the majority of Italians have a healthy and pleasant relationship with wine. Drinking in moderation is part of the Italian tradition and the context, more than in other countries, making a dialogue on alcohol possible, taking into account the problems that it creates but also trying to limit them in a pragmatic and not prohibitionist manner”.

The role of the family in this regard is essential”, explained Michele Contel, Secretary General of the Permanent Observatory on Youth and Alcohol. "Young people usually start drinking wine around 17, then move on to hard liquor, often abusing it, and then around 25 return to what we call normal consumption of wine. We have noticed that "early alcohol education" in the family is very helpful: to be in contact not only with the beverage wine, but also with its values, from an early age, in a controlled environment like the family”.

From an anthropological point of view, even abuse, in some way, may serve "to reaffirm the value of the norm, as in every civilization that has adopted wine consumption, normalizing moderate consumption as well as exceptional exaggeration, in contexts that limit the risks, like the Bacchanalia,” said the anthropologist Ernesto Renzo, emphasizing how wine, on the other hand, is the only product containing alcohol that also has a metaphorical, divine and mystical meaning, in many cultures”.
"Wine is part of our culture, and lawmakers must take into account its history and its healthy and nutritional elements, remembering that a moderate and healthy diet is synonymous with the Mediterranean populations. Life styles as well as products have changed, and we must reflect on this”, added the deputy minister of Agriculture, Andrea Olivero.

As Massimiliano Dona, Secretary of the National Consumers, said, “The alcohol abuse battle cannot be fought with the IRS, but rather through cultural education”.