“Wine is not an alcoholic beverage, it is much more than that. And this must be stated more strongly

Wine is not alcohol. It does contain alcohol, of course, but only a minority of it, and it is not correct, in our opinion, to consider it an alcoholic beverage like any other. This is an issue that is always topical, but which has been brought back into the limelight by the debate not so much on the European Union Commission’s “Beating Cancer Plan” as such, the ultimate goal of which, that of defeating cancer, is obviously shared by all and sacrosanct. But rather on some of its passages - especially where there is no longer a distinction between abuse and correct consumption - and on the harmful effects that it risks having on wine, not so much in terms of consumption as of promotion and communication.
A relation which, many say, “is unacceptable”, while others call it a “very serious political act”. In any case, it seems clear that emphasizing the difference between abuse and correct consumption, as many have rightly done, is perhaps no longer enough. “And today more than ever”, stresses WineNews director Alessandro Regoli, “we need to demand recognition not only of the cultural and historical value, but also of the intrinsic value of wine. In which the alcohol originates according to an absolutely natural process, which has been repeated unchanged for over twelve thousand years by yeasts. Alcohol in wine has a noble origin, it is not the result of enrichment or a distillation process. And only in wine, as a wealth of scientific studies tells us, alcohol is also linked to components that can be beneficial to health. Wine is not an alcoholic beverage, it is not a beverage, it is not a drink. It is history, it is culture, it is research, it is often a key element in the economy, society and landscape of entire territories, in Italy and beyond. The time has come (and we are very late) to see the difference with the rest of the alcoholic beverages recognized and affirmed. What is needed is courage and unity in the category of wine producers, both Italian and otherwise, and perhaps a super partes and multidisciplinary organization that supports and works solely on this reasoning. This could be a good resolution for the coming year, and a wish for serenity and prosperity for wine, for those who love and respect it, and for this entire sector, which has a far greater role and importance than it is given credit for. Always remembering, however, the fundamental difference between correct consumption and abuse”.