There are so many (biased) articles that are being put out today about how wine is healthy for you that I felt the strong need to write an article about what the truth really is. While you may think that because I review and enjoy wine I am going to argue that it is good and healthy for you, nothing could be further from the truth. I am actually going into this with the belief that wine is not healthy for anyone as it contains alcohol and alcohol is a poison. Keep in mind here folks as you read this that I have no skin in the wine game as I do not get paid by anyone in any industry (including the hospitality industry) that is related to, affiliated with or, dependent on alcohol in any way shape or form including its delivery. I review wine because I enjoy the product and I like to educate people on it. I also like to let people know my opinions on those wines and on the industry in general so you have a good idea about the subject. With this being said, let's get into this article. Oh, one more thing before I go though. I want to tell you to check out everything that I write here as I do not expect nor do I even want you to just believe what I have to say. I ask that you do your own verification, click on the links that I include, educate yourself because in the end, it is your body and your health, make up your own mind.
Let me start off here by first telling you what wine is. Wine is the juice from grapes, turned (fermented) into an alcoholic beverage. The farmer grows the grapes. The farmer picks the grapes. The farmer has the grapes crushed and the juice extracted.
Yeast is added and the natural process begins. Now, what happens after or in between the natural process and the bottling is up in the air a bit but we will try to educate ourselves as much as we can. While we all would like to think the seemingly easy process of adding that yeast into grape juice would be all we need to think about, there is more involved. According to the chemical and pesticide detection company Chemservice (https://www.chemservice.com/) there are Fungicides, insecticides and miticides used to control diseases and pests in the vineyards. As you can imagine, these agents are not healthy and are actually poisons. You eventually ingest all of these poisons.The following is an example of just some of the items (poisons) that are applied to grapes while in the vineyard.
How about fungicides? Mancozeb is a fungicide used on grapevines and according to this (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mancozeb) link on Wikipedia,"has potential to cause goiter, a condition in which the thyroid gland is enlarged and has produced birth defects and cancer in experimental animals. ETU has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the EPA". Meptyldinocap is another fungicide used on grapes. According to the website Science Direct (https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/dinocap) the fungicide "has been demonstrated to be teratogenic in the CD-1 mouse, causing cleft palate, a dose-related increase in supernumerary ribs, a low frequency of exencephaly, umbilical hernia at high doses, otolith defects, weight deficits in fetuses at term, increased neonatal mortality, abnormal swimming behavior, and torticollis".
How about Insecticides? Imidacloprid is the most common insecticide used on grapes in the United States. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (https://www.nrdc.org/bio/jennifer-sass/nrdc-epa-red-flags-imidacloprid-health-risks) "Reported adverse effects included skin irritation and rashes, numbing and tingling on fingers and lips, facial numbness and swelling, lethargy and nausea." The website also goes on to say "A study by NIH (National Institute of Health) -funded researchers from the Universities of UNC Chapel Hill and UC Davis (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3922790/) reported that frequent exposure (self-reported by parents) to imidacloprid applied as flea and tick treatments for pets (Advantage by Bayer) during pregnancy was associated with an up to four-fold elevated risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-3.9) in prenatally-exposed children."
What about Miticides ? Mites are little spiders and they can cause a lot of damage to a vineyard. According to the EPA, (https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/reregistration/fs_PC-097601_18-May-10.pdf) propargite "...is classified as a probable human carcinogen...". fenbutatin oxide is another agent used to kill mites and according to the chemical company "Cameo, the stuff is toxic and "inhalation, ingestion or skin contact with material may cause severe injury or death".
Now you would think that this certainly is more then enough crap that makes its way into something as simple as wine but wait...there's more.
What about sulfur dioxide or simply, sulphites? Yes folks, that headache causing stuff is used as a preservative in wine although a small amount does occur naturally. According to the site Healthline (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sulfites-in-wine), sulfites can not only cause headaches but "...hives, swelling, and stomach pain". According to the site, The Spruce Eats (https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-are-wine-sulfites-3511277), sulphites are added "to protect and preserve the wine's character, flavor, and color". Sulphites also slow down the process of a wine changing color.
The same website goes on to say "people with asthma are in the most susceptible category. Signs of sulfite sensitivities include nasal congestion, headaches, skin flush, broncho-constriction, nausea, abdominal pain, and dizziness."
What about sugar? Yes folks, there are some producers who add sugar or according to the website Wine Folly (https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/wine-additives/) sugar rich grape concentrate to their wines. I assume that I don't have to tell you how dangerous sugar is so I won't get into it here. Yes, most times, the sugar is eaten up by the yeast but there are wines that add additional sugar to make the wine sweet and that sugar remains in the finished product.
What about stabilizers? Stabilizers such as Acetaldehyde. According to the website Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/science/acetaldehyde), Acetaldehyde is " used as a starting material in the synthesis of 1-butanol (n-butyl alcohol), ethyl acetate, perfumes, flavourings, aniline dyes, plastics, synthetic rubber, and other chemical compounds. "According to the CDC (https://blogs.cdc.gov/cancer/2018/04/02/3-weird-things-about-acetaldehyde/), Acetaldehyde can "cause cancer, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. (https://publications.iarc.fr/122)". How about Dimethyl Dicarbonate? According to the National Library of Medicine (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Dimethyl-dicarbonate), Dimethyl Dicarbonate is "flammable, corrosive, an acute toxic and an irritant.
What about resveratrol? Now I want to talk about something that the wine industry has latched onto in the last few years and uses heavily when they try to tell you (or sell you) that wine is healthy. There is a natural plant compound/antioxidant named resveratrol. Yes, resveratrol has indeed been shown to help with the heart as well as circulation.
To me, there is no doubt that the compound itself is amazing as far as the benefits to your body that it provides. According to WebMD (https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-307/resveratrol) "Resveratrol is a chemical mostly found in red grapes and products made from these grapes (wine, juice)." According to the same site Resveratrol can help in "expanding blood vessels and reducing blood clotting. It may also decrease pain and swelling, reduce levels of sugar in the blood, and help the body fight against disease." While all of this sounds great, there are questions that need to be asked such as how much resveratrol do we need in a day? How much is beneficial? How much does a glass or two of red wine provide? Can we get it without drinking wine? The answer to the first question is there is no recommended daily allowance for resveratrol. Here are some studies done as far as how much resveratrol is beneficial to our body. and how much (or little) wine actually contains. According to the website News Medical Life Sciences (https://www.news-medical.net/news/20231025/Red-grape-polyphenol-resveratrol-a-multifaceted-therapeutic-powerhouse-under-review.aspx), tests were conducted and people taking a dose of between " 20 to 600 mg daily for three to 84 days raised serological non-HDL cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) levels, reduced the weight of cholesterol and lipid in atherosclerosis-associated plaques and lowered serological TC/HDL-C levels in individuals with coronary heart disease." "Sixty to 300mg daily of resveratrol promoted flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) among hypertensive women and individuals with higher levels of LDL-C and lowered diastolic-type blood pressure." Resveratrol in 250 mg daily doses for 90 days reduced glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure, total protein, and TC levels in type 2 diabetic patients. Even 5.0 mg two times a day for 30 days of the drug decreased insulin and glucose levels and delayed post-meal glucose increases. 
According to the National Library of Health (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24731650/) "Subgroup analyses indicated that higher-dose of resveratrol consumption (≥ 150 mg/d) significantly reduces SBP of -11.90 mmHg (95% CI: -20.99, -2.81 mmHg, P = 0.01), whereas lower dose of resveratrol did not show a significant lowering effect on SBP". Just so you know, a standard glass of wine is 5 oz and contains ....According to the website Livestrong, "https://www.livestrong.com/article/411745-how-much-red-wine-do-you-need-to-get-enough-resveratrol/) "Red wine contains at most 12.59 mg resveratrol per liter, so to get 500 mg daily, you'd need to drink almost 40 liters of wine daily. "For our last bit of information on resveratrol, there are many different foods that contain resveratrol. According to the website Livescience (https://www.livescience.com/39125-foods-good-sources-resveratrol.html) red grapes, peanut butter, dark chocolate and blueberries are " are good sources of resveratrol". Keep in mind here that a glass or two of red wine does not contain anywhere near enough resveratrol to make any difference in your health. As a matter of fact, according to the website Livescience (https://www.livescience.com/39125-foods-good-sources-resveratrol.html) " The amount of resveratrol found in one glass of wine can range from 0.2
milligrams to 2.0 mg, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
While 250 mg may seem excessive, it's not uncommon for resveratrol
supplements. to include as much as 900 milligrams of resveratrol." It would certainly seem that the inexpensive and over the counter, widely available resveratrol supplements are an overwhelmingly better and more effective choice when it comes to getting an effective amount of the antioxidant.
What about Alcohol? One last and hugely negative ingredient is Alcohol or specifically Ethanol in the case of wine. Alcohol is a depressant and according to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_(drug), can cause "liver and brain damage,[13][14][15] and its consumption can cause cancer." "In high amounts, alcohol may cause loss of consciousness or, in severe cases, death." According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohols-effects-body) , alcohol "interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination." The same site goes on to say that alcohol negatively effects the heart, the brain, the liver, the Pancreas and the immune system as well.
Okay folks, I could go on and on here talking about if wine is healthy and wine additives which according to Wine Folly (https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/wine-additives/) can be things such as fish bladder (Isinglass) and Protease (porcine or bovine pancreas) and the negative medical implications of drinking wine but I think you (and I) both get the point. I have to tell you that doing the research for this article has most definitely educated me on just how much crap goes into what I always believed was such a simple product. I really had no idea just how much stuff was put into wine and I am very glad I did this report. I also think that if you do your own research on the subject you will find out that the wine industry is being less then truthful when it comes to wine and resveratrol. While you will read that their red wines contain the compound and that it has been shown to be very beneficial to you and while this is not a lie, what you will not see is that there is not enough in even a bottle to even come close to being helpful or counteracting the negatives of drinking wine. This type of reporting is omitting the real facts or, lying by omission but what do you expect from an industry out to only make money which they all are? So there you have it guys, the facts about wine. In my opinion, I can, after being more educated on the subject tell you that wine is not healthy for you, not even in the slightest bit. Does this mean I am going to stop drinking wine? No, it does not but at least now we can make an educated decision as to whether or not we will continue to drink it.
Let me start off here by first telling you what wine is. Wine is the juice from grapes, turned (fermented) into an alcoholic beverage. The farmer grows the grapes. The farmer picks the grapes. The farmer has the grapes crushed and the juice extracted.
How about fungicides? Mancozeb is a fungicide used on grapevines and according to this (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mancozeb) link on Wikipedia,"has potential to cause goiter, a condition in which the thyroid gland is enlarged and has produced birth defects and cancer in experimental animals. ETU has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the EPA". Meptyldinocap is another fungicide used on grapes. According to the website Science Direct (https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/dinocap) the fungicide "has been demonstrated to be teratogenic in the CD-1 mouse, causing cleft palate, a dose-related increase in supernumerary ribs, a low frequency of exencephaly, umbilical hernia at high doses, otolith defects, weight deficits in fetuses at term, increased neonatal mortality, abnormal swimming behavior, and torticollis".
What about Miticides ? Mites are little spiders and they can cause a lot of damage to a vineyard. According to the EPA, (https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/reregistration/fs_PC-097601_18-May-10.pdf) propargite "...is classified as a probable human carcinogen...". fenbutatin oxide is another agent used to kill mites and according to the chemical company "Cameo, the stuff is toxic and "inhalation, ingestion or skin contact with material may cause severe injury or death".
Now you would think that this certainly is more then enough crap that makes its way into something as simple as wine but wait...there's more.
What about sulfur dioxide or simply, sulphites? Yes folks, that headache causing stuff is used as a preservative in wine although a small amount does occur naturally. According to the site Healthline (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sulfites-in-wine), sulfites can not only cause headaches but "...hives, swelling, and stomach pain". According to the site, The Spruce Eats (https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-are-wine-sulfites-3511277), sulphites are added "to protect and preserve the wine's character, flavor, and color". Sulphites also slow down the process of a wine changing color.
What about sugar? Yes folks, there are some producers who add sugar or according to the website Wine Folly (https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/wine-additives/) sugar rich grape concentrate to their wines. I assume that I don't have to tell you how dangerous sugar is so I won't get into it here. Yes, most times, the sugar is eaten up by the yeast but there are wines that add additional sugar to make the wine sweet and that sugar remains in the finished product.
What about stabilizers? Stabilizers such as Acetaldehyde. According to the website Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/science/acetaldehyde), Acetaldehyde is " used as a starting material in the synthesis of 1-butanol (n-butyl alcohol), ethyl acetate, perfumes, flavourings, aniline dyes, plastics, synthetic rubber, and other chemical compounds. "According to the CDC (https://blogs.cdc.gov/cancer/2018/04/02/3-weird-things-about-acetaldehyde/), Acetaldehyde can "cause cancer, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. (https://publications.iarc.fr/122)". How about Dimethyl Dicarbonate? According to the National Library of Medicine (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Dimethyl-dicarbonate), Dimethyl Dicarbonate is "flammable, corrosive, an acute toxic and an irritant.
What about resveratrol? Now I want to talk about something that the wine industry has latched onto in the last few years and uses heavily when they try to tell you (or sell you) that wine is healthy. There is a natural plant compound/antioxidant named resveratrol. Yes, resveratrol has indeed been shown to help with the heart as well as circulation.
What about Alcohol? One last and hugely negative ingredient is Alcohol or specifically Ethanol in the case of wine. Alcohol is a depressant and according to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_(drug), can cause "liver and brain damage,[13][14][15] and its consumption can cause cancer." "In high amounts, alcohol may cause loss of consciousness or, in severe cases, death." According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohols-effects-body) , alcohol "interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination." The same site goes on to say that alcohol negatively effects the heart, the brain, the liver, the Pancreas and the immune system as well.
The Desert Wine Guy
Disclaimer - While I am probably not required to say the following, I know there are many Karens out there so I will say it anyway. I am not a doctor nor do I play one on television. Whether or not you choose to drink alcohol is completely up to you, I have provided simple information to assist you in making that decision. In the end, you choose to do what you want in your life and that includes drinking alcoholic beverages.
