The French conundrum about wine

[JCNorthway]

An interesting article in the Washington Post. I think you can access several articles per month even if you don't subscribe.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/eu ... 34ba799b3a

[tim]

What that article doesn't reveal is that the "doctors" cited are from the century-old anti-alcohol organization ANPAA, which has been fighting against the legalization of alcohol almost since its conception.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associati ... dictologie

Thus, nothing new, except publicity. In particular because Macron is a wine drinker.

[AlexR]

This is an example of the media creating a needless controversy (fake news).

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/0 ... twice/amp/

What *is* true is that wine consumption has gone down significantly in France over the years, but has tended to stabilize.

Alex R.

[Nicklasss]

Ethanol is ethanol, and that said, contain in wine, spirit or beer, it is ethanol. Quantity is the key. But the same amount of ethanol is contained in different quantity of other media so it is all related to the speed of consumption. And yes, if you don't consumme ethanol, it is probably better for you.

Who said "choose your poison"? Mine is wine, others like cigarettes, workstress, drugs, gambling, scotch, extreme sports, medication, lying, cheating...

Wine at least is highly social, and being social is highly related to hapiness, so I'm ok with wine. And even if “Alcohol, especially wine, is the source of domestic violence, marital violence and...”, and that MC wants to kill sometimes me because I buy too much wines, wisdom helps me to deal with that!

Nic

P.s. Wisely, when MC is mad with my wine buying habit, I propose to open a nice Côte-Rôtie, Ridge Vineyards or red Bourgogne, and normally, I'm ok to live an extra 3-6 months!

[AlexR]

Nic,

You wrote "Who said "choose your poison"? Mine is wine, others like cigarettes, workstress, drugs, gambling, scotch, extreme sports, medication, lying, cheating..."

You left out "women"!

Alex

[JCNorthway]

Tim, your comment about the doctors is interesting. I wondered, as I read the article, if the doctors were a group with an ax to grind. From what you said, the answer would appear to be "yes."

[Ryan DB]

When are human beings going to be honest enough to admit the fact that it's perfectly okay that some behaviors are going to lead to some (even several thousand) deaths? I think it's okay (and I'm sure most of you do) that in order for alcohol to be available for personal use, it's going to lead to risky behavior, health issues, and death if abused or used incorrectly. However, for those people who understand these potential risks and health problems, we can enrich our lives with alcohol while avoiding most of the harmful effects. What these doctors are trying to do in France is a joke. They want to draw a line in the sand and demonize wine, ignoring the fact that wine may actually have the potential for *both* good and bad outcomes. It is indeed possible that wine enjoyed in moderation could lead to a healthier, longer life, while wine abused in excess amounts could lead to chronic health problems and earlier death. This is incredibly simplistic (and obviously political) thinking on the part of these doctors.

[AKR]

That article had pinot noir mentioned before Bordeaux!

Sacre bleu!