It is necessary to answer this question because of the need to show the distinction between wine on the one hand and other beverages on the other. These distinctions become apparent as one considers the peculiar characteristics and the unique uses of wine in relation to other beverages
There are several reasons why one would choose to drink wine over all other drinks. These reasons are stated here in a nutshell. Wine is the naturally fermented fruit juice that preserves itself and the wholesome beverage that accompanies the meal instead of water. Unlike water, soft drink, coffee, tea or beer, it serves a few other purposes. It is the only beverage that brings to a balance the four taste elements to which the human palate is sensitive sweetness, bitterness, acidity and saltiness. In fact, wine that lacks this balance is incomplete in quality characteristics and may be considered a bad wine. It supplies aroma, acidity, smoothness and flavors to foods that lack those qualities. Indeed wine is believed by gourmets to be an inseparable companion of fine foods. Wine also has the ability to improve appetite and promote digestion.
Wine is a natural product, unlike beer and distilled products, which are manufactured. Wine does not just contain alcohol but also contains fruit sugars valuable in the diet and is praised as the only common alcoholic beverage containing significant quantities of B vitamins, and all the thirteen mineral elements recognized as essential to maintain human life. These non-alcoholic components not found in spirits or “hot drinks,” make wine behave differently in the human body. Although the mechanism is not fully understood by medical experts, it is known that the organic acids, ester, and nitrogen bearing compounds in wine slow down the rate of absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Thus the blood alcohol level for a wine drinker reaches a plateau instead of a peak thereby relaxing the jumpy nerves and giving a pleasant feeling for a long time. Alcohol from other sources is absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly resulting in more sudden and pronounced effects.
In a survey conducted some years ago in Nigeria among wine drinkers, it was found that most people who drink a glass of wine at dinner or before bedtime reported that they slept well at night, implying that wine is a mild tranquilizer and therefore a good substitute for drugs used to induce sleep. In cultures accustomed to wine drinking, wine has been used for thousands of years as a tranquilizer, a tonic and a soporific.
Wine is a sacred, symbolic and romantic beverage. Most Christian churches in the celebration of the holy mass choose it. Wine is used in the traditional ‘washing’ of valued new possessions like cars, houses, etc. Also, it comes handy to the toast of chief celebrants at occasions. For centuries, wine has been praised in literature and music and associated with feasting, philosophy, art, music and love. Lately in Nigeria, wine has adorned the tables at social functions especially when organized for or by important personalities. On occasions where wine is in short supply, the ‘high table’ is served wine while other guests are served other drinks like beer, malt or soft drinks underscoring the importance of wine in Nigerian social life.
Although it is known that wine has been the joy of mankind for centuries, yet the adage that too much of anything is bad applies. The effect of wine on one is determined by the quantity consumed, the circumstances and individual body chemistry at the time it is consumed. A suggestion therefore is to know your tolerance level for alcohol, determine the alcoholic content of the wine you want to drink and limit your drinking to the quantity you can handle.
No comments:
Post a Comment