By Richard G. Morrill, MD
Dr. Morrill is a psychiatrist practicing in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and a Member of Simple and Practical Mental Health. He is affiliated with the Massachusetts General Hospital. He is NOT the bearded man in the photo below. 🙂
Even though we or our patients may not be clearly abusing alcohol, “alcohol creep” can push daily intake of wine to three or more per day (or two or more per day in those over 65 years of age).
The most common offender is probably wine because it is often enjoyed as a “necessary” complement to meals over the years. It is difficult for many people to cut back from two glasses to one when they have been drinking two glasses of wine with a meal for many years.
Nonalcoholic wine?
Drinking nonalcoholic wine may not be a good answer because many complain that it tastes like watered down grape juice. Indeed, they add grape juice to the product.
What can be added to wine instead
For those who do not want to stop drinking wine altogether but simply to cut back on their alcohol, one possible tactic is to add something to the wine to reduce its alcoholic intake. Adding water is not an attractive option. Instead, try adding Pinot Noir grape juice to red wine.
The California vineyards are making grape juice from fine grapes now. They prevent the fermentation at the start so there is no alcohol. These products have the body of red wine. They don’t taste like wine and are rather on the sweet side. One answer then is to mix it with one’s favorite red wine, either 50 – 50 or 60 – 40. Thus, it becomes a sort of “wine punch” and really does taste to like an enjoyable glass of wine with complex flavors and good “mouth feel”. One can have the same volume of beverage that one is used to with dinner, but with only half the alcohol content. Of course, you then have to avoid drinking twice as much!
One vineyard that sells this by mail order is Navarro Vineyards in California (click HERE to see their Pinot Noir grape juice), but there are others as well. I understand there are others. Try it out. You may be surprised.
Related Pages
How much alcohol intake is “normal”?
What is a “standard” drink?
Three key statistics about alcohol use: Bad, worse, and worst news
Copyright 2019, Rajnish Mago, MD. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without express written permission.
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