Ask CRUSHABLE: Are some wines healthier than others?

Dear CRUSHABLE,

I love wine, but don’t love what it does to my waist line. Are there options out there that are healthier than others to choose from?

Cheers,

Seeking options that aren’t Skinnygirl

Dear Skinnygirl,

I echo your frustration. Wine is a never ending chasm of confusion with ever changing rules, coupled with on-going research debunking age old claims - ahem - like, widely held myths espoused by the masses blaming their headaches on sulfites. (that bag of chips you’re devouring has higher amounts than your bottle of wine, FYI)

It also doesn’t help that temperance groups are now in bed with NGOs spreading anti-alcohol propaganda muddying the waters even more. Never mind societies the world over have been living well into their late 90s or early 100s subsisting on several glasses of wine per day.

Context matters.

It’s likely not the alcohol you’re drinking, but instead, the choices you’re making alongside your consumption.

Are you Skipping The Dishes and eating takeout every time you open a bottle? What about the next day when that inevitable hangover hits? Are you staying hydrated?

However — your choice in wine does matter because some wine is just superior:

• wines farmed organically, regeneratively, or biodynamically

• wines that have little to no additives or heavy pesticides used in the vines (glyphosate be damned)

• wines that are dry — less than 1-2 grams per litre of sugar

• wines that are lower in alcohol

So the answer is yes, some wines are healthier than others — but it depends.

You’ll gain weight if you drink excessively on a regular basis and pair it with a shitty diet — whether or not you’re drinking a bottle of organically farmed Merlot.

You won’t gain weight if you consume responsibly, with food, and prioritize plenty of water while you imbibe.

It’s only natural to want to find a “healthy” wine to forgive or mask bad habits — but you simply can’t drink your way out of bad choices.

Try increasing your wine budget by $5-10 a bottle and take notice in the quality difference. Maybe you won’t want to guzzle it quite so fast any longer.

Raising your standards ever so slightly will help to expand this new founded purview to other areas of your life too — what you’re eating, how often you’re drinking, and likely many other insidious habits you were in denial about.

It’s possible to live a healthy life while enjoying wine — it just takes a bit of planning and self awareness to do so safely.

Cheers,

Laura