Grape Expectations
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I don't drink and drive. Or to be more accurate, I don't drink alcohol beyond the legal limit and then drive. I know that consuming up to four units of alcohol is safe, and if I go above a couple of pints of beer or four glasses of wine, it's time to call a cab. That's been my rule of thumb for the last 20 years. Time for a rethink, it appears, at least on the wine front.
In technical terms, the government defines one 'unit' of alcohol as a 125ml glass of wine with 8% ABV (alcohol by volume). But when was the last time you drank a wine with 8% ABV? Unless you're one of the retro few who still drink mass-market German wines, the answer is never. Wine consumption in this country has come a long way from the days when Blue Nun was the tipple of choice and most wines - red and white - now have an alcohol content of at least 12%. Blockbuster New World reds often weigh in at 14% or 15%. Which means that the glass of treacly Aussie Shiraz you just quaffed actually accounts for two units, not one. And it doesn't stop there. Most pubs and restaurants now serve wine in 175ml or 225ml glasses as standard. Which if you do the maths adds up to one large glass of New World wine accounting for between three and four units. Certainly two large glasses of the stuff is going to tip you well over the limit.
This isn't just a highways issue, it's also fast becoming a public health issue. Wine consumption has skyrocketed in the last 20 years bringing with it growing concern about alcohol abuse and liver disease. Us Brits tend not to do things in half measures (excuse the pun) when it comes to alcohol and while our friends on the continent drink wine largely with food, we drink it more as a standalone tipple. Wine is somehow perceived as a healthier alternative to beer and spirits, no doubt due in part to all those medical studies showing that red wine can help fight heart disease. But a healthy ticker is neither use nor ornament if your liver packs in when you're 50.
Next year, the government is planning to introduce mandatory health warnings on wine labels and I'm all for it. But rather than a blanket warning that drinking wine to excess can be dangerous, each bottle should clearly state exactly how many units of alcohol it contains. Then there can be no excuses for the traffic cop - or your doctor.
-- RHODES ARNOLD
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