Wine and Health: the People Factor

There's been lots of news on resveratrol in red wine that influences our health. Hooray for the grape! Of course to reproduce the results in animals we'd need to drink an amount of wine that would kill us. The reported health potential includes delaying or preventing "Oldtimers," lowering our risks for heart disease and cancer, and it's said to even make women's memory better.

Incredible BUT and..... are the health benefits only due to the molecules in wine? Could it possibly be the social situations in which we share wine that contribute to our well-being?

My idea about wine's contribution to health is that the community aspect is a major component. To explain the difference between French and American health we might just consider the social situations around meals, drink, and relaxation.

To add to my learning, when do you drink wine, is it usually alone or with other people?

Happy new year and may this be a vintage year for all of us.