According to that most reliable source of information (please note the specificity of this sentence); Wikipedia says that “the first reported Dry January was in 2008 by Frank Posillico in Huntington, New York.”

This pioneer was the inspiration for temperance driven Alcohol Concern organisations around the world to promote January in a form of “spiritual celibacy” to cure what one can only imagine is a bit of a binge over the Holidays.

I am a little confused that “Sober October” has come to light as a follow-on to “Dry January”, inspiring me to question where is “Moderate May?”

Unfortunately, my brain won’t stop there! I wonder if it is necessary to have complete abstinence? What about if you drink wine in moderation as part a healthy and balanced lifestyle? I mean, if my calorie intake is balanced, do I need to opt for a diet?

Diets have been shown to be relatively ineffective in the long-term, unless you make a profound change to the way you eat and exercise – I mean lifestyle changes, not just one month! My nutritionist friend tells me this means that you can still eat chocolate ice cream “every now and then” but not every day!

Acknowledged by the World Health Organisation as being a healthy diet and a positive factor in the fight against cancer, the Mediterranean Diet is millennial. More than a “diet”, it is a style of life, with healthy eating (lots of greenstuff!), regular exercise, socialising with friends and family and moderation in the drinking of wine.

However, I recognise that this doesn’t provide a solution for those persons with problem eating or abusive drinking patterns. These persons need special consideration and support, both on a proactive as well as a reactive basis.

So, considering that it is a minority of society who have problems, the question becomes “should everyone go on a diet?”

The wine sector (producers and marketers) has worked over the last fifteen years to spread the good word on Wine in Moderation, and there is no doubt that there is a greater sensitivity to the way wines are presented, marketed, served, and enjoyed by the majority of wine drinkers.

With all this in mind, I am looking at “Moderate May” as the possible answer to my problem, but what about “Sensible September”, or “Frugal February”, or (more of a stretch!) “Nonindulgent November” – anyway, the idea is that a consistent moderate approach is a better solution than the ups and downs of “can/can’t have” diets!

Wine is more than terroir. It is culture, community, gastronomy, rural economy and social interaction. In moderation, wine is great!

Note: The opinions expressed in EX AMPULLA “Out of the Bottle” BLOG are exclusively my responsibility.
Thank you, Patrick Schmitt MW for inspiring today’s blog!
You can visit www.wineinmoderation.eu for more information on moderate and responsible wine drinking.