NATIONAL DRINK WINE DAY!
Does anybody really need an excuse to open a bottle of their favourite red (or white) at the end of a long and stressful day? Absolutely not! Still, that shouldn’t stand in the way of celebrating National Drink Wine Day. After all, a glass (OK, bottle) of wine is truly the greatest antidote to stressful moments. It’s also suggested that a glass a day keeps the cardiologist away. From connoisseurs of wines from around the globe to casual fans that enjoy the odd glass at the restaurant or on an evening spent with friends, National Drink Wine Day is an undoubted highlight in the calendar.
Unsurprisingly, National Drink Wine Day is a day to celebrate wine, which includes drinking some wine. However, its purpose isn’t to result in millions of people staggering around bars after losing self-control or to leave participants facing the mother of all hangovers on National Drink Wine Day +1. Wine should be enjoyed responsibly on this day more than any other.
The annual event is a time to reflect on the many benefits of wine, as well as the role it has played in human history and society. The social aspects are particularly pertinent on this day, which should be enjoyed with friends and family. After all, there’s nothing quite like sipping a glass of the good stuff while sharing fun and entertainment with the people that matter most.
For many, it’s not only a wine day; it’s a wine AND dine day. However, wine (especially red wine) is also widely praised as an aphrodisiac. So, the dining part is far from essential. In addition to the stimulating properties, participants of the day’s merriment can embrace other great features such as enhancing social events, relaxing the mind, reducing the risk of heart disease, and providing the perfect accompaniment to various dishes. Oh, and there’s also the fact it leaves the taste buds dancing with joy.
Wine is one of life’s little luxuries that should be enjoyed far more regularly than once per year. Nonetheless, National Drink Wine Day is that special moment where millions can raise a glass to the benefits it brings while also paying homage to the winemakers of previous generations.
The history of wine itself can be dated back over 8,000 years to winemakers in the Eurasian region that is now Georgia. The alcoholic beverage has played a major part in society ever since and has been drunk in all four corners of the globe for many generations. Iranians, Italians, and Europeans in the Balkans all have rich histories of wine production that date back to ancient times while China created very similar alcoholic beverages as early as 7,000BC.
Wine has consequently been celebrated by fans for centuries, commonly enjoyed as part of a meal or to enhance social events. In fact, the average adult consumes 45.6 gallons of the stuff every year – which works out at 20 miles per gallon, given that the average person walks 900 miles per year.
In today’s world, nearly 20 million acres of the earth’s surface are dedicated to grape farming for wine fermentation. There are literally thousands of brands and variants covering red wines, white wines, sparkling wines, and rose wines, while mead, fruit wine, and dessert wine is readily available to millions. Moreover, the experience of enjoying wine is closely linked to human history. For example, tapping glasses to say “cheers” harks back to the Ancient Romans – that’ll come as a shock to fans of Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, and the rest of the fictional gang in Boston, Massachusetts.
National Drink Wine Day is a far more contemporary addition but is now in its second decade. It provides a formal and organized time to celebrate everything that is to be loved about the alcoholic beverage, such as reducing the threat of liver disease, type II diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and being stuck at the bar with someone that’ll bore you to tears.
Awareness of the event has increased at a fairly rapid rate with the annual event reaching new locations and a greater variety of demographics by the year. In truth, it’s only natural given the universal appeal of the beverage.
Whether red or white (it should definitely be red!), National Drink Wine Day is not an event to be missed.