Wine Wednesday
This February we celebrate Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and of course Superbowl Sunday, but there is another holiday that might not be on our radar…National Drink Wine Day, a quirky little celebration, happens to fall on Wednesday, February 18!
Wine has been around for thousands of years, with the oldest known winery discovered in a cave in Armenia dating back to 4000 B.C. – which is over 6,000 years ago! (It is the same cave where the world’s oldest leather shoe was found too!) The world’s oldest continuously operating winery is Staffelter Hof, located in Germany and was founded in 862 A.D. by Benedictine monks.
Today, grapes are cultivated and wine is created across the globe. A few fun facts:
- There are over 10,000 varieties of wine grapes worldwide, but only a few dozen are utilized for most commercial production.
- Globally, there are approximately 100,000 wineries, with a ballpark of around 11,500 in the United States.
- Spain leads the countries of the world in most vineyards by acreage, with France, Italy, and China following.
- Currently, Italy is the world’s largest wine producer by volume, with France coming in second, Spain in third, and the US in fourth place – however, France and Italy have flip-flopped their top spots in the recent past.
- Global wine consumption averages 5.5-6 billion gallons per year, with the US, France and Italy being the top-consuming countries.
- In the United States, we certainly love our wine. In 2024, YouGov conducted a survey with 1117 participants to analyze our American population’s wine habits. The takeaways of the survey are as follows:
- Americans prefer to purchase a bottle of wine in the $11-$20 price range, and price is noted as the number one factor when it comes to choosing a bottle.
- Red reigns supreme – the majority of people polled stated that they prefer red wine over white wine. Cabernet Sauvignon was #1 with Pinot Noir coming in at a very close second.
There are several health benefits attributed to limited amounts of red wine consumption. According to the Mayo Clinic, the antioxidants found in red wine may help prevent coronary artery disease and thus can assist in staving off a heart attack. These antioxidants, called polyphenols, work by increasing the level of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol – known as the “good” cholesterol – protecting your arteries from the build-up of the “bad” cholesterol, and helps to prevent blood clots from forming. The maximum amount of red wine consumption for health benefits is one drink per day for women, and two for men, with 5 ounces of wine being the defined amount of one drink.
Interestingly, a recent study conducted in 2025, utilizing data from over 500,000 people and published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology found that moderate champagne and white wine consumption have the potential to lower the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, thanks in part to the same polyphenols found in red wine. Additionally, it was found that other compounds such as protocatechuic acid found in champagne could improve cardiac health by lowering the number of free radicals in the body related to heart disease and chronic illness while improving vascular function.
It makes total sense that National Drink Wine Day falls in February, the unofficial month of “hearts,” with wine having all sorts of heart-healthy benefits! Cheers!
Sources:
https://vinepair.com/booze-news/survey-reveals-americas-favorite-wine/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281
http://www.foodandwine.com/champagne-heart-health-benefits-11736949
