Wine in Our Lives

[Jim Wilson]

Good Morning:

This post is partly a response to several posts here at Wacco regarding the conversion of forests into grape cultivation for the production of wine. I am thinking of the Hobbs conversion and the post for Friends of the Gualala River celebration for the blocking of such conversion (unfortunately I will be working at the time of the celebration; otherwise I would enjoy attending).

I am wondering if people have thought of their own role, as consumers, in the growth of the wine industry? Full disclosure -- I don't drink alcohol. I haven't for many years. I'm not a 12-stepper; I just don't like what alcohol does to me. And that's true for both wine, beer, and 'hard' liquor. So my perspective is informed by my personal experience.

I just want to quietly raise the issue of how much we, as consumers, generate these kinds of conversions. Wine is a big industry; in Sonoma county it is huge. There is tremendous pressure to participate in the culture of wine. Enjoying wine is depicted as something that is refined. Countless adds put forth this image.

The damage that alcohol, including wine, does is not nearly as well publicized. Personal lives ruined, health destroyed, countless accidents, lost economic activity. You can look at it from a number of perspectives. The first is personal and has to do with the physiological damage that ethanol (the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages) does. This is extensive. There are some studies, it is true, that suggest that red wine has some health promoting benefits. My feeling about this, though, is that it is kind of like someone having vodka and orange juice and claiming it is healthy because the orange juice has vitamin C. The damage that ethanol does has been documented in many studies and is not mitigated by the very slight alleged benefits that other factors may present.

The second is the damage done to interpesonal relations, including violence such as fist fights, accidents due to alcohol induced lack of clarity, and wounding of personal relationships due to lack of thoughtful speech.

The third level is ecological and is the focus of the posts I referenced above. Vineyards produce no food; there is no nutrition forthcoming from this type of agriculture. In a way you can look at vineyards as aclohol farms; for that is their purpose.

At a sociological level, wine and alcohol consumption creates a template for addiction in general. Alcohol is highly addictive, even in small quantities, and because it is socially approved it serves as a model for other types of addiction and makes it easier to slide into addictions that are not socially approved.

So my suggestion is to, simply, stop feeding the beast of wine production. I know this is not an either/or and that there are ecologically conscious wineries (not many, but they do exist). And if I did drink wine, I would select for that type of production. On the other hand, perhaps considering abstaining from alcohol altogether, though it seems very radical, might be an option for people to consider.

Just a few thoughts.

Thanks,

Jim

[Fillie]

This is a radical notion for a non-addict. Hooray for you and your courage to do life without this chemical buffer and to commit to living sustainably, walking the talk. Even if readers don't take up your challenge of complete abstinence from wine, I would challenge them to try a year of abstinence from all intoxicants, see if they can do it, and watch what other life skills and consciousness develop in that time. Those of us who were forced to quit by radical consequences are lesser gods, those of you who make that choice out of sensibility are ninjas. Go for it!
It also takes courage to post this Jim, and I think you will have started a tirade; duck and cover, here come the feroucious rationales. Get ready for "Thou dost protesteth too much." (Shakespeare), it may apply.

Good Morning:

This post is partly a response to several posts here at Wacco regarding the conversion of forests into grape cultivation for the production of wine. I am thinking of the Hobbs conversion and the post for Friends of the Gualala River celebration for the blocking of such conversion (unfortunately I will be working at the time of the celebration; otherwise I would enjoy attending).

I am wondering if people have thought of their own role, as consumers, in the growth of the wine industry? Full disclosure -- I don't drink alcohol. I haven't for many years. I'm not a 12-stepper; I just don't like what alcohol does to me. And that's true for both wine, beer, and 'hard' liquor. So my perspective is informed by my personal experience.

I just want to quietly raise the issue of how much we, as consumers, generate these kinds of conversions. Wine is a big industry; in Sonoma county it is huge. There is tremendous pressure to participate in the culture of wine. Enjoying wine is depicted as something that is refined. Countless adds put forth this image.

The damage that alcohol, including wine, does is not nearly as well publicized. Personal lives ruined, health destroyed, countless accidents, lost economic activity. You can look at it from a number of perspectives. The first is personal and has to do with the physiological damage that ethanol (the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages) does. This is extensive. There are some studies, it is true, that suggest that red wine has some health promoting benefits. My feeling about this, though, is that it is kind of like someone having vodka and orange juice and claiming it is healthy because the orange juice has vitamin C. The damage that ethanol does has been documented in many studies and is not mitigated by the very slight alleged benefits that other factors may present.

The second is the damage done to interpesonal relations, including violence such as fist fights, accidents due to alcohol induced lack of clarity, and wounding of personal relationships due to lack of thoughtful speech.

The third level is ecological and is the focus of the posts I referenced above. Vineyards produce no food; there is no nutrition forthcoming from this type of agriculture. In a way you can look at vineyards as aclohol farms; for that is their purpose.

At a sociological level, wine and alcohol consumption creates a template for addiction in general. Alcohol is highly addictive, even in small quantities, and because it is socially approved it serves as a model for other types of addiction and makes it easier to slide into addictions that are not socially approved.

So my suggestion is to, simply, stop feeding the beast of wine production. I know this is not an either/or and that there are ecologically conscious wineries (not many, but they do exist). And if I did drink wine, I would select for that type of production. On the other hand, perhaps considering abstaining from alcohol altogether, though it seems very radical, might be an option for people to consider.

Just a few thoughts.

Thanks,

Jim

[Jim Wilson]

Thanks, Fillie, for your thoughtful response. Years ago I did an experiment. When I went to parties I wouldn't drink; instead I would just quietly observe. Often I was the only person at the gathering not drinking. I did not like what I saw (the gradual slippage of faculties, the steadily growing incoherence, the out of context laughter, etc.) and it affirmed my suspicions regarding alcohol that even small amounts are debilitating.

I like your challenge of eliminating all such substances from one's life. Quite a challenge.

Thanks again,

Jim

[gardenmaniac]

I know what you mean. One reason I don't drink is that I want to know when I'm having a good time ...
​

Years ago I did an experiment. When I went to parties I wouldn't drink; instead I would just quietly observe. Often I was the only person at the gathering not drinking. I did not like what I saw (the gradual slippage of faculties, the steadily growing incoherence, the out of context laughter, etc.) and it affirmed my suspicions regarding alcohol that even small amounts are debilitating.

[tomcat]

Jim,
Thanks for the Juicy discussion,
I agree with you on the ecological concerns of massive wine production... or anything else for that matter.
Food stuffs come to mind first off. Although I would not recommend abstaining... purchasing (or raising) Organic food is the way to go! Same with that Green Leafy Medicine. Huge amounts of ecological damage are done by large illegal Pot grows and even some of the smaller ones, so buy local organically grown Bud... or you could abstain, but... that seems very radical too : ))



Tom

So my suggestion is to, simply, stop feeding the beast of wine production. I know this is not an either/or and that there are ecologically conscious wineries (not many, but they do exist). And if I did drink wine, I would select for that type of production. On the other hand, perhaps considering abstaining from alcohol altogether, though it seems very radical, might be an option for people to consider.

Just a few thoughts.

Thanks,

Jim