Drink Wine Day

Wine glasses. Engin Akyurt / Pixabay.com / 2015 / CC0 1.0

The 18th of February is Drink Wine Day.

Celebrate today by drinking a glass of wine!

A Washington, D.C. wine writer said that his only problem with the concept of the day is that it was just one day:

“My only complaint is that wine only gets its “National Day” once a year. Personally, I think every day should be Wine Day. But hey, it’s a start.” ^[1]Greenberg, Scott. Wine of the Week: Here’s how to celebrate National Drink Wine Day. WTOP News Washington D.C. 16 February 2018. Accessed February 2021 at https://wtop.com/wine-of-the-week/2018/02/wine-of-the-week-heres-how-to-celebrate-national-drink-wine-day/

Today could be a good day to try a wine you’ve never had before, or treat yourself to an old favourite that you rarely indulge in perhaps owing to cost. You could also try cooking with wine (see Recipes below).

Local wine columnists may have special recommendations for you to try on this day. Some local restaurants may offer featured wines or specials for the day, or specials that happen to coincide with the day.

If circumstances prevent you from observing this special day today, don’t lose heart: there’s another wine day coming up fast, in May:

“As if we needed another reason to unwind with a nice glass of white or red, Feb. 18, is National Drink Wine Day, and we’re saying “cheers” to that! Not to be confused with National Wine Day on May 25 (though no one’s complaining about having two occasions to celebrate our favorite drink), this holiday places a special emphasis on the history and health benefits of the age-old beverage.” ^[2]Lorenzo, Daniel. Toast to National Drink Wine Day With These Denver Specials. February 2018. Accessed February 2021 at https://denverlifemagazine.com/2018/02/national-drink-wine-day-denver/

And speaking of health benefits, while sipping on a glass of wine with friends, you may wish to debate if there are actually any health benefits. Popular wisdom certainly likes to hold there is, but for every study saying there might be benefits (heart health is often bandied about as a particular one), there’s another study saying any benefits may actually be happening owing to something else in people’s diets or daily habits. The human body is an incredibly complex thing to understand, with so many factors at play, so it may be many decades yet before the science is anywhere near being considered “settled” on this. If nothing else, though, there seems to be enough science now putting the “heart healthy” aspects into solid doubt territory, so perhaps it’s time to stop bandying that about as though it’s a given.

But for now, the consensus seems to be that if you wish to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, then go ahead and enjoy it in moderation, and it’s probably best to focus on enjoying that glass of wine in its own right as adding pleasure to a meal or an evening rather than treating it as a glass of medicine!

• Drink Wine Day Website: http://nationaldrinkwineday.org/
• Drink Wine Day Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/drinkwineday

#DrinkWineDay #NationalDrinkWineDay

See also: Wine, Red Wine Day, Sangria Day, Wine Day, Wine and Cheese Day, Beaujolais Nouveau Day, World Malbec Day, Vinalia Urbana, Vinalia Rustica, Meditrinalia

Recipes

• Beef Daube Recipe
• Coronation Chicken Recipe
• French Country Beans Recipe
• Mulled Wine Recipe
• Steak au Poivre Recipe

History

The earliest print mention of Drink Wine Day that CooksInfo is aware of dates from a mention in a February 2010 events list on a Chicago Tribune food page:

“Drink Wine Day: Doug Dunlay leads guests through a four-course Tuscan wine dinner. $50. 7 p.m. Feb 18.”  ^[3]Schiele, Elizabeth. Drink events. Chicago: Chicago Tribune. Wednesday, 10th February 2010. Page 5-7, col. 4.

Schiele, Elizabeth. Drink events. Chicago: Chicago Tribune. Wednesday, 10th February 2010. Page 5-7, col. 4

Sources

Greenberg, Scott. Wine of the Week: Here’s how to celebrate National Drink Wine Day. WTOP News Washington D.C. 16 February 2018. Accessed February 2021 at https://wtop.com/wine-of-the-week/2018/02/wine-of-the-week-heres-how-to-celebrate-national-drink-wine-day/

WXYZ News Detroit. February 18th is National Drink Wine Day. 18 February 2018. Accessed February 2021 at https://www.wxyz.com/about-us/as-seen-on/february-18th-is-national-drink-wine-day