LIGHT WINES PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON DRINKING RESPONSIBLY
It’s all very exciting, isn’t it? Wine in grocery stores. Online shopping at lcbo.com. The new “Products of the World Specialty Boutiques” tucked neatly into existing LCBO stores.
But as alcoholic beverages become more accessible, the burden to drink responsibly quietly shifts from the province to the individual.
This shift coincides with a rabid enthusiasm for wine (not to mention craft beer, cider and cocktails), a fiercely competitive marketplace putting better bottles on shelves and the LCBO focusing squarely on marketing. In short, we’ve never been more directly and indirectly tempted to drink more. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.
LCBO total volume sales in the 2015-16 fiscal year (in thousands of litres) was 502,137, an increase of 7.1 per cent from the previous year. In fact, the LCBO reported record sales of $5.57 billion in the 2015-16 fiscal year, 6.6 per cent more than the previous one. And sales will probably continue to rise. But this situation suggests risks associated with alcohol may also be escalating.
If you’re wondering why yours truly, a wine columnist, is penning this piece, it’s because of my social conscience. With every story I write and recommendation I put out there, I hope readers will enjoy responsibly. Don’t get me wrong; I’m all for enjoying a drink — especially a good glass of wine. But moderation is key for reasons that may surprise you.
Did you know alcohol is a straightup, well-documented carcinogen? The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a part of the World Health Organization, names alcohol as a definitive cause of oral, larynx, esophagus, liver, colorectal and female breast cancers.
And although wine may help cardiovascular health and possibly reduce your risk of stroke and diabetes, all benefits tank when you consume more than one drink a day. In fact, drinking too much is a known cause of heart disease as well as stroke, cirrhosis of the liver and other painful conditions.
Peel Public Health actually tallied the figures for its area. In its relatively small population of 1.3 million, alcohol caused 3,476 emergency room visits, 1,155 hospitalizations, 28 new cases of cancer, 127 deaths and 1,493 ambulance calls in 2015 alone.
Of course the more you drink, the higher the risks. But the dim reality is nearly 10 per cent of Ontario adults drink alcohol every day, according to Statistics Canada. And close to 24 per cent of adults in Toronto drink excessively, according to official city stats. These statistics don’t reflect the fact people both notoriously under-report and underestimate how much they drink.
Ontario studies show wealthy, white, Canadian-born men — especially those who are unmarried — are the heaviest drinkers. That’s not the only group that drinks too much, of course, but it’s a clear reminder alcohol affects more than the most vulnerable subsets of society.
Is a glass of wine with dinner each night going to kill you? Probably not. But if that glass is topped up regularly and leads to nearly a bottle per night, there are probably serious shortterm and long-term consequences to consider. And remember, one drink means a five-ounce pour of wine at 12 per cent alcohol.
The question is, what is an acceptable amount of alcohol to consume? Generally, no more than two drinks per day for women and no more than three for men — with nondrinking days every week. And with that in mind, here are five light whites that contain 12 per cent alcohol or less. Carolyn Evans Hammond is a Torontobased wine writer. She is also a Londontrained sommelier and two-time bestselling wine book author. Reach her at carolyn@carolynevanshammond.com.