OWC Alcohol free wine has been declared not acceptable for use as Communion Wine. The Church of England has given it a defiant refusal. Church law states that wine must be the fermented juice of a grape for it to be consecrated by a priest. Holy communion is one of the central sacraments of the faith which uses bread and wine to symbolise the body and blood of Christ. It is reported that the Catholic church do approve the use of mustum - a non alcoholic grape juice for congregants and 'priests suffering from alcoholism'.
OWC A new wave of drinks using plants and other components can give the impression that you are enjoying an alcoholic drink, when they are actually alcohol free. Known as GABA drinks (short for gamma-aminobutyric acid). They help regulate our nervous system, keeping us calm and relaxed. So you can have a few drinks, which will give the same buzz as drinking alcohol. Sentia drinks offer 3 different spirits Gold, Red and Black aimed at lifting the spirit without the hangover which would follow. Designed to be mixed with tonic or fizzy water or chilled over ice.
OWC On the subject of hangovers. Experts have discovered that hangovers get better as we grow older. Research has found that we gain a tolerance to morning after symptoms over time. The research published in the journal, Alcohol and Alcoholism, surveyed 761 Dutch drinkers aged 18 - 94. It was carried out at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Health psychologist Abbie Jordan stated that ' hangover frequency and severity decrease with age' when interviewed by the BBC Science Focus magazine.
OWC A major new study, published in the journal Nutrients has concluded that red wine, even when consumed in moderation, is no better than white wine at warding off cancer and neither of them reduce the risk of developing any type of tumor. Researchers at Brown University in Rhode Island USA looked at multiple studies concerning the relationship between wine consumption and cancer in nearly 100,000 people. It is assumed that red wine's anti cancer reputation is based on the fact that grape skins are packed with health boosting compounds, the main one being an antioxidant called resveratrol. Red grapes contain much higher concentrations of resveratrol than white, hence their reputation for aiding in the fight against cancer. One reason put forward by the researchers is that it may be that the alcohol itself is carcinogenic, offsetting the benefits that resveratrol provide. It is claimed that the data, pooled from more than 40 separate studies provided a more powerful result as opposed to smaller stand-alone studies and was a conclusive result.
OWC With the weather warming up, time to enjoy a really cold beer. Scientists in China have come up with the reason why chilled beer tastes so good. It seems that it is all to do with how alcohol behaves at different temperatures. It was established by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences that by mixing different strengths of ethanol with water at different temperatures there is more of an 'ethanol' taste, i.e. bitter and slightly sweet in cold beer. This was so, when solutions with 5 per cent ethanol, a similar strength to beer were chilled at 5C. The findings published in the journal Matter suggest that drinks could be made with low alcohol levels and a strong ethanol taste.
OWC It was reported in 2024 that seven out of ten alcoholic drinks sold in restaurants, pubs and bars in the UK were short measures! The chartered Trading Standards institute carried out 137 test purchases of beer and wine across the country. Some 96, around 70 per cent were considered to be a shorter than full measure. The shortage on average was 4 to 5 percent. The institute advised that customers demand an immediate top up, and if refused taking it up with their local trading standards office.
OWC One of my earliest blogs mentioned the average bottle of wine being purchased in Supermarkets was around £6.50. A more recent research commissioned by Lidl suggests that wine drinkers typically spend £9.00 on a bottle for themselves but raise it to £12.50 if they are hosting guests, to impress. A poll of 2000 drinkers found that 44 per cent spent more, when hosting at Christmas, with this rising to 56 per cent when buying as a gift. Three-quarters surveyed, said that they spent more than they wanted to and 35 per cent said they spent more as they were keen to show off to their guests. Over half said that there are too many options to choose from, 46 per cent saying they didn't know how to identify a good bottle from a bad one and 23 per cent said that simply buying wine was stressful.
OWC There is a legal requirement for all businesses that hold personal data to have a privacy policy, even though not many people care to read it. This was tested by The Tax Policy Associates who planted a clause in their terms on their website saying that it would 'send a bottle of good wine to the first person to read this'. It took three months for the clause to be spotted, but it was worth it for the eagle eyed spotter, A bottle of Chateau de Sales 2013/4 Pomerol.
OWC It seems that Champagne sales are falling flat, plunging to a 25 year low. A very recent article blamed the tough cost of living situation in the UK and the increasing alcohol free lifestyle of younger drinkers as a big cause. The cost of a bottle of champagne has increased by 25% over the last three years, whilst the market for prosecco and cava is booming. Nozeco (non-alcoholic sparking wine) is extremely popular with projected sales to grow up to £800 million, more than double the current consumption rate, over the next few years.
