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When it comes to drinking alcohol this holiday season, the right amount matters. Wine Growers Canada has a calculator to help you be more mindful of your consumption.
Our resident wine expert and bon vivant Natalie MacLean, author of the national bestseller Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much, is here to tell us more.
When it comes to drinking alcohol this holiday season, the right amount matters. Wine Growers Canada has a calculator to help you be more mindful of your consumption. Our resident wine expert and bon vivant Natalie MacLean is here to tell us more.
First off, which Canadian wines are you recommending for the holidays?
Domaine de Grand Pre L’Acadie
Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, Canada
Domaine de Lavoie Sparkling Rosé
Montérégie, Quebec, Canada
Creekside Laura’s Red
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada
Winemaker’s Cut Gruner Veltliner
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, BC V.Q.A., Canada
Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia V.Q.A., Canada
How do you define the right amount of wine?
The right amount of wine varies by person and for some, the right amount is none because of a medical condition, pregnancy or a host of other reasons. Health Canada’s guidelines remain the same as they were in 2011: two drinks maximum per day for women, 10 per week, and three per day for men, or 15 per week.
Why should we measure how much wine/alcohol we are consuming?
There’s a reason we don’t eat an entire chocolate cake at dinner. That excess doesn’t taste or feel good, nor is it good for us. We’re also not savouring the cake as we would with the right sized serving – the right amount.
Wine is like that, too. It’s the drink of conversation over a good meal, to be savoured slowly for all its sensory pleasures. There’s a reason wine isn’t served in a shooter glass – it’s not meant to be knocked back quickly like some other alcoholic drinks.
Not all glasses of wine are created equal?
Knowing what’s in your glass is key to understanding the right amount. Not all glasses are created equal, nor are all wines. Some glasses are fairly small, like this flute glass, and yet I’ve seen others that are so large they can hold the contents of an entire bottle. Then after you’re finished you can use them for a steam facial.
Similarly with wine. We assume that all 750 ml bottles of wine contain five glasses of wine, so five standard drinks. But this bottle has 4 standard drinks and this one has 7. That’s because they have different levels of alcohol. All of these factors all come into play to understanding the right amount for you.
How can someone figure out the right amount for themselves?
You can find the website calculator here and easily access it on your smartphone.
You drink wine for a living, but you’ve also had some personal experience in finding the right amount of wine for yourself personally.
You can find the drinks calculator at therightamount.ca and more about Natalie’s book at her website nataliemaclean.com
