Salvation Army soldiers commit to abstain from the use of

IN PRAISE OF THE GRAPE AND ITS JUICE

Wesley Paxton wonders why grape juice can’t be produced and promoted as an alternative to wine

RECENT media comment has advocated again the often promoted view that wine ‘in moderation’ – quantity and percentage of alcohol usually unspecified – is a way to keep the brain younger. Similar claims are often also made about reducing the risk of heart attacks.

I first read such claims many years ago, and one piece of advice had an important qualification: the wine had to be red. White did not count; neither did alcohol from beer, cider or any of the spirits. It went on to claim it was something in the skins of the grapes used to make the red wine that entered the juice on crushing and stayed there. What was not claimed in that article, or in any I have read since, is what seems to be obvious: the same benefits could be obtained by eating red or black grapes, or drinking their juice without waiting for the alcohol to be produced.

In our society, where alcohol seems to be essential at almost every occasion, having a ‘dry’ period, such as Dry January or during Lent, usually has overtones of a penance with a return to ‘normal’ at the end. We are also warned of the dangers to health and society of excess, with the excesses of binging, especially by the young on Friday and Saturday evenings, being well documented.

Apart from exhortation, which so far has not been very effective, attempts at control have been minimal. In Scotland we now have a minimum price per unit of alcohol. By raising the price for all, the expectation is that this will reduce overall consumption, including by the bingers, thus punishing all for the actions of the few. Or it may increase shoplifting if the bingers are unwilling to pay higher prices!

All wine starts life as grape juice, which is available in most supermarkets. There is no indication of the country and region of origin, grape variety or year of production. It invariably tastes the same wherever and whenever it is bought. How the blenders manage this is quite an achievement since, with wine, the origin, its area and even the vineyard and the weather are crucial in producing its taste, and in making it a vintage or just an average year for that wine. All

are supposed to be different, hence the hundreds of varieties of wine in a well-stocked establishment. All these variables appear to go out of the cellar window when just juice is being produced.

So, can we raise the status of juice by going along the wine route? This would involve bottling some of the juice straight from the press and labelling it by variety, vineyard, region, country of origin and year of production. We could then compare a Cabernet Sauvignon from somewhere with a Merlot from somewhere else and expect them to have a different taste. Pasteurising or some other treatment may be needed to give it an acceptable shelf life, and it might improve with ageing. Apart from reducing obesity, drivers at least ought to be pleased at an additional area of choice beyond the usual orange juice. Everything needs to be done for the first time. Customers cannot buy what is not on offer, so it is a self-defeating argument to claim something will not sell before test marketing has taken place.

In January 2016 we were all advised to have two ‘dry’ days each week. If we had the choices mentioned above, many would find this easier to accept. Wine is typically a bit over 10 per cent alcohol, meaning almost 90 per cent is something else. Exactly why this small proportion of alcohol is deemed so important is a question rarely asked. What the larger proportion contributes to the taste ought to be at least as, if not more, important.

Over to you, supermarkets, the drinks trade, vineyard owners and the health lobby. When can we have grape juice by vintage that will taste different from just red or white? In August last year we were told there is no safe level of alcohol to drink, so we definitely deserve a better choice and it is time for that choice to be provided and promoted.