The combination of wine and health was discussed at a conference near Manduria organized by journalist-vineyardist Bruno Vespa, who brought together a table of real experts for the occasion.
Is the combination of wine and health possible or not? The topic, which has always been heated and debated, was explored in Manduria. The occasion was the two-day event organized by Bruno Vespa in the setting of Masseria Li Reni to celebrate with the opening to the public of the winery’s 10-year anniversary “Vespa Vignaioli per Passione“.
Bruno Vespa’s adventure as a winemaker started in 2014, from the very beginning he focused on the involvement of the entire family, Mrs. Augusta and sons Federico and Alessandro. Alla domanda sul perché abbia preferito questa zona e non un’altra ha risposto: “ I chose Apulia, a region kissed by God for the wonders that nature offers, and I chose Manduria, in the province of Taranto, very close to the Ionian Sea, because my friend Riccardo Cotarella, who accompanies me with his extraordinary sensitivity, decided to share the bet of making great native wines“. The winery, which is headed by Gianfranco Fino, covers an area of about 46 hectares of which 34 are vineyards, located between Manduria and other neighboring areas with a production of around 400 thousand bottles
. The masseria, understated but elegant, is a place of great beauty, has 16 suites, including two tonneau suites overlooking the vineyards, some with private pools, then a SPA and the restaurant, Donna Augusta opened in 2021 and led by star chef Paolo Gramaglia, which enhances local ingredients.
Yes to moderate and conscious consumption
The event, which hosted illustrious names in journalism and medicine, turned the media spotlight on the land of Primitivo di Manduria. In dialogue with Bruno Vespa were: Giorgio Calabrese, president of the Food Safety Section of the National Committee, Massimo Massetti, director of Cardiac Surgery at Policlinico Gemelli, Michele Mirabella, journalist and host of the program Elisir on Rai3, and the president of the world’s oenologists Riccardo Cotarella.
In Europe, there are still those who push for a healthier direction and seek to equate wine consumption with cigarettes by including a requirement for a label warning about the risks of alcohol.
Giorgio Calabrese: no alcohol for kids
The consensus is that wine should be consumed in moderation and consciously. “Wine is a liquid food, not a beverage. It is composed of water, between 70 e 90%, e ethyl alcohol, between 6 e 16% and for the remainder sugars, glucose and fructose – sentenced Giorgio Calabrese -. Two glasses a day on a full stomach does no harm, rather they provide our body with nutrients and antioxidants.”
“Kids, on the other hand, should not drink alcohol. – continued Calabrese –, their liver is not adapted to metabolize it, if they start drinking wine at 18 they could continue until they are a hundred. È in discussione l’abuso di alcool, non l’uso moderato. There is little or no talk about superalcoholic beverages, we preach wrongly about what can be problematic on average: the alcohol content of wine is around 14°, the alcohol content of superalcohol touches 40°. The gap is wide, so why is the comparison being made? “.
Massimo Massetti: wine has protective effects on the cardiovascular system
“Wine has been demonized – reiterated Massimo Massetti -. The genetic factor is conditioning but also the lifestyle and the eating habits. L’uso equilibrato del vino ha effetti positivi e protettivi sul cuore e sul sistema cardiovascolare e poi delle proprietà non biologiche. Il vino stimola le relazioni e la socialità e crea condizioni di benessere che attraverso complessi meccanismi agisce sull’ipertensione e le infiammazioni croniche “.
Michele Mirabella: moderation of consumption
Wine should be shared sparingly; in 28 years of Elisir episodes, I have learned that moderation of controversy should equal moderation of consumption, the more controversy, the more transgression is pushed. So you end up advertising excess and not wine – stressed Michele Mirabella -. L’ubriacatura non era condivisa nemmeno dai poeti. Puleio diceva: “Il primo bicchiere appartiene alla sete, il secondo all’allegria, il terzo alla voluttà ma il quarto alla follia “.
The debate was interesting and engaging, surely we would need more of them in the land of Primitivo with such a distinguished parterre.
At the end of the work, we had a chance to do a mini vertical of the Salento Bianco Donna Augusta, one of the winery’s flagship wines.
TASTINGS
