Skip to Content
Features

How to Enjoy Wine Healthfully as Part of the Mediterranean Diet

Our contributor explains the health benefits and best practices of moderate wine consumption as part of the Mediterranean Diet.

Chianti Bottle, fiasco, and two glasses of red wine on white background

Chianti Bottle, fiasco, and two glasses of red wine.

Wine has been enjoyed for both health and gastronomic purposes in Italy and the rest of the Mediterranean for thousands of years. The tenets of the Mediterranean Diet allow for wine in moderation.

Red wine has been shown to have specific health benefits because it is fermented with its skin, which contains a more concentrated amount of the antioxidant polyphenols and flavonoids. For example, Myricetin is a flavanoid, an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory substance that promotes brain health and anticancer properties. Epicatechin is also an antioxidant with cardiovascular health and blood sugar regulation. These antioxidants provide cardiovascular protection by preventing blood clotting and reducing arterial plaque. As a bonus, they prevent tumors from growing as well.

Combining red wine with a good quality extra-virgin olive oil will enhance its health benefits while lowering the glycemic load of the alcohol. Red wine also contains polyphenols, like Resveratrol, that are believed to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, glucose and lipid regulatory, neuroprotective, and cardiovascular protective effects. For this reason, it is now sold in concentrated amount in capsule form. Studies suggest that such polyphenols can protect against diverse chronic diseases.

It’s important to note that most doctors do not advise patients who currently abstain from alcohol to begin drinking specifically for health benefits because antioxidants can be found in a wide variety of plant-based foods. For those who do drink, the Cleveland Clinic recommends two 3½-ounce glasses of red wine for men and one 31/2-ounce glass for women per day.

Amy Riolo, right, as part of a panel explaining the health benefits of wine consumption.
Amy Riolo, right, as part of a panel explaining the health benefits of wine consumption. Photo by Tina Boyadijeva.

Here are 5 Ways to Enjoy Wine Mediterranean Style:

1. Metron Ariston – The ancient Greek term by Cleobulus, one of the Seven Sages of Greece, which recommends enjoying things “in moderation.” The Cleveland Clinic guidelines above are a good gauge.

2. With food – Be sure to eat while drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol.

3. In company - Epicurus said, “We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink,” and this still holds true today. We consume less, absorb more nutrients, and digest our food better when we eat and drink in company. Friends and loved ones can also be accountability partners in our goals to not overindulge.

4. Wine and water alone – In the Mediterranean countries where wine is consumed, such as Italy, water and wine are the predominant drinks in the diet. Once you start adding soft drinks, artificially sweetened lemonade, chemically rich sports drinks, and artificial powders along with wine to the diet, it becomes full of unhealthful sugars.

5.  Perception - View wine as an accompaniment to a healthful lifestyle that deserves being enjoyed and savored properly, mainly with others and at joyous or communal occasions, instead of as a stress-reliever or a way to forget about life’s problems or loneliness.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Appetito

Flour + Water Brings Frozen Pizza to San Francisco Area Homes

Flour + Water Foods introduces frozen pizza made at its North Beach Pizzeria, bringing three handmade favorites into the San Francisco Bay Area freezers.

September 18, 2025

Where Ossobuco Meets Bison: Tutti Bene Bozeman

Tutti Bene is open in downtown Bozeman with Italian dishes and Montana flavors.

September 18, 2025

Bosco Opens in San Francisco with Italian Cooking and Forest Design

Bosco opens in SoMa with chefs Ryan McIlwraith and Kaili Hill serving housemade pastas, wood-fired dishes, and a thoughtful wine and cocktail program.

September 17, 2025

Leonardo DiCaprio Invests in Sustainable Champagne Telmont

Champagne Telmont, backed by Leonardo DiCaprio, blends more than a century of tradition with a bold sustainability program that redefines luxury.

September 16, 2025

Olive Oil Is Not an Afterthought at Sea on Board Oceania’s Allura

On Oceania’s Allura, Italian dining shines at Toscana, where an olive oil concierge and authentic recipes prove that dining at sea can rival meals on land.

September 16, 2025
See all posts