Newest Diet Study: Good News – And A Caution

Yes, the latest news  on the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet is welcome amid the constant flood of anti-alcohol news and badly done studies, even if the wine part was buried or absent from many of the news articles.

THE CAUTION

The anti-Mediterranean diet folks and the NeoProhibitionists, however, are a lot quicker on the responses than the wine industry.

This piece yesterday from Dean Ornish (Researcher: New Mediterranean Diet Study “simply not true”) shows just how much he is on his game. His response leveraged all the publicity about the new Mediterranean diet study by coming out the same day. And managed to blunt the impact of the new study just a bit.

And this piece from today’s Napa Valley Register (Study ties cancer deaths to alcohol) shows just how persistent a badly done anti-alcohol study can have.

Just imagine what might have been had the wine industry been prepared last week to counter the “alcohol=cancer” study the same day it appeared in the press. Dr. Ellison’s analysis was available for that pre-emptive strike nearly two weeks before. And, yet, it was a well-kept secret.

The science is there. But no one lifts a finger to promote it.

ONE ANSWER

In the absence of any steady and consistent fact-based voice that can credibly guide consumers, junk science and anti-alcohol screeds will continue to take center stage and misinform people.

Given that none of the wine industry trade groups has seen fit to use any of their collective millions of dollars in membership dues to step up to the table, and given further that this is a significant issue of both public health and the well-being of the industry, a volunteer effort by wineries seems to be the only possible response.

But, organizing wineries to do most anything is like trying to turn cats into a synchronized swimming team.

I will gladly offer Wine Industry Insight as a forum and resource to get this started.