How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?
No matter the type of wine from white wines to red, cabernet sauvignon to pinot noir and sauvignon blanc it’s a standard drink that doesn’t raise eyebrows if you drink at home alone or out in a social setting, in fact, if you say you are stressed someone might even say relax have a glass of wine. Are we drinking too much alcohol in the form of wine as a way of dealing with stress or is it simply a great way for different people to unwind and enjoy as a wine lover? Is drinking wine to get away from stress a form of alcohol abuse or a way to unwind?
Are we drinking too much wine as a way to cope with stress as modern women are becoming a common question being asked? In this blog post we talk about how it now seems like the norm for wine drinkers to reach for a glass of wine as a way of stress relief and how this is seen as acceptable but with more stress in daily life facing us, could this become an issue without noticing, with more of us becoming a heavy drinker, not a casual drinker and when we stop will more of us face issues from alcohol withdrawal or without alcohol as a form of stress relief??
As we move away from dry January are we looking at our drinking or is it just a fad month after a month of excess over Christmas to make us feel better? Do we as women need to be looking at our drinking or relationship with that bottle of wine? Especially as we head into a cost-of-living crisis bringing even more demands of us after the pandemic, with stress from work and home, could this be the trigger?
A standard wine bottle shared between a friend would probably empty without too much effort and even an order of a second. But then as working mums that’s probably a rarity to get a night off or time to catch up, so where is the harm? But equally, it’s becoming more common at home, finishing an entire bottle of wine with our partners or on our own in the working week is nothing shocking and yes it is more likely those meet-ups or dinners at home carry a bottle of wine during some especially tough days or weeks. So is that bottle of wine in times of stress something we need to be watching, is it becoming the modern crutch, is it not so much about the amount of wine but more about the reason we turn to the wine we need to address in modern life?
According to some recent articles that are trending around this topic, wine is becoming more of a self medicate to get through a tough week to numb and stop those issues around us on a more regular basis than a one-off evening drink. And the concerns around how this socially acceptable drinking could start to become a real issue without warning if relied upon to relieve our stresses. Let’s be honest it’s been a stressful few years and heading into a cost of living crisis I can see how this trend could become a serious issue without even noticing.
It’s a socially acceptable drink from casual drinking at home alone through to special occasions or dinner parties but perhaps the more concerning and troublesome trend is the fact it is openly seen as a reward after a tough day without challenge.
As we continue through into another year that continues to hold many concerns from the cost of living crisis and having only just gotten through a pandemic are we going to start to see our relationship change and become more dependent on that glass of wine to get us through?
I don’t think it’s uncommon during periods of stress to crack a bottle of wine open on an evening and not that uncommon to finish it but could we start to become too dependent on that bottle of wine most nights to get us through? While we may think of someone who drinks too much or has “a problem” as that 20yr old going out every weekend binge drinking or the employee that always drinks too much at events. Is the real danger that the bottle of wine we open when we get back to the safety of our home is the best way to us get through what’s been an especially bad day, weekend, week, or month alone or with our partner or friends?
One study found that one of the ingredients (resveratrol that is found in red wine) can block enzymes linked to stress, depression, and anxiety. One study also found that it can block corticosterone the product proceeded when our body is in a state of stress. And if on odd occasions we are reaching for a glass after an occasional bad day and are keeping within our guidelines is there an issue?
A standard bottle of wine bottle holds around 4 average glass of wine of 175 ml of wine serving. Although in bars you will generally receive a standard pour of wine or a standard measure of 125ml as a standard size serving, at home well that’s potentially larger servings of wine!
Alcohol guidelines from the NHS better health are that they recommend drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more. That’s around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine as your number of servings.
More and more reports coming in saying that reaching for a bottle of wine is a stress reliever, especially for working women, and even reported health benefits. What is our modern relationship with wine, and does it need to change, or do we need to question it? Or is it simply when used to the guidelines in the right amount just a well-deserved glass of wine after a tough week and simply nothing more sinister than that?