Whether wine is a nourishment, medicine or a poison is simply a matter of dosage," said 16th century physician, Paracelsus, the father of modern pharmacology.
It's a quote listed on the website of the world's most famous oenotherapist, "wine doctor" Dr Philip Norrie.
As a senior medical examiner, he may just have to pop into the morgue on the way to his surgery, thus delaying our interview, but as luck would have it, no one has died and Norrie is soon on the line with nothing more than a slight cold.
"Occupational hazard from the job," sniffs the Sydney-based GP and medical historian. After 33 years in the job, it's fair to say he knows a thing or two about what kills people.
Norrie has just joined forces with Annie Winmill and Kathleen Corsbie at Southern Wines New Zealand to release a Kiwi version of his resveratrol enhanced wines. The brand is called Balancing Act, wines that have had their naturally occurring 1-2mg of resveratrol per bottle boosted to 75mg, effectively making it "the healthiest beverage in the world", according to the good doctor.
Resveratrol has been identified as the antioxidant in wine which helps make us healthier. One of the main ways the body degenerates is by oxidation, the same process that causes rusting, says Norrie. Hence the massive international interest in antioxidants; they're the substances that slow this deterioration. Humans need antioxidants to fight free radicals that can contribute to all sorts of nasties such as cancer, dementia, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes. The main antioxidants in wine (and nature's most potent examples) are epicatechin, quercetin and resveratrol. They're found mainly in the skins of grapes and they've been shown by researchers at the University of California (Davis) to reduce oxidation by up to 100 per cent.
So why don't we just eat grapes or take a pill full of powdered resveratrol?
"The fermentation process in winemaking liberates these antioxidants from the grape skins," explains Norrie. One of resveratrol's main benefits is that it helps keep arteries clear of fatty deposits. Combine that with alcohol (itself an anticoagulant) and you have a formula for maintaining healthy blood flow.
"Plus, the best way to absorb resveratrol is via the mouth," says Norrie, "which studies have shown has an absorption rate 250 times better than that from the gut, so taking capsules is not the best way to take it."
Fast forward to Norrie creating an odourless, tasteless method of adding resveratrol to wine during bottling. Once he'd developed and patented it in Australia, Norrie looked for partners overseas and via friends in the industry, he met Annie and Kathleen at Southern Wines. "Over the past four years, while we've been working to secure this opportunity, we've learned a lot about the benefits of resveratrol and we are truly excited at the opportunities ahead," says Annie. "Our hopes and aspirations are to enlighten those who want to remain healthy and enjoy wine in moderation, to prevent unwanted illnesses and enjoy a healthy and happy life."
"Moderate" daily wine consumption is considered to be four standard drinks a day for a man and two standard drinks a day for a woman. (For more information see www.cheers.org.nz.)
"When I go into debate with [anti-alcohol] people I say, 'Tell me the downside to drinking in moderation' and they can't, because there isn't one," he says. "I'm not an advocate for abuse, I'm not an advocate for getting pissed, I'm an advocate for drinking wine in moderation daily, which is what I encourage my patients to do. Some so-called health professionals say you should have two alcohol-free days a week. Well, I say those two days are the two days you're going to have your heart attack because you're not receiving your anticoagulants, your antioxidants and your anti-inflammatories. You need to view them like vitamins. The body doesn't store vitamins and that's why we have to have them on a regular, daily basis."
Norrie joins a growing group of medical professionals from top universities and hospitals around the world in championing moderate daily wine consumption. International studies have showed that wine drinkers reduce their mortality rate by 50 per cent.
Now the 40-year Zutphen Study (Netherlands) has come out showing long-term light alcohol intake lowered cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risks, and increased life expectancy by five years in comparison to teetotallers.
"The anti-alcohol people can't explain this," shrugs Norrie. "They also separated people who drank alcohol into beer, wine and spirits consumers, and the people who regularly consumed a moderate amount of wine lived longer than anybody else."
He's quite outspoken, meaning critics are never far away. "Robert Mondavi [US winemaker] was a great supporter of mine. He said, 'You're saying in Australia what doctors over in the USA want to say but can't because they'll get sued.' I've been doing this for so long now I welcome criticism because I like to shoot them down in flames. Show me the facts, show me the data, I refer them to my PhD and say, 'If that's good enough for Hippocrates*, then it's good enough for me."'
*Hippocrates, the father of medicine, included wine in every one of his recorded remedies.
Two sips to try
Balancing Act Marlborough/Waipara Sauvignon Blanc 2012, $19
A snappy blend of sauvignon blanc sourced from Marlborough and Waipara, it's had its resveratrol enhanced to 75mg, giving it the same antioxidant levels as the pinot noir. Expect nettles, fresh herbs and gooseberry and capsicum aromas, followed by crisp, tangy, tropical flavours on the palate. southernwines.co.nz
Balancing Act Resveratrol Enhanced Central Otago Pinot Noir 2011, $24
Fruit from the Alexandra Basin was used to craft this super-fruity pinot noir. Boosted to 75mg resveratrol it has berry and cherry notes on the nose and a silky mouthfeel. A darn good drink, with a hint of red liquorice on the finish. southernwines.co.nz