Monthly Archives: January 2012

The Academic Wino is on Vacation!

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Becca| 1 Comment

I just wanted to make a quick note to let you know that there will be only one post up this week (Tuesday’s post:  Chestnut Wood as an Alternative to Oak Wood: Differences in Aromatic Potential) since Becca is on vacation in the Rocky Mountains!

This week, Becca is in Breckenridge, CO enjoying some great skiing with her boyfriends’ family, and will be posting new posts starting next week.

Cell phone picture taken by Becca in Breckenridge, CO

In the meantime, here are some older posts from the past couple of months that you may cruise through, in case you missed them:

 

Social Media

Don’t forget, in addition to signing up for emails or other various feedburner updates (which you may sign up for at the top of the home page), you may follow The Academic Wino on Facebook and Twitter!

Want to Guest Post on The Academic Wino?

We’re always accepting guest posts on The Academic Wino (unpaid), provided the article meshes with the overall theme of this blog.  Send Becca an email at becca@academicwino.com/ if you are interested!

Cheers!

Posted in Other

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Chestnut Wood as an Alternative to Oak Wood: Differences in Aromatic Potential

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Becca| 9 Comments

Nearly every single person reading this blog is well aware of the fact that fermenting and aging wine in oak barrels adds wood-specific sensory characteristics to the wine, which come from certain volatile chemicals in the wood interacting with the volatiles in the wine itself.  This extraction of volatile compounds from the wood to the wine also tends to decrease the astringency of the wine, as well as changes the color of the finished product.  Microscopic pores in the wood also allow for minute oxygen transfer in and out of the wine, which significantly affects the flavor and quality of the beverage.

http://tomsworkbench.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Barrel.jpg

The most frequently used wood, which again a lot of you know, is oak heartwood, specific species including Quercus alba (American oak), Quercus petraea (Matt.) and Quercus roburL. (French oak) and which have all been extensively studied and dissected in the literature.  Another species of oak that has frequently been used in barrel cooperage is Quercus pyrenaica, which comes from the Iberian Peninsula in Spain.  More recently, other types of wood have been considered for barrel cooperage, including chestnut, cherry, acacia, ash, and mulberry, however, only oak and chestnut are approved by the International Enological Codex of the International Organisation of Vin and Wine for making barrels.

Historically, chestnut barrels have been used for storage and transport, due to lower costs and wide availability.  Studies have found that chestnut oak is rich in gallic acid and tannins, and have therefore has been frequently used as a source for commercial tannin agents, protection against oxidation reactions, and stabilizing color.  Studies have also found that chestnut oak has a higher concentration of low molecular weight polyphenols than oak, and those beverages that are aged in chestnut will thus exhibit higher antioxidantactivities than beverages aged in oak barrels.

One less desirable trait for chestnut barrels is that the wood has a higher porosity than oak.  As a result of this higher porosity, more oxygen can diffuse into the wine, creating a situation where oxidation may occur much more rapidly than if the wood were aged in oak barrels.  Therefore, longer aging regimes are not ideal for chestnut oak barrels, though wines aged for shorter periods of time may do well in these barrels.

To date, few studies have examined in great detail the composition of volatile compounds in chestnut barrels and how this may affect quality of the wine that is aged in them.  The aim of the study present today was to study the composition of volatile compounds of chestnut wood, examine its chemical profile, and evaluation the aroma potential based on the presence of certain volatiles.

Methods

This study compared three oak species from the northwest area of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain; Q. robur L., Q. petraea Matts Liebl., and Q. pyrenaica; one oak species from the United States (Nashville, Tennessee); Q. alba; and chestnut wood from Lugo in northwest Spain; Castanea sativa Mill.

Disks were obtained from each tree from a distance of 1.3m from the base of the trunk. 20x20x40mm samples were taken from each disk for processing.  These wood samples were dried and then ground using a mechanical mill and sieved, to create a homogenous sawdust sample for analysis.

Volatile compounds were isolated and analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis.

Results

  • There was great variability in the levels of different volatile compounds in all of the wood species, which are explained by natural variations caused by geographical location and individual tree effects.  Even though there was great variability, there were still significant differences with some compounds.

           Furanic Compounds:

  •       The same furanic compounds were found in all wood samples.
  •       The most common furanic compounds were furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and 5-methyfurfural.

o   Sensory characteristics of these compounds: caramel, toasted notes, honeyed notes.

  •       There were no significant differences between any of the wood species for the following compounds: furandicarboxyaldehyde and 2-furanmethanol.
  •        There were no significant differences between chestnut and the other oak species with any furanic compounds except Q. robur, which showed the highest levels of furfural, 1-(2-furanyl) ethanone, 5-methylfurfural and 5-hydroxymethlyfurfural.
  •       Chestnut samples contained intermediate levels of furanic compounds compared to the other oak species.
  •       Q. pyrenaica and Q. alba species showed the lowest levels of furanic compounds.

Lactones:

  •       There was an absence of β-methyl-γ-octalactone in chestnut samples.

o   Sensory characteristic of this compound: intense coconut and wood.

  •       There were significant difference in lactone levels in Q. alba and Q. pyrenaica when compared with Q. petraea and Q. robur.

o   Q. alba(American oak) had higher levels of β-methyl-γ-octalactone.

o   Some samples of Q. pyrenaica had high levels of β-methyl-γ-octalactone.

Terpenic compounds:

  •       Sensory characteristics: floral, fruity, tea, tobacco
  •       3-oxo-α-ionol and vomifoliol were not detected in chestnut samples.
  •       Only α-terpineol and methyl dihydrojasmonate were detected in chestnut samples, at intermediate concentrations compared to the oak species.
  •       Q. pyrenaica had the highest concentrations of terpenic and nonisoprenoid compounds, with very high levels of α-terpineol and methyl dihydrojasmonate.

             Aliphatic aldehydes:

  •       Nonanal and trans-2-nonenal, decanal, and 2,4-nonadienal were present in all wood samples.

o   Sensory characteristics: sawdust, vegetal, cardboard.

  •       There were no statistical differences between chestnut and the oak species; however, there were high levels of these compounds found in Q. robur.
  •       The flavors associated with these compounds can be reduced or removed in the toasting process.

Volatile phenols:

  •       Chestnut had the highest concentrations of guaiacol, methyl guaiacol, and propylguaicol.
  •       Vinylguaiacol levels were not significantly different between chestnut and any of the oak species.
  •        High levels of syringol and allyl syringol were found in chestnut samples, however, propenyl syringol was not found.
  •       Significant levels of eugenol, methoxyeugenol, and isoeugenol. 

o   Isoeugenol levels were significantly higher than any other of the oak species.

o   Sensory characteristics: spicy, intensely woody.

  •       Eugenol levels were highest in American oak, though they were not statistically higher than any other sample, except Q. petraea which had eugenol levels significantly lower than Q. alba.

o   There is no clear relationship between eugenol levels and wood species.

Other results:

  •       Overall, when comparing chestnut wood with other oak species used in barrel cooperage, it was found that chestnut wood has high levels of volatile phenols that are similar to most other oak species. 
  •       Many phenolic aldehydes were also found in all species, the most abundant being vanillin, which is indicative of a vanilla flavor/aroma in the finished wine. 
  •       The phenolic aldehyde profile of chestnut was very similar to all other oak species. 
  •        Significantly higher levels of vanillin, acetovanillone, butriovanillone, vanillyl ethyl ether and methyl homovanillate were found in chestnut samples.

o   Vanillin levels in chestnut were most similar to vanillin levels in the oak species Q. alba (American oak).

  •       Vitamin E was the only triterpenic compound that was significantly different in any of the wood species, with Q. alba containing the highest levels of the compound.

Can you identify the type of wood based on its chemical profile?

  •       After linear discrimination analysis, it was found that one can distinguish between different wood species based on some volatile compounds, including α-terpienol, decanal, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, cis-β-methyl-γ-octalaone, vanillin, isoeugenol, acetovanillone, and coniferyl alcohol.

o   This mathematical model represented 100% of the total dispersion.

  •       Using this mathematical model, 93.5% of the samples were properly identified solely based on their compositions of the above compounds.

 

Figure 1 from Alanon et al, 2012.

Summary

Based on the chemical analysis of this study, it appears as though Chestnut is a perfectly acceptable source for wood in barrel cooperage for wine, as it displays similar flavor profiles to many other oak species already used in cooperage.  The sensory attributes of wine aged in chestnut barrels won’t be exactly the same as wine aged in oak barrels, however, since levels of all volatile phenols and other compounds aren’t exactly the same.  Slight differences in the concentrations of certain compounds are enough so that the sensory characteristics of wine aged in chestnut barrels will be different than wine aged in oak barrels.

Even though the volatile and chemical composition of chestnut wood is similar enough to oak to provide a good alternative for barrel cooperage, it should be reminded that because the micropore size in chestnut wood is larger than oak species, oxygen will diffuse into the aging wine faster than it would in an oak barrel, thus allowing for possibly higher rates of oxidation.  This is one aspect that wasn’t examined in this study, but only referenced.  It should be noted that even while chestnut is a good alternative to oak in regards to the sensory characteristics of the finished wine, it should be noted that aging for extended periods of time may not be recommended due to higher risk of damaging oxidation.  For those seeking an alternative to oak barrels and who are only interested in short-term barrel storage, it appears that chestnut may be the right answer.

One final result that I thought was particularly fascinating was the result from the linear/canonical discriminatory analysis.  Based on a selected number of compounds, the authors were able to correctly determine the wood species in nearly all of the samples (93.5% of them, anyway).  This result only received a small mention in the paper, and I think it would be interesting to see a more detailed study.  According to the authors, future studies examining the consequences of the differences in chemical compounds and their sensory qualities in wine are on the way.

What do you all think of this study? Love it? Hate it? What would you like to see done differently? I’d love to hear what you think!  Please feel free to comment below.

Source: Alañón, M.E., Castro-Vázquez, L., Díaz-Maroto, M.C., Pérez-Coello, M.S. 2012. Aromatic potential of Castanea sativa Mill. compared to Quercus species to be used in cooperage. Food Chemistry 130: 875-881.

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.07.111
I am not a health professional, nor do I pretend to be. Please consult your doctor before altering your alcohol consumption habits. Do not consume alcohol if you are under the age of 21. Do not drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly!

Posted in Enology

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New Formulations of Fungicide May Alter Sensory Characteristics in White Wine

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Becca| 19 Comments

Fungicides are frequently used in viticulture to treat and prevent various diseases such grey mould (Botrytis cinerea), powdery mildew (Erisiphe necator), and downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola).  New formulations of fungicides are currently being tested to replace older, more controversial applications, which may provide similar if not better protection than the older methods.  Active ingredients considered in the new formulations include benalaxyl, benalaxyl-M, boscalid, cyazofamid, famoxadone, fenamidone, fluquinconazole, iprovalicarb, metrafenone, proquinazid, pyraclostrobin, trifloxystrobin, valifenalate, and zoxmide.

http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/
lessons/fungi/Oomycetes/Article%20Images/
DownyMildewGrape09.jpg

After application of the fungicide, the residues are able to seep across the skin of the grape which can pass through the winemaking process and potentially alter the quality of the final wine.  Some research has shown that fungicide residues are responsible for slowly down or stopping alcoholic fermentation all together, which was found to be due to negative effects on the yeast and bacteria used in the process.  Other research has shown that these negative effects on alcoholic fermentation of grapes exposed to fungicide treatment can alter the chemical components of the wine, thus altering the phenolic composition and sensory characteristics.

The study presented today sought to examine the influence of new formulations of fungicides on the synthesis of volatile compounds in wine, as well as the sensory characteristics and overall quality.

Methods

The experiments performed for this study were field trials located in Ribadavia, in Galicia, northwest Spain (2009 vintage) at a vineyard producing white grapes (Vitis vinifera Godello cv). The vineyard plot was 2000m2, which was divided into 12 rows with 35-40 vines per row.  Vines were spaced 1m apart, with 1.8m between rows.  Vines were 10 years old and were trained on a double cordon trellis.  Different treatments were applied to control for downy mildew, powdery mildew, and grey mould.  Rows were divided randomly into four plots (A, B, C, and D).  Then, different phytosanitary treatments were carried out in each plot.  9 applications were performed, at different phenological stages, using a M-83-E hand-gun sprayer.

For downy mildew, the following treatments were used:

·         Cabrio Top (55% metiram + 5% pyraclostrobin) and Fobeci (35% folpet + 6% benalaxyl + 3.2% cymoxanil) (applied in May)

·         Mandipropamid was applied as an active substance in plot A.

·         IR-5885 (6% valifenalate + 60% mancozeb) was applied in plot B.

·         Mildicut (2.5% cyazofamid) and Equation Pro (22.5% famoxadone + 30% cymoxanil) were applied to plots C and D, respectively.

·         The last application of all treatments was 3 days before harvest

·         Rows 11 and 12 were left untreated during the final application to serve as the control.

For powdery mildew and grey mould:

·         5 applications for powdery mildew treatment :

·         Talendo (20% proquinazid) was applied to plots A and D.

·         Vivando (50% metrafenone) was applied to plots B and C.

·         2 treatments for grey mould, 1 application each:

·         Cantus (50% boscalid) was applied to all plots.

·         Switch (37.5% cyprodinil + 25% fludioxonil) was applied to all plots.

Grapes were harvested in September, and at least 15 randomly selected bunch samples from each plot were used for analysis.

Single vinifications were performed, and there were no repetitions/replications.  Standard vinification techniques were used (I can provide details if you need them: just ask!).

After bottling, the following parameters were measured: pH, alcoholic degree, total maximum real acidity, total maximum sulfur.

Fungicide residues were measured using solid phase extraction clean-up, and by gas chromatography analysis.

Wines were tested in a sensory analysis for quality (color, aroma, taste, and mouth feel) by 7 trained/experienced panelists from the Valdeorras appellation in Spain.

Results

Fungicide Residues in Grape Samples after Harvest

            Control of Downy Mildew:

  •       Residues of benalaxyl, cymoxanil, folpet, and pyraclostrobin were not detected in grapes, except for plot D (which had later applications of Equation Pro).
  •       Applications of mandipropamid in plot A showed residual concentrations in grapes that was lower than maximum levels allowed established by the European Union.
  •       Applications of mandipropamid in plots B, C, and D showed residual concentrations in grapes that was higher than maximum levels allowed established by the European Union.
  •       Applications of IR-5885 in plot B showed residual concentrations of valifenalate in grapes that was higher than maximum levels allowed established by the European Union.
  •       Applications of Mildicut in plot C showed residual concentrations of cyazofamid in grapes that was higher than maximum levels allowed established by the European Union.
  •       Applications of Equation Pro in plot D showed residual concentrations of cymoxanil and famoxadone in grapes that was above and close to the maximum levels allowed established by the European Union.

Control of Powdery Mildew:

  •       Applications of both Talendo and Vivando in all plots showed residual concentrations of proquinazid and metrafenone in grapes that was below the maximum levels allowed established by the European Union.

Control of Grey Mould:

  •       Applications of both Cantus and Switch in all plots showed residual concentrations of boscalid in grapes that was below the maximum levels allowed established by the European Union.

Dissipation after Winemaking?

  •       After the white winemaking process, there was a high (90%-99%)  dissipation of fungicide residues initially detected, with the exception of valifenalate, which only had 32% dissipation. 

Sensory Analysis

  •       6 sensory attributes were significantly different between the wines created by grapes treated with different fungicide treatments and the control:

o   Odor intensity, apricot and floral odors, and flavor intensity were lower in wine A (from plot A) than the control.

o   Apricot and floral odors were lower in wine B (from plot B) than the control.

o   Color and odor intensity were higher, and apricot and floral odors were lower in wines C and D (from plots C and D) than the control.

o   The acidity from wine C was higher than wine D, with the control wine acidity falling in between the two.

  •       Summary of results after many statistical analysis and tests:

o   There was a predominance of floral odors (with a distinct apricot odor) in wines made from grapes treated with downy mildew fungicides.

o   Quality was related to the balance of odors, and acidity levels.

o   Odor fineness was negatively correlated with a bitter taste.

o   Limpidness was positively associated with melon notes.

o   Viscosity was associated with tropical and Mediterranean fruit odors.

o   Odor intensity and persistent flavors were associated with citrus and herbaceous odors.

o   Bitterness was associated with green apple odors.

o   Overall quality was associated with dryness, smoothness, acidity and fruit tastes, and flavor intensity.

o   In summary, higher levels of fungicide residues result in higher color shades, higher tropical fruit odors, and higher sweet tastes.

In Summary

The new fungicide formulas tested resulted in fungicide residues in grapes that were close to or higher than levels currently allowed by the European Union.  Even though the majority of these fungicides dissipated after the white winemaking process, the exposure was ample enough to alter the flavor characteristics of the final wine. 

One problem I have with the result is that there was only one wine made per plot (no replication).  It is not completely clear if the results found were because of any particular fungicide treatment, or because of a difference in that particular batch of winemaking.  I’d like to see more replication by these and other authors, to be completely certain of the results.

It was also not clear to me whether the finished wines were poorer in quality than the controls, or if they simply just tasted different.  Different taste doesn’t necessarily mean poorer quality, so I am hesitant to draw any conclusions as to which fungicide treatment would be the best option.

What do you think of the results?  Are you seeing something in these results that I missed?  Feel free to leave any comments below.

Source: González Álvarez, M., Noguerol-Pato, R., González-Barreiro, C., Cancho-Grande, B., and Simal-Gándara, J. 2012. Changes in the sensorial attributes of white wines with the application of new anti-mildew fungicides under critical agricultural practices. Food Chemistry 130: 139-146.

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.07.018



I am not a health professional, nor do I pretend to be. Please consult your doctor before altering your alcohol consumption habits. Do not consume alcohol if you are under the age of 21. Do not drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly!

Posted in Viticulture

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Higher Rates of Wine Consumption are Associated with Lower Rates of Traffic Fatalities: Suggestions for Policy Changes

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Becca| 6 Comments

There have been many studies performed examining the economic effect of alcohol policies in the United States (i.e. taxes and minimum drinking age), however very little has been done regarding the distribution of these alcoholic beverages.  Currently in the United States, there is significant variation from state to state regarding how alcohol is sold within their borders.  In 12 states, no alcohol is sold in grocery stores; in 6 states, only beer is sold in the grocery stores; in 15 states, only beer and wine are sold in grocery stores; and in 17 states, beer, wine and spirits are sold in grocery stores.

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The most common concern is that increased alcohol availability is more dangerous for consumers, in regards to policies related to alcohol distribution and traffic fatalities.  Many policy makers believe that the total amount of alcohol per beverage is more relevant than the type of alcohol that is consumed, which is a belief not shared by some.  Data from the 48 contiguous United States between the years of 1982 and 2000 indicate that states who consume more wine than any other alcoholic beverage have lower traffic fatalities than states who consume more beer and/or spirits.

There is much debate whether or not to allow the sale of certain types of alcohol in grocery stores in the United States.  Lobbyists claim that by introducing wine into grocery stores, there would be increased alcohol consumption and would lead to higher alcohol-related traffic fatalities.  On the other hand, state and local government would benefit from having wine sold in grocery stores, as they would be able to collect taxes or other revenue on each bottle purchased.  What isn’t clear in the literature to date is whether or not there is a clear link between wine sales in the grocery stores and alcohol-related traffic fatalities.  Most of the research to date does not investigate different types of alcohol individually (i.e. beer, wine, spirits), and only examines total alcohol.

Some studies have examined other regulations involving alcohol in the United States, including alcohol taxes, the minimum drinking age, and Sunday sales.  In regards to the minimum drinking age, studies have shown that lowering the minimum drinking age would not have a significant effect on traffic fatalities in the United States.  In regards to instituting an alcohol tax, some studies have found that an alcohol tax would effectively lead to lower traffic fatalities.  In other studies, this response is primarily gender-driven (males) and the effect is relatively small.  In regards to selling alcohol on Sundays, studies have found no significant link between allowing sales of alcohol on Sundays and increased traffic fatalities.

One study published recently took these data and examined links between different states policies regarding alcohol sales in grocery stores and the associated consequences (in regards to traffic fatalities).  The authors examined how alcohol distribution policies affect the price of the beverages, which was then tied to their influence on total amounts of alcohol consumed, which was finally tied to their effects on traffic fatalities.

The study presented today aimed to address these issues two different ways: 1) by differentiating between state that sell no alcohol, sell beer in grocery stores, sell beer and wine in grocery stores, and sell beer, wine and spirits in grocery stores; and 2) by modeling the effect of grocery store alcohol availability on alcohol prices and consumption, then modeling the effects of total consumption and type of alcohol consumption on traffic fatalities.

Data

The data used for this study was for the 48 contiguous United States for the years 1982-2000.  Prices, consumption, and traffic fatality data were collected from various government agencies.  Demographics were not ignored, and variables included: income, population living in dry counties, population between 18 and 29 years of age, population over 65 years of age, types of alcohol consumed in populations associated with different religious beliefs, and tourism income. 

Data were analyzed by creating mathematical models and accompanying statistics which will not be discussed in this post.

Interesting Findings

There were several fascinating results of this study:

Price:

  • In states that sell beer only in grocery stores, prices were 7% higher for wine and spirits.
  • In states that sell beer and wine in grocery stores, prices of beer were 5.1% lower, prices of wine were 6.8% lower, and prices of spirits were 4.4% higher.
  • In states that sell beer, wine, and spirits in grocery stores, beer and wine prices were lower, but there was no change in spirit prices.
  • Higher levels of unemployment were linked to lower prices of wine and spirits.
  • Prices were lower in states with a larger population between the ages of 18 and 29 and states with a larger population of people over 65 years old.
  • Wine and spirit prices were higher in states with a larger proportion of dry counties.

Consumption:

  •       States that sell beer and wine in grocery stores have 12.9% higher beer consumption rates and 48.6% higher wine consumption rates.
  •        States that sell beer, wine, and spirits have higher consumption rates of beer and wine, but lower than that of states that sell beer and wine.
  •        States that sell beer and wine in grocery stores have a 16.3% higher rate of spirit consumption.
  •       States that sell beer, wine, and spirits do not change significantly in their consumption rates.
  •       With states that sell beer and wine in grocery stores, there is an increase in wine consumption.
  •       There is a positive and significant income effect for wine and spirit consumption (higher income = more wine and/or spirits consumed), whereas there is no significant income effect for beer.
  •       There is a positive and significant tourism income effect on alcohol consumption (more tourists = higher alcohol consumption).
  •       There is increased consumption of all types of alcohol in states with higher Catholic populations.

Traffic Fatalities:

  •       Increases in total alcohol consumption increase traffic fatalities.

o   A 1% increase in alcohol consumption results in a 0.00156% increase in traffic fatalities.

  •       Higher rates of beer and spirit consumption are associated with higher rates of traffic fatalities.
  •       Higher rates of wine consumption are associated with lower rates of traffic fatalities.

Other Results:

  •       States with alcohol available for sale after 10pm had higher traffic fatality rates (this association is highest with youth fatalities).
  •       Increases in miles traveled are associated with higher traffic fatalities.
  •       State seat belt laws decrease traffic fatalities.

Suggestions for Policy Changes

There are many fascinating results of this study, but one that is perhaps the most striking is that wine consumption is associated with lower traffic fatalities than beer or spirit consumption.  Also, sales of alcohol after 10pm are associated with higher rates of traffic fatalities.  One policy change that the authors suggest is that grocery stores should reconsider the time of which alcohol may be sold, and that there should be restrictions on the hours alcohol can be sold to consumers (perhaps, stop selling alcohol at 10pm).

Before the authors could stake any claims that allowing wine into grocery stores would not have a negative effect on traffic fatalities, even though the data show wine consumption is associated with lower rates of traffic fatalities, they offered up results of two model simulations examining exactly what would happen if wine and beer were introduced into stores, and what would happen if wine were introduced in stores already selling beer. 

All simulations involved many parameters and mathematical equations which will not be discussed here.

Simulation 1: Introducing beer and wine into grocery stores

  •       There was a negative and significant effect on beer and wine prices, and a positive and significant effect on spirit prices (i.e. beer and wine prices drop, spirit prices rise).
  •       Total alcohol consumption increased.

o   Beer and spirit consumption decreased, though not significantly.

§  This would thereby increase wine consumption, which based on the results of the actual data would decrease traffic fatalities.

Simulation 2: Introducing wine into grocery stores that already sell beer

  •       The price of beer, wine, and spirits significantly decreased.
  •       The price decrease for wine is twice that of the decrease in Simulation 1.
  •       Total alcohol consumption increased significantly.

o   Beer and spirit consumption decreased, though not significantly.

§  The introduction of wine into grocery stores already selling beer would have no significant effect on the rate of traffic fatalities.

Suggestions for Policy Changes

Overall, the results of this study indicate that even though total alcohol consumption was positively correlated with increased traffic fatalities, the type of alcohol consumed significantly affected how this trend occurred.  For example, high beer and spirit consumption revealed increases in traffic fatalities, whereas high wine consumption revealed decreases in traffic fatalities.  Therefore, the authors claimed (and I agreed) that any argument against selling wine in grocery stores appears to be misguided, and that selling wine in grocery stores may have the opposite effect of what they claim.  The idea that wine contains higher alcohol per unit than beer and therefore higher consumption of wine means that traffic fatalities will increase is a false one, and needs to be reevaluated by policy makers.

In summary, the results of the data analysis and simulation analysis indicates that introducing wine in grocery stores will not lead to increased traffic fatalities, and should not be so vehemently lobbied against in state governments throughout the United States.  Wine sales in grocery stores will not only not contribute to the traffic fatality rate in the United States, but could represent a new source of income (via taxes or other fees) for state governments.

There is a lot of talk about with this subject, more than which there is space to discuss in a single blog post.  I’d love for you all to continue the conversation by leaving comments below (click on the comments tab at the end of this post and leave your thoughts)!

Source:  Rickard, B.J., Costanigro, M, and Garg, T. 2011. Regulating the availability of beer, wine, and spirits in grocery stores: Beverage-specific effects on prices, consumption and traffic fatalities. American Association of Wine Economists Working Paper 95.

*I’d like to thank one of my readers for suggesting this paper for me.  If you find a paper you’d like me to present to my readers, please let me know:  Becca@academicwino.com/
I am not a health professional, nor do I pretend to be. Please consult your doctor before altering your alcohol consumption habits. Do not consume alcohol if you are under the age of 21. Do not drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly!

Posted in Politics

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