Our FAQ

Culture
- Culture of wine
  
  Culture of wine
  
  Wine has evolved as part of life, culture, and diet since ancient times. A cultural symbol, the role of wine has transformed over time, moving from an important source of nutrition to a cultural complement to food and conviviality. The art of viticulture and winemaking has also evolved; with some wine regions even being recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage.
- History and tradition
  
  History & tradition
  
  The culture of wine in Europe predates the Romans: in ancient Greece, wine was praised by poets, historians, and artists. Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, represented not only the intoxicating power of wine when abused, but also its social and beneficial influences.
- How to taste wine
  
  How to taste wine
  
  A greater understanding of wine can and will enhance your enjoyment of the product. The essence of wine lies predominantly in its colour, aroma, and flavour. It is the diversity of these attributes that has fascinated wine consumers for centuries, while winemakers continually seek new - and rediscover old - techniques to enhance varietal characters.
- Plan your visit
  
  Plan your visit
  
  Wine and culinary experiences have become a driver of destination choice for an increasing number of leisure travellers.
  The popularity of oenotourism has indeed seen a continuous growth over the years and will continue to do so as experts believe that it is operating at only 20% of its potential and could easily double in the near future.
- Wim day
  
  Wim Day
  
  The Wine in Moderation Day was established for the first time in 2023. With this day we aim to educate and empower consumers to enjoy wine responsibly and in moderation and by sharing the culture of wine.
  
  To mark this special day, we invite our members and partners around the world to organise a specific day fully dedicated to talking and elaborating on the importance of moderation in our every day lives.
Moderation
- What is moderation
  
  What is moderation?
  
  Enjoy the best wine has to offer, and discover our guidelines for a low-risk consumption of wine.
- Wine & health
  
  Wine & health
  
  The way you drink matters It is recommended to follow a moderate and responsible drinking pattern: enjoy wine with the meals, alternate with water, and always avoid binge drinking. Consuming moderate amounts of wine regularly with a meal has been associated with several health benefits, especially if the meals are inspired by the Mediterranean diet. When drinking a glass of wine, the amount you drink is not the only important factor, how you consume it will also matter: this is known as your “drinking pattern”.
- Wine & diet
  
  Wine & diet
  
  Wine has always been an important part of diet, gastronomy and conviviality and has been changing from an important source of nutrition to a cultural complement to food over the years.
- Wine & Calories
  
  Wine & calories
  
  A balanced diet is the key element for a healthy lifestyle, and calories are not the only thing that should be considered, the diet should be seen as a whole.
  Moderation when consuming food and beverages is recommended, however, you might be wondering about your daily calorie intake and the number of calories that are found in wine.
  
  Calories vary from wine to wine, and the exact number of calories will depend both on the alcohol and the sugar content of the wine you have chosen.
- When not to drink
  
  When not to drink
  
  Learn more on who and when drinking should be avoided.
- Drinking & Driving
  
  Drinking & driving
  
  As with any other alcoholic beverage, the consumption of wine affects the capacity to perform certain activities, such as driving. The alcohol impacts one’s ability to drive, it affects the psychomotor functions of the driver, their vision as well as their behaviour and attitudes.
- Pregnancy
  
  Pregnancy
  
  The internet probably gives different answers and some of your friends might even have indulged in a glass or two when they were expecting, but what are the real dangers linked to consuming alcoholic beverages during the pregnancy?
- Under-legal age individuals/adolescents
  
  Under-legal age individuals/adolescents
  
  Underage individuals should not drink.
  
  Since adolescents are still in a phase of physical development, their tolerance to alcohol is not fully developed as it is the case for adults.
  
  Young people are therefore at particular risk from alcohol consumption because it interferes with their growth, brain development (drinking, at any time before the brain development is complete, may later adversely affect brain function), nutritional status, and personality development.
- Faq
  
  Faq
  
  Faq
Our community
Professionals
- Why join Wine in Moderation?
  
  Why join Wine in Moderation?
  
  Whether you are a small or big winery, whether you are a wine professional working in marketing, wine tourism, or the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Wine in Moderation programme is for you!
- Get involved
  
  Get involved
  
  Discover how you can get involved with Wine in Moderation !
- Take action
  
  Take action
  
  As part of Wine in Moderation, you can develop small or large-scale activities depending on your scope and resources, the structure, and the needs of your national market, etc.
  
  These activities can vary from education to communication and target both professionals and consumers about the inherited values of wine culture, as well as the social and health risks related to the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.
  
  Learn more by visiting our dedicated page.
- Register as a Supporter
  
  Register as a Supporter
  
  Register as a Supporter and join our movement for a sustainable culture of wine !
About WIM
- What is Wine in Moderation ?
  
  What is Wine in Moderation
  
  Wine in moderation is for all wine producers and wine professionals who want to responsibly present, sell and serve wine!
- Our History
  
  Our history
  
  Since its creation in 2008, Wine in Moderation has continued to evolve over the years.
  Discover our history.
- Our Values & Principles
  
  Our values & principles
  
  What are the values and principles that guide Wine in Moderation?
- Social Sustainability
  
  Social sustainability
  
  Social sustainability is at the heart of Wine in Moderation, what guides us on a daily basis?
- How it works?
  
  How it works
  
  Discover how Wine in Moderation works.
- Our team
  
  Our team
  
  Get to know our team and our Board of Administration.
- Our reports
  
  Our reports
  
  Accountability has been at the heart of the Wine in Moderation Programme since the very beginning, to present in a tangible and measurable way our contribution to encourage responsible and moderate drinking patterns and reduce the misuse and abuse of alcohol. The performance of the programme is based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the investment (input) and the results (output) and are assessed with the support of all our national contact points.
  Take a look at our Implementation Reports.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why can men drink more wine than women according to the drinking guidelines?
Research has shown that men and women don’t metabolise alcohol the same way. If a woman and a man drink the same amount of alcohol, the woman’s Blood Alcohol Level (BAC level) will most probably be higher than the man’s. And this is due to several reasons, women tend to have:
- A lower body weight and size,
- An overall lower percentage of body water and higher percentage of body fat compared to men: this means the alcohol is more concentrated.
These reasons contribute to a slower elimination of alcohol from the body in women. It is therefore recommended for women to drink less than men.
2. What is the Blood Alcohol Concentration?

Better known as the BAC, the Blood Alcohol Concentration refers to the level of alcohol in a person’s blood. The more you drink, the higher your BAC will be. But your BAC level will also vary depending on your size, your gender, your age, and whether you have had something to eat recently. For more information, visit our dedicated page on drink and drive .
3. Can I drink wine while taking my medication?

You should avoid drinking any alcoholic beverages while taking medications or if you have certain diseases. We advise to ask your doctor when taking medication, and if your doctor advises not to drink alcohol, make sure to also ask him how long you should wait after your treatment is finished (so for example if you have been prescribed antibiotics, make sure to ask your doctor if you can drink a glass right at the end of your treatment or if it best to wait a little bit longer).
4. I am diabetic: can I drink wine?

The positive effects of a moderate consumption of wine and other alcoholic beverages are only relevant for individuals with type-2 diabetes.

Type-2 diabetes is now one of the most common non-communicable diseases in the world and a major cause of premature illness and death in most countries. To prevent diabetic complications and premature death, patients are recommended to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Recent scientific studies have demonstrated that a light to moderate consumption of wine/alcoholic beverages will improve insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant people.

In addition, large population studies suggest that light to moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages is associated with a lower diabetic risk than abstaining or heavy drinking, independently of the type of alcoholic beverage consumed.

This does not apply for certain individuals and/or in certain situations. If you have any questions, please ask your medical doctor. For more information about wine and diabetes, please visit the Wine Information Council website.
5. How can I calculate a drink unit ?

The alcohol content of alcoholic beverages varies from one beverage to the other. By legislation, the alcohol content by volume (% abv) must be indicated on the label. To calculate the number of drinking units, it is necessary to know the grams of alcohol contained in the alcoholic beverage and how to translate % abv into grams of alcohol. To translate volume (e.g. ml) to mass (e.g. grams) and vice versa, it is necessary to know the density. Alcohol density d=0.8 g/ml. Thus: a wine at 12.5 % vol contains 12.5ml of alcohol/100ml of wine x 0.8 g/ml = 10 g of alcohol/100 ml of wine. This is the equivalent of 1 drinking unit (= 10 g). (A drinking unit can vary from 8-14 g of alcohol depending on the country) This way it is easy to assess the number of units you are consuming. For example, 125 ml of wine (12.5% vol), will translate into 1.25 drinking units and 175 ml of wine (12.5% vol), will translate into 1.75 drinking units.
6. Is it safe to drink alcoholic beverages during my pregnancy?
The safest option is to not drink any alcoholic beverages during the pregnancy and while trying to get pregnant. When you drink an alcoholic beverage while pregnant, the alcohol travels through your blood and into the baby’s blood tissues and organs. This means that whenever you have a glass a wine, so does your baby. This can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome in case of excessive drinking and lifelong damages such as malformations of the embryo, brain damage, poor growth, birth defects, born prematurely or underweight, learning problems, and other less severe difficulties.
- These problems are permanent and can range from mild to severe.
7. Can I drink alcoholic beverages while breastfeeding?
Scientific research suggests that alcohol passes through the milk and may have a negative effect on the psychomotor development of the baby. If you choose to breastfeed, it is therefore recommended not to drink any alcoholic beverage.
- For more information about drinking during your pregnancy or while breastfeeding, ask your gynaecologist or your midwife.
8. Will I sober up if I drink a cup of coffee before leaving the party

Contrary to common belief, drinking a cup of coffee before leaving a party will not make any difference to your BAC level if you have had a couple of glasses of wine. The only thing you need to sober up, is time as your body can only metabolise the amount of alcohol at a constant rate every hour.
9. If I stop drinking 2h before driving home, will I be ok?

Stopping to drink 2h before taking the car will not always be enough. The only thing you need to sober up, is time as your body can only metabolise a certain amount of alcohol at a constant rate every hour. The number of alcoholic beverages you have had and the period of time over which you have consumed them will determine how much time you should wait until you are sober again. Our advice is to avoid consuming drinking alcoholic beverages when you drive, but if you would like to have more information, you can test this BAC calculator .
10. Can I drive in the morning after a big night out?

It depends on the amount of drinks, the speed at which they were consumed and the type of alcoholic beverage you chose. This will not always be true. Your body is only able to eliminate a certain constant amount of alcohol per hour. Your BAC levels could still be above the legal limits.