Is Wine Paleo?
Paleo Wine 101
As we always say, drinking alcohol or wine on the Paleo Diet is a personal choice. If you’re choosing to include alcohol as part of your paleo life then be sure to educate yourself on the best alcoholic beverages or wines to choose. If you are focused on weight loss, then you should definitely severely limit any alcoholic beverages. We’ve covered the basic paleo alcohol choices previously, so here’s paleo wine 101 and the answer to the question is wine paleo.
Wine can very much fit into the Paleo lifestyle, that is, if the proper wine is consumed. With so many mixed cocktail drinks that use “wine” as a moniker, anyone who is not totally knowledgeable about alcoholic beverages may fall into a non-Paleo nightmare.
How is wine Paleo?
As you may already know, the Paleo lifestyle attempts to replicate, as closely as possible, the dietary habits of our Stone Age ancestors. Surely, they did not drink wine, but the wine that the modern man consumes, good wine, that is, has essentially zero preservatives. Like vinegar, wine is about aging and fermentation. The longer it ages, the better it tastes, and the better it is for you, actually. The antioxidant content found in red wine is universally known to be heart-healthy. Even dry, white wine can be heart healthy, and be a much better alternative for a sleepless night than a potentially-addictive prescription drug.
What wine should I drink?
Let’s look at what wine you should NOT drink to make it easier for you.
Forget “wine coolers,” sangria, and other wine-based drinks that open the door to tons of sweeteners.
Also avoid Moscato, Chardonnay, “hard cider,” wine spritzers, “choco wines,” and sweet, red table wines. There are wines out there that are so sweet they even post it quite proudly on their labels. They give themselves names that range from “jelly doughnut” to “creamsicle.” There is a reason for those names: added artificial flavors that are loaded with sugar.
As far as plain wines, however, these are the words you want to look for:
White wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Brut sparkling wine, extra dry (for sparkling wines, too), Prosecco, Cava, and Marlborough
Red wines: Bikaver, Bull’s Blood, Rioja, Cabernet Sauvignon
Basically, avoid wines that you could use to enhance food. “Drinkable” wine has often a very unique personality that is to be enjoyed separately, to get the full experience of the taste, the body, and the aroma. Cooking wines can be tasty, but they are sweet and this is the essential Paleo problem: sugar.
One glass of what most folks call “good” wine is a pleasurable experience. To properly enjoy an this alcoholic beverage, it does not have to taste like dessert, be of a crazy-looking color, or wear an umbrella dangling from it.
Good wine does not have to be expensive either. It is not true that, in order for it to be good, wine has to be pricey, or French, or belong to any specific brand. There are tons of Napa Valley, Washington State and Upstate New York wines that have far surpassed French and Italian wines in several categories. Wine is like you: It does not have to “fit a mold.” However, the best ones all share these traits: they are full-bodied, floral, and bold in taste. Let’s pay some respect to wine as the most ancient and respected drink in the world. One that is mostly enjoyed by connoisseurs, and not by people who want a “quick buzz. Enjoy a beautiful glass of wine with your meal tonight. Paleo Cheers!
So, is wine paleo? If you choose the correct wines, based on the above tips you will not wreck your paleo lifestyle.
