The Art of Mindful Drinking with Thoughtful Wines

Sep 30

Vero was started with the idea to go a bit against the grain of usual wine importing businesses. For example,

we specialize in small producers, which importers traditionally avoid since wine import & distribution is an economies of scale business - for us, the smaller the better;
we focus on wines that are new to the US market, introducing new winemakers, grapes, styles and places most people are not familiar with;
we want people to sip and savor our wines while learning of the artisanal intricacies that went in to farm and make them.

In this spirit, when our founder, Sheila Donohue, met Stephanie Fee Maschek, a wine industry professional who has switched her focus to wellness and health, she learned about the concept of mindful drinking which is one of Stephanie’s ethos, and felt that it tied in with the mission of Vero. She asked Stephanie to share her thoughts on this subject. Here it is:

American vs European Drinking Culture

Americans are universally talking about their relationship with alcohol, or shall we say, our self-awareness in regards to the unhealthy parts of our relationship with alcohol. Nervously turning it down in the days following over-consumption, stressing about social implications at the table over whether we do or do not partake, or opening up our health coaching apps tableside, we are all seeking a better, healthier way forward.

Meanwhile, across “the pond,” Europeans are talking about their lives, likely over a bottle of wine that complements their meal. They are present at the table and they look each other in the eyes rather than eating with a side of technology.

A group of friends sipping and savoring wine together.

If you have sat at the table with Europeans often, as I have, you may have noticed that, unlike so many of us Americans, they seem to absorb the nuances of the aromas, flavors and company that grace the table. It’s not obnoxious or obvious, it’s natural. In my experience, I have also noticed that no one is paying attention to how much or how little people are drinking. When in Europe, I have felt freedom from pressure to drink or not drink.

I am not bashing this American life or trying to make an unfair comparison with other countries because the truth is, history is what has defined alcohol-culture and ours is in stark contrast to Europe.

There is a lot of talk about mindful drinking these days. As a fan, I think that the European model is a terrific parallel, making it easy to comprehend in theory and in actuality. That said, if you simply can’t relate, you can look forward to reading more information in this blog post on what mindful drinking is, ways to drink more mindfully and how to begin practicing alone, with family or in large social settings.

Personal Perspectives

If you are struggling with paying attention to quality, lessening quantity and reaching for moderation, like I have at points in my life, I hope that mindful drinking might help you as much as it has helped me.

As a Certified Master Health Coach obsessed with the science behind alcohol, I am no stranger to the recent data pointing to the negative impacts of alcohol to your health. Yet, like many of you reading this article, I still want to drink. Having spent over 15 years in the wine industry before leaving to start my wellness company, NOCK Sustainable Wellness, I have never lost my love or appreciation of fine wine, or, as they say at Vero, wild and scarce wines. More specifically, I want to enjoy wine in my glass, and I refuse to feel bad about it ever again.

Feeling bad about it, in my opinion, only causes more harm than good because that Barolo you just cracked open should never be sipped with shame and guilt. Nothing you drink or eat, not even an inexpensive or dare I say, cheap, wine should torment you as you drink it. Further along in this article we will address quality and how you can mindfully choose your wine selection while aligning with your financial capabilities.

Right now you might be thinking that it is strange that this article encourages self-control over over-indulgence because, well, Vero imports wine. Wine importers, as you likely understand, are also wine merchants and want to sell the wines they import and of course, every business has financial goals.

Vero is no different except that founder Sheila Donohue, wants to encourage appreciation over inebriation because she and the farmers who produce the scarce and wild wines in the Vero portfolio, want you to be well.

A bottle of **Brunello** with a charcuterie board ready to enjoy mindfully.

They want you to remember how much you enjoyed the wines: like to open a bottle recalling that time when you and your friends tried Schioppettino red wine for the first time, got the back story and learned about the uniqueness of the wine and the people who made it.

They want you to remember how extraordinary a really good Brunello di Montalcino is with a gorgeous laden charcuterie board, and to buy wine and food on the basis of what grows together, goes together and discover different pairings from the regions of Italy and around the world.

Your hangover does fine wine no justice, and anyway, what good is a wine company that can’t go beyond the blanket statement of drink responsibly and actually do something about it?

Perhaps it’s time to get honest and recognize that binge drinking has negatively impacted our industry. The pendulum has swung so far in the direction of binge-tendencies and now we are feeling the impact.

The latest popular weight loss drug is being touted as a way to reduce alcohol cravings and people are buying it in droves even though it is also showing to have adverse effects on the stomach. The top alcoholic “spiked seltzer” brand, has released a non-alcoholic product, signaling that they are responding to consumer market trends and the zero proof spirit shelves are overflowing with new brands entering the markets at a rapid pace.

Where does that leave Vero’s scarce and wild wines? In the zone of appreciation.

We are ambassadors of the art of wine making and enjoyment.. We are experts in terroir-driven, family-farmed, sustainably cultivated wines that speak of the geography, history, climate and souls that contributed to their fine tannins or high-toned berry fruit, the shape of the bottle or the name of the winery.

And there’s one thing we want for you, to be immersed in the pleasurable experience of coming to know, befriend and understand wines of this nature.

Enter Mindful Drinking

What is mindful drinking?

To put it simply, mindful drinking is paying attention to physical and emotional sensations.

What does that mean?

It means that you will understand how you are feeling and the impact your emotions might have on the way you drink or why you are drinking on any particular occasion.

One way to practice mindful drinking is to pick special and natural wines to sip and savor, wines that come straight from the grapes!

It means that you will notice how the alcohol is affecting your body. While alcohol takes only 10 minutes to absorb into your system, it is in full effect about 30-90 minutes from the point of drinking. Through drinking wine slower, part of a mindful drinking practice, you can avoid overdoing it, enjoy a few glasses of wine over a longer period of time and relax.

It means that you will start reaching for appreciation over inebriation because you will realize how great you feel before, during and after a mindful and moderate drinking experience.

Finally, it means that you get to release all of those fears of weight gain, being judged by others for drinking or not drinking, wake up on time and still get out for a feel-good morning walk with your dog or a spinning class.

While you can certainly find mindful drinking meditations or mindful drinking apps to help enhance your moderation support system, one of the greatest things about it is that you can do it without it costing you a thing.

Not only is it completely free in practice, it is discreet because all it takes is your mind and your body. The only thing anyone will notice is how present you are in the moment because you are giving your full attentiveness. When you drink mindfully alone, you can enjoy a relaxing moment with a snack, slowing down and unwinding.

As a good friend and winemaker of mine from Northern Italy once said to me after she heard yet another American telling her about a recent “detox,” “I don’t have to detox because I don’t believe that I have toxic behaviors.” She wasn’t being judgmental, rather her face read confused.

Per the latest science, there are a lot of good reasons to quit drinking altogether however, for many of us the notion of quitting altogether isn’t our goal. And, let’s not forget the positive health implications of social enjoyment.

If you are like many friends of mine, in and outside of the industry, you might complete Dry January every year or finish a 21-Day Alcohol Challenge. That’s a great accomplishment, no doubt, and at the same time, we could be approaching drinking with extremes.

Enter the All or Nothing Mindset

About 5 years ago, after I completed the last 21-Day, zero alcohol challenge I will ever complete, I was so excited for a crisp glass or rosé champagne. I called two friends, invited them over for dinner and picked up 2 bottles. Each one of my friends brought 2 bottles of wine of their choice. Need I say more? All. Or. Nothing.

That brutal hangover prompted me to promise myself that I would stop counting the days and simply pay more attention to making even the smallest decisions in support of my health, energy and moderation.

It isn’t that I haven’t over consumed wine with good friends on a great night after that experience. In fact, I have. But what I have done is exited what, for me, was a disruptive way of relating to alcohol.

Mindful drinking can positively impact the connections you make with alcohol and help support you in forming a new, more consistent habit of moderate consumption.

While your stress levels or cravings may be coercing you to open up your favorite, inexpensive bottle of wine most evenings, if you, like so many Americans, are on a quest to overcome the damaging side effects that come from inebriation and other drinking habits that had adverse health effects, I have a great alternative for you that was mentioned already multiple times but this time, I think it deserves to stand alone.

**Saturnia Bianco** is a great option for a meditation wine.

Appreciation

So many people I know who are not blessed with copious amounts of free samples, as frequently happens for those who work in the wine industry, have their go-to, bottle for drinking wine every day that ranges between $5-$15 a bottle.

Let’s take a 3 bottle per week habit at the $5 per bottle price and transform inebriation into appreciation, shall we?

3 bottles x $5 per bottle x 4 weeks = $60 per month

How about 3 bottles x $15 per bottle x 4 weeks = $180 per month

Here is an opportunity for us to show you how you can drink more mindfully, discover the true pleasure of wine drinking, maintain the same budget you currently have and you can even become a wine expert in the process.

Here are a few examples of fine wines that you could appreciate and trade up your current drinking routine for less often is more satisfying.

Pick some meditation wines

When deciding to mindfully drink, now is the time to bust out special wines. These are wines that not only you want to sip and savor, but that are complex, structured, and interesting enough to evolve in your glass and keep you thinking about the wine. It could be perhaps a non-traditional natural orange wine, like one of VinePair’s Best Orange wines of 2023, the La Maliosa Saturnia Bianco, made from indigenous varieties in Tuscany. Or the complex Bricco from biodynamic powerhouse Case Corini that is a blend of native piemontese varieties from Lorenzo Corinos personal experimental vineyard. If you are feeling more traditional, you can try the new vintages of Italian red wine mainstays the Barolo Ginestra and Brunello di Montalcino. Or, to wind down the dinner (even though this wine pairs exceedingly well with foie gras or blue cheese), splurge on the super limited production botrytized sweet wine Picolit, on the list of the 13 Best Sweet Wines of 2023, with the highest rating of all!

There are so many different options for a meditation wine one could pick - sometimes it’s hard to pick just one!

Or Be Alcohol Aware and Go Lower Alcohol

Another way to offset alcohol consumption, is to choose wines with an overall lower alcohol content. Great alternatives are sparkling Pet Nat style wines that have fermentation take place in the bottle, like the newest vintage of Frignano’s Scurone or Bugno Martino’s Essentia, both Lambrusco alternatives or go white with the Codolà, a glera (the prosecco grape) wine. Low alcohol wines that also have a touch of residual sugar in them, like the Col del Balt Extra Dry Prosecco and the Ivaldi Brachetto d’Acqui, are people pleasers and great for beginning wine drinkers. Fun fact, both wines were named ‘best of 2023’ by VinePair, the Extra Dry Prosecco in the prosecco category and the brachetto in the sweet wines category. One last low alcohol wine that pairs great for food (a fun alternative this holiday season) is the pet nat and super rare Boschera. To be honest, this wine covers both of these mindful drinking categories, as it is not only a fun meditation wine, but also lower in alcohol and delightfully bubbly.

Learn to Mindfully Drink

Now that you have an idea of the quality to price trade up you can do if you curb the frequency of drinking, I invite you to keep reading to learn a few tips from me on the before, during and after, mindfulness drinking experience.

Mindful drinking starts before you begin

Start by identifying how you are feeling before you open the bottle or arrive to the party. Are you nervous, excited, stressed or calm?

If you are feeling anything other than calm, check in with yourself and rate your emotion from 1-10 (1 you feel this way but it isn’t overwhelming and 10, you feel the emotion intensely).

Identify what, if anything you can attribute to this feeling. Did you receive disappointing news? Do you have to see someone you don’t want to see at the party?

To calm your central nervous system in less than 3 minutes, you can simply stop wherever you are and take 10 clearing breaths in and out. As you do, play around with visualizing yourself placing your glass down between sips to encourage slowing down the pace of your consumption.

Enjoying wine with unique flavors is a great way to drink mindfully. Even better, is pairing foods to savor a mixture of flavors. Check out our recipes, like this one for mushroom sugo paired with a Montepulciano natural wine.

During the mindful drinking experience

Slow down your consumption, acting on that visualization you did, by setting down your glass and do something between sips. If you are alone, read a page in your book before taking another sip, as an example. At a party? Take a bit of your food and chew slowly or work on your active listening skills. If you are a chatty sort, talking will definitely help slow down your drinking.

Check in with yourself after your second drink by making an exit to the bathroom or simply noticing how you feel before choosing your next beverage. It’s never a bad idea to drink a glass of water to help you slow down and stay hydrated.

After the mindful drinking experience

Do a mental recap or journal about what worked and what didn’t work. Mindful drinking and practicing moderation is not about perfection. By identifying what worked and what didn’t work, you have the foundation to understand what you will do differently next time around. Celebrate the wins, leave the experience behind and extract the learning. This helps neutralize the experience, helping it feel like it’s automatic to drink more mindfully, over time.

If you tried a wine you never had before or opened up a special bottle, take a picture or make some notes about the occasion, the smells, tastes and what you discovered about the wine. Did you like it or not? Use those memories to become a more wise wine consumer and be able to choose wine you enjoy with ease.

Now that you have learned a little something about mindful drinking, we welcome you to join us in the quest for appreciation over inebriation. We would love to hear from you in the comments and we wish you a healthy and happy experience next time you sit down at the table.

Practice Mindful Drinking with VeroVino Wines

For those of you that know our curation style, we love to compare and contrast wine styles, varietals, places. Whether your interested in pursuing Stephanie’s tips on mindful drinking, or just want a better for you alcohol drink with no carbs, like wine which has low carbs, try a selection of different ones from our portfolio, as mentioned above and shown below.

As a reminder, we sell to both businesses and consumers across the US:

We are enlarging our network of distributors around the country. Reach out to us if you are interested in distributing our wines.

We sell to wine stores and restaurants in certain states - contact us if you would like more info.
We do corporate gifts and sommelier guided wine tastings. Email us and we’ll tailor unique and sustainable corporate gift ideas.
If our farm crafted wines and olive oils are not in your local shop or restaurant buy wine online here and we’ll ship it to you.
We also have a wine club for true wine explorers seeking to discover a unique and authentic small production wine they never had - plus it just won an award for Best Wine Club of Ventura!

This article was written by professional writer, ghostwriter and Founder of The Wild Larynx, Stephanie Fee Maschek. In addition, Stephanie is Certified by the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) at the Advanced level along with Certifications as a Master Health Coach, Nutrition Coach and Sleep, Stress Management and Recovery Coach. Her wellness company, NOCK Sustainable Wellness, offers Sustainable Wellness Programs as a Service helping teams build high-impact, healthy habits and work and beyond so they can bridge the gaps that stand between work and well-being.

Disclaimer: this article is not meant for people struggling with alcoholism or providing any medical or professional advice on addiction. If you are experiencing what you believe to be alcoholism, we recommend meeting with an addiction specialist.