Drink to Pink! Wineries Get on the Breast Cancer Awareness Wagon

Despite past research that indicates women who drink three glasses of wine daily increase their risk of breast cancer by more than 40 percent (British Journal of Cancer, Nov. 18, 2002). Women who drink alcohol and get little folic acid in their diet (200 micrograms or less) may double their chance of developing this disease.

New research suggests that women who consume ample folic acid (more than 400 micrograms daily) have no increased risk of breast cancer, even if they drink a couple of alcoholic beverages daily (British Medical Journal, Oct. 8, 2005).

However, drinking moderate amounts of red wine has been proven in many other studies to be good for your health.

And several wineries are fighting breast cancer with special vintages and donations to breast cancer research.

Olympic Gold medalist Peggy Fleming and her husband started a vineyard in their own back yard, and last month their winery introduced Victories Rosé, the net proceeds of this and future vintages will be donated to breast cancer research. Fleming is a breast cancer survivor.

For the month of November, R.H. Phillips Winery will donate $2 to breast cancer research from every bottle of its wine sold at any Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in British Columbia. Visit the restaurant or lounge at Richmond's Fairmont Vancouver Airport to support the cause.

Also during November, $1 from every bottle of Goundrey Wines, Hogue, Kumala and R.H. Phillips wine sold throughout B.C. will be donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon chapter.

Finally, there's my favorite, Cleavage Creek Cellars, who proudly donates 10% of the proceeds to Breast Cancer Research because the disease had personally touched their family, like it has many other families.

"Think Pink!" the next time you dine out or purchase a bottle of wine.