Tennis Anyone - Red wine not for me

My doctor is trying to get me into this red wine thing. Not Neil Diamond.

Even though, I must admit, I’m a huge fan of Diamond’s "Red, Red Wine."

Still, while I’m writing and I can hear ol’ Neil singing in my head, I must still credit my doctor’s advice on telling me how great red wine can be – especially if you’re like me and inherit high cholesterol from grandparents you never knew.

I talked this over with Jim Thomas.

Every day, Thomas tells me, it seems like some new study promotes the health benefits of drinking red wine.

"A glass a day for health," Thomas has heard. "A glass a day helps keep the tumor away."

OK, I’m sure that’s stretching it.

But Thomas ought to know something.

For 20 years, he’s been making and selling wine at his Countryside Vineyards and Winery in Blountville.

What’s his most popular brand? "Autumn Harvest."

Years ago, Thomas started making this red wine. It’s now his biggest seller.

It’s also used for communion services at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Kingsport.

That, in turn, becomes a subtle selling point.

Customers come into Thomas’s shop. And, sometimes, from just a look, he can tell "Autumn Harvest" will suit them for more than just Sunday communion.

These days, about half of Thomas’s customers are people like me – people who have doctors telling them to drink wine.

But, for the record, I had none of Thomas’s spirits. I’m just not used to red wine.

"I drink some," I told my cousin Teresa from Knoxville. "And then, I’m like, asleep."

"Asleep?" Teresa said, smiling. "How much do you drink?"

"Just these little bottles," I said.

Teresa didn’t reply.

"I guess it’s not like having a beer or two."

"No," Teresa said, smiling.

"Trouble is, I’m asleep at 9 and back up at 3 in the morning. And then I just can’t get back to sleep."

And that is something I just can’t get used to.

Red wine might help my health. But it seems like all I’m doing is losing sleep.

So I’m putting a cork on it. Even on Valentine’s Day. My apologies to Neil Diamond. But I don’t have time to drink red wine.

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