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| Wine and Sex |
| Tuesday, 02 February 2010 19:54 |
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Wine is associated with seduction and romance. The classic combo for the perfect evening is wine, chocolate, candles and romantic music.  Every male, hopefully, knows this and every female usually expects it as part of the pre-mating rituals. It has long been known that alcohol consumption leads to increase sex, but is there something more going on than just feeling a little handsy? Recent research has suggested that moderate wine consumption in women actually increased the quality of their sex life. Too much alcohol on the other hand has the opposite effect. So what is the deal with sex and wine? Functionally speaking, wine inhibits actual physical arousal. You may have experienced this after your partner "got too drunk" to perform. Thankfully, lovemaking is not 100% physical and there are other factors to help us along. Mainly, each person enters the bedroom with a set of expectations about what is going to happen and those can overpower the physical dysfunction. What does this have to do with wine? Well it turns out that a moderate amount of wine can help shape those expectations in favor of a good bedding. After a glass or two of wine inhibitions tend to melt away and our perceptions narrow to the immediate situation. The ability to take in any negative cues (like you being upset at a partner earlier) that would reduce the chance of sex is almost eliminated. Add to this the abundant images in our culture to sex and wine already imprinted in our conscious and you have the perfect storm for getting laid. This formula has been tried and true for many couples over the years. The amount of wine looks to be the magic key. Too much wine consumption and the physiological dysfunctions are too strong. Too little and nothing happens. The correlation from drinking to sex is not 100%, as you may well know from personal experience. The most recent study to support the moderation theory was done in Tuscany where women who drank a moderate amount of Sangiovese reported more sexual satisfaction then those who chose not to drink at all. It appears as if there is a link between wine and sex, if nothing more then an expectation to have sex after enjoying wine with a partner. It may not be biological, but that expectation is strong enough to make the whole evening that much more enjoyable. What should you do? Well if you have fond memories of wine and romance, then go ahead and have a glass, just maybe not the whole bottle. |
