βWe want to offer a scientific perspective on the relationship between wine, health and longevity, moving beyond the oversimplifications that often characterize this debate. Wine is a complex product, with a biological and cultural history stretching back thousands of years, whose role should be considered within the broader context of lifestyle, dietary habits and the circumstances in which it is consumed. Research helps us better understand these aspects, but also distinguish between what we know and what still needs further investigation. The goal is to promote greater awareness, placing scientific knowledge and the importance of responsible choices for well-being and quality of life at the center of the discussionβ. These are the words by Giovanni Scapagnini, physician, neuroscientist and science communicator, whose work focuses on the biological mechanisms of aging and the relationship between nutrition, metabolism, the brain and longevity. He is the author of βLa via del vino. Un viaggio nella scienza del bere beneβ – βThe way of wine. A journey into the science of drinking wellβ, promoted by Signorvino and published by Mondadori (to be released in Italian bookstores in January 2027 and published in both Italian and English under the title βThe Way of Wine. Science, history, and the art of drinking wellβ). The book was previewed at Vinitaly.USA in New York during an international panel of scientists. With this project, as explained by Federico Veronesi, ceo of Signorvino and Oniwines (whom WineNews interviewed together with professor Scapagnini in the Big Apple), βwe want to contribute to a more informed debate on wine, one based on knowledge and dialogue with science. At a time when the issue of wine and health is often approached in an overly simplistic way, we believe it is important to provide the tools needed to better understand wine role within Mediterranean culture and lifestyle. Our collaboration with professor Giovanni Scapagnini stems precisely from this commitment: promoting an accessible and inclusive wine culture centered on awareness, moderation and the value of conviviality. With this book, we are taking our journey beyond Italy borders and opening it up to an international audienceβ.
The public debate surrounding wine and health is often oversimplified, with opposing slogans ignoring the biological and cultural complexity of the Mediterranean lifestyle. Together with professor Giovanni Scapagnini, Signorvino tried to get an authoritative scientific perspective on wine consumption within a healthy lifestyle. Joining the discussion organized by Signorvino, the βGreat Italian Wine Cellarβ founded by Sandro Veronesi, founder of the Oniverse Group, which today operates nearly 50 stores in Italy and two abroad (Paris and Prague), at Vinitaly.USA as part of the wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum program in New York, were Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere, and Stevie Kim, managing partner of Vinitaly, along with: Aedin Cassidy, professor at Queen University Belfast, who since 1988 has studied dietary polyphenols and the impact of plant bioactive compounds, particularly flavonoids and anthocyanins, on cardiometabolic health, from biological mechanisms to intervention and population studies. A fellow of the American Heart Association, she received the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2013 and has long collaborated with the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Immaculata De Vivo, professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, an internationally renowned molecular and genetic epidemiologist whose research focuses on the relationship between genetic variants, environment, lifestyle and cancer risk, particularly hormone-related cancers, as well as telomere biology, aging and chronic disease prevention within the Nursesβ Health Study. She is also Editor-in-Chief of the journal Cancer Causes & Control and, together with Daniel Lumera, co-author of the bestseller The Biology of Kindness (Mondadori), translated into English and Spanish; Felicity Carter, international journalist and editorial consultant, widely regarded as one of the world leading experts in wine business and market analysis.
The book itself represents the culmination of a journey that began two years ago. In 2025, among a period of uncertainty and declining consumption, further aggravated by changes to Italy Highway Code introduced at the end of 2024, Signorvino felt the need to transform fear and abstention into culture and informed consumption. Faced with a widespread climate of βwine demonizationβ, the company launched the concept βIl gusto di sentirsi beneβ -βthe pleasure of feeling wellβ at Vinitaly 2025. The campaign replaced fear with a message of moderation rooted in culture. It not only defended the value of wine but also generated conversation through viral content which supported the entire sales ecosystem, from restaurants to e-commerce. To support this vision, Signorvino enlisted professor Giovanni Scapagnini to provide qualified scientific guidance on wine consumption, and in particular on moderate wine consumption, within a healthy and conscious lifestyle. A physician, researcher and full professor of Clinical Nutrition, Scapagnini has long devoted his research and outreach activities to the biological mechanisms of aging and nutraceutical strategies aimed at extending healthspan, the period of life spent in good health. He is considered one of Italy leading experts in nutritional geroscience, with a particular focus on prevention, longevity and the role of emerging technologies in supporting well-being. This collaboration led to the creation of the International Academy for Healthy Drinking (Aibs), presented at Vinitaly 2026 at the Italian Ministry of Agriculture during the conference βVino e LongevitΓ . Salute, cultura, convivialitΓ e tendenzeβ – βWine and longevity: health, culture, conviviality and trendsβ. The Academy brings together an interdisciplinary scientific committee of Italian and international scholars coordinated by Scapagnini (of which we collected the voices). βLa via del vinoβ – βThe way of wineβ, published with Mondadori, represents the next step, bringing the project before an international audience and strengthening its impact and authority. Looking ahead, as Federico Veronesi explained (in one of our interviews), the initiative will be followed by the establishment of a Foundation for Research on Wine & Well-being, created in partnership with some of Italy leading wineries. βThe way of wineβ, featuring an introduction by Federico Veronesi and a foreword by Michelin-starred chef Carlo Cracco, presents wine as a biological, historical and cultural phenomenon. The narrative begins with a yeast which βinventedβ fermentation 100 million years ago and extends to the centenarians of the world Blue Zones, passing through the first winery in history, the chemistry of polyphenols and wine effects on the brain. The book central argument is that wine is not simply βethanol plus packagingβ: what matters is what is consumed, how much is consumed and in what context. At the same time, it addresses risks with honesty, translating relative risk into absolute risk and pointing to the Mediterranean model of consumption: with meals, spread throughout the week, and without excess.
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