Writes Marcel G Verrando to Jeff Tucker about his article, Repeal the Drinking Age!:
8:34 am on July 9, 2010I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m 80 years old, and was raised in a first gen. American family, of Italian and French descent. At festive occasions, wine was served with the meal. Children sat at a separate table, did not participate in adult conversation, and were subject to “rites of passage.” Before your First Holy Communion (usually at age 7), your choice of beverage was water or milk; after 7, you could opt for a glass of Half & Half: half water and half wine. After your Confirmation at age 12, two things changed. First, you could have a glass of full strength wine (my oldest uncle made his own), and you could sit with the adults and participate in the conversation. At 12, you were expected to act like an adult and assume adult responsibilities. How quaint!
None of us ended up as alcoholics, each of the boys served in the military, and subsequently became executives in major corporations. So I guess with these facts you could say early wine drinking has a lot to do with having a successful life and a long one to boot!
