WINE DAY: No, that is not spelled incorrectly. Today is the day the nation celebrates WINE! Glorious grapes, gracing gullets across the area – what will you be guzzling today? Please, if celebrating today, please designate a driver and be safe about it.

It would be difficult to not miss one of the regional wineries in this column so they were not included, but a quick online search will provide a reader with a solid list of places to day trip today on a wine tasting. And, for those who like us love the publications from the Allegheny National Forest, checkout the tour link for Taste of the Forest which includes several regional wineries within the ANF.

Grapes are not the only fruit used in wine making. Reading through some of the labels on the bottles of locally corked concoctions, apple, dandelion, berries (cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries), peach, tobacco, licorice, and so many more.

Did you know that wine has many health benefits — yes, it sure does. Wine is loaded with antioxidants, potassium, resveratrol (a possible cancer-prevention substance found in plants), and many vitamins.

To be clear, though, it is best to spread out the drinking for maximum benefit: a glass or two with dinner throughout the week has more benefit to health than drinking a few bottles in a night. Binging on alcohol of any kind is harmful to the body, say most experts.

Ah, but some are allergic to wine — believe it or not, this is an actual allergy. Sometimes it is the sulfites, sometimes the tannins, but whatever causes the intolerance, those who suffer really suffer. Their skin may turn red while drinking just a glass, or worse, some have allergies severe enough to cause anaphylaxis.