Do you remember your favourite beer or glass of wine...? I do

As the sun sets on your summer, what are the memories that linger? Was it the constant juggle of work and childcare? A deep feeling of missing out because you weren’t on a Greek Island? Or wondering if it was Brat enough? (For what it’s worth, many elements of my own life have remained steadfastly Brat throughout all seasons, notably the chaotic element.)

Hopefully, though, there are some memories of your favourite wine, beer or cocktails; enjoyed in beautiful places – even if it was just the local park or a friend’s back garden.

What are the drinks that transport you to a different place and time? For me, a glass of wine offers me the opportunity to pause, reflect and relive some blissful memories. Every time I drink rosé, for example, I take a brief moment to think of an incredible trip visiting South Africa — it was before I worked in wine, and I was new to the many incredible wines of the country, but the discovery changed my life.

On one perfect day, I took myself off for a walk and found myself in a fancy-looking garden restaurant and bar in the picture-postcard pretty town of Franschhoek (yes, later to become the setting for the ninth series of Love Island). I sat down and asked the waiter for a recommendation.

It was so calm and serene; the delicate scent of roses coming into bloom surrounded me. The dramatic mountains loomed large around the town creating a cinematic backdrop — and all I could hear was the distant laughter of children playing over bright, springtime birdsong. I thought I was in paradise.

The glass of chilled rosé arrived on a tray covered in rose petals, I kid you not. I asked if I should pay there and then, and the waiter just said “Relax, this is on us, I can see you’re having a Franschhoek moment.”

I couldn’t tell you anything technical about the wine: the soil type, slope aspect, vinification methods (or even the producer, for that matter). But I can tell you it was the most delicious rosé I’ve ever tasted – and every rosé I have tasted since still makes me think of that moment.

This is because wine is so much more than a tool for inebriation (personally, I hate feeling drunk). Wine has a deep mystery and pleasure that simply isn’t accounted for in the World Health Organisation’s recent statement that “no level of alcohol consumption is good for our health”.

True as that may technically be, in my opinion it doesn’t consider the emotional and pleasurable response that drinking wine – in moderation – can give you, and in turn, what potentially positive impacts that could have on your health. I genuinely feel warmed by happy memories associated with wines that I’ve enjoyed. It has had a transformative impact on my mental wellbeing, even when I’m not drinking anything.

I appreciate that the impact of wine on our mental health and overall longevity may be difficult to quantify and study. However, there have been research papers that have shown that happier people live longer. One study published by BMC Geriatrics puts it very simply: “Happy people live longer because happy people are healthy people.” And happiness comes as much through our ability to connect to our memories of the past, as our present and future hopes.

So, as part of the pursuit of living a happy, healthy and balanced life, I would recommend you think of a wine that you have loved in the past and seek it out again. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – it could be as simple as a crisp vinho verde that you enjoyed on a holiday in Portugal, or an easy and juicy cotes du rhone red; guzzled during a bbq on a summer camping trip in France.

As autumn starts to take hold (and as warnings of “heavy rain” drench our spirits this weekend) why not take a moment to pour a glass, share the memories with loved ones and allow yourself to be taken back to warmer moments of relaxation?

The pleasure of these feelings might make you feel a little bit happier – and be good for your health, too.

Rosamund Hall (DipWSET) is a freelance writer and wine and drinks specialist