Death by wine and watermelon

By Mary Malik

We’ve explored the myth of the combination of wine and watermelon resulting in an increased libido. Let’s look at another old wive’s tale involving the same combination.

“My friend, Betty Kaufman, an independent wine consultant in Napa, told me about another tale of wine and watermelon,” says Jim Sperk, of the Northern Ohio Wine Guild. “This one originated in Argentina and is a bit more dramatic. The story goes that mixing watermelon and red wine will kill you.”

It is known that when you place a piece of watermelon in a glass of wine the fruit hardens. This led to the belief that combination would do the same inside the stomach causing, at least, digestive problems or, at the extreme, death.

“Intestinal paralysis, high levels of arsenic, digestive blockage and a fatal metabolic reaction were all feared,” says Jim. “The good news is, when it comes to combining red wine and watermelon, they aren’t true.”

According to Betty, who researched the topic, and the World Gastroenterology Organization, any danger is not true and the combination may actually be healthy. The gastric acids and pepsin in the stomach allow good and complete digestion of the food.

“There’s a sweet, refreshing watermelon wine available that, according to several reports, even has certain medicinal properties that include lowering blood pressure, aiding in weight loss and reducing the risk of certain metabolic diseases,” says Jim.

For information on the Northern Ohio Wine Guild, contact Jim Sperk at tinymoonwines@usa.net.