We've often asked ourselves if wine is really that bad for us, and if we're drinking too much of it. But now we've learned that we're actually supping way more than we used to.
However, it's not a conscious choice. Interestingly, wine glasses are actually much bigger than they used to be.
According to scientists at the University of Cambridge, the capacity of wine glasses has increased nearly seven-fold over the past 300 years. This has risen most noticeably in the last two decades, in line with a surge in wine consumption.
The study - published in medical journal the BMJ - reveals that wine glasses have ballooned in size from an average capacity of 66ml in the early 1700s to 449ml today.
This means that a typical wine glass 300 years ago would only have held about a half of today’s smallest 'official' measure of 125ml.
And we mock Henry VIII for his gluttony...
'Wine will no doubt be a feature of some merry Christmas nights, but when it comes to how much we drink, wine glass size probably does matter,' Professor Theresa Marteau - director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit at the University of Cambridge - tells The Guardian.
Hmm. We think we'll take this on board after New Year's Eve, don't you?
