Your Health Today
Can Wine Help People Connect? Experts Weigh Social Benefits and Risks
From Chardonnay to Cabernet, wine is often part of social gatherings, celebrations and time spent with friends and family.
At Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula Valley, vineyard manager Greg Pennyroyal says the experience is about more than what's in the glass.
"It's a community. Wine brings people together," Pennyroyal said.
He points to research suggesting that social interaction and meaningful relationships can play an important role in overall well-being and says wineries provide a place where people can connect and share experiences.
For some visitors, that's exactly what brings them to the vineyard.
"We're moms and it's just like the best way for us to let loose and have a good time," one customer said.
But addiction specialists say there's an important distinction between enjoying a drink socially and using alcohol as a way to manage emotions or social anxiety.
Melissa Hawkins of the Betty Ford Center says people may feel more relaxed and connected while drinking, but using alcohol specifically to become more comfortable socially can become a habit and contribute to unhealthy drinking patterns.
She encourages people to consider why they're drinking and whether alcohol is being used to manage a larger issue, such as anxiety.
"So you certainly want to be aware of the fact that, am I engaging it, using the wine or alcohol as a way to kind of manage a bigger anxiety issue?" Hawkins said.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says how much, how quickly and how often someone drinks all affect the risk of alcohol-related problems. Long-term excessive drinking can contribute to health problems, relationship difficulties and alcohol use disorder.
NIAAA also notes that current research points to health risks even at low levels of alcohol consumption, regardless of the type of alcoholic beverage.
At Wilson Creek, Pennyroyal says the focus remains on enjoying wine responsibly and spending time with others.
For many visitors, the appeal is ultimately the combination of wine, conversation and community — while specialists say being mindful of drinking habits can help keep social enjoyment from becoming a larger problem.
Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 23, 2026
Latest Instagram Posts
🚨 Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is speaking out after California lawmakers decided to destroy ballots from the 2025 special election, ending his investigation into possible ballot miscount. What do you think the decision means for election transparency, accountability, and the ongoing questions surrounding election integrity? Let us know in the comments. #ChadBianco #RiversideCounty #CaliforniaPolitics #electionnews
Should Palm Springs residents elect their mayor directly? The city is asking residents to weigh in on whether to change its current system, where the mayor rotates annually among the five City Council members. Community meetings are scheduled for Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at ALO Palm Canyon and Monday at Palm Springs High School. Residents can also complete an online survey in English or Spanish. Share your input before next Monday at EngagePalmSprings.com. #PalmSprings #PalmSpringsNews #CoachellaValley #LocalGovernment #CityCouncil CommunityInput NBCPalmSprings
Indio is waiving a potential $48,000 curfew fine for Head Trip Festival promoter Goldenvoice after Swedish House Mafia played until 12:12 a.m. Sunday. City officials say the decision comes after weather disruptions forced Saturday’s festival to shut down early, including the cancellation of Calvin Harris’s set. Harris was added to Sunday’s lineup. #HeadTripFestival #SwedishHouseMafia #CalvinHarris #Indio #CoachellaValley Goldenvoice NBCPalmSpri
Theater season is back in the Coachella Valley! 🎭Check out my review of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Palm Canyon Theatre. Full review on nbcpalmsprings.com ➡️ Programs ➡️ Mann on the Aisle! #mannontheaisle #palmsprings #palmcanyontheatre #coachellavalley #nbcpalmsprings
President Donald Trump brought up the idea of renaming the Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean during a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee.
A Level 3 of 4 threat of flooding rainfall has been issued for parts of Southern California to southern Nevada, southwest Utah and northwest Arizona, including San Diego and Las Vegas.
BREAKING NEWS 🚨: Calvin Harris officially rescheduled for Head Trip day 2 #headtripfestival #calvinharris #severeweather #tropicalstorm #indio
Attendees are returning to the Empire Polo Grounds for day 2 of the EDM festival, ‘Head Trip’, after performances were stopped last night due to severe weather. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs to see how the weather is affecting festival goers’ plans. #headtripfestival #severeweather #flashfloodalert #760 #nbcpalmsprings
Overnight Flooding Hits Palm Springs Heavy rain brought flooding to Palm Springs overnight, prompting police to shut down Indian Canyon due to flooding. Much of this video shows conditions along the Indian Canyon corridor as water inundated roadways. Drivers are urged to use caution and watch for changing conditions.
BREAKING NEWS: Head Trip Festival in Indio suspended its show Saturday night due to approaching severe weather and lightning. A message displayed on the stage screens announced: “Attention in the festival, this is a lightning alert. The show is suspended due to lightning.” Festivalgoers were told to leave the Empire Polo Club venue and return to their cars and camps. The festival was expected to draw approximately 70,000 attendees overall, though the number asked to leave Saturday night has not been confirmed. It remains unclear when attendees will be allowed back inside or whether scheduled performances, including headliners Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, will proceed as planned. The suspension comes as Tropical Storm Rachel brings rain and potential flooding concerns to Southern California. Stay with NBC Palm Springs for updates. #BreakingNews #HeadTripFestival #Indio #CoachellaValley #TropicalStormRachel WeatherAlert CalvinHarris NBCPalmSprings