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It has been an interesting week. It began with my first (and no doubt last) live television appearance on the BBC's Sunday morning debate programme, The Big Questions. I wasn't too unhappy about being identified for my bon-viveur lifestyle and their hope that I would speak enthusiastically about the joys of unlimited wine-drinking. Presenter Nicky Campbell, using Government-speak, was able to pick me out as something of a hazard' given my tendency to exceed the Government's recommendation (for a woman) of no more than one and a half bottles of wine a week.

The truth is that I wasn't much of a contributor to the programme, mostly because it's hard to be interesting when you are moderate, and frankly, sensible. You would have to be pretty stupid to think that drinking a bottle of wine with every meal, every day of your life was good for you. It's equally daft to think that getting into a car after an alcoholic drink is a smart thing to do. It's not. It's utterly irresponsible and entirely selfish. And a hang-over isn't something to be proud off. It's a sign we overdid it. Your body is telling you it's not a clever thing to do.

Having said all that, alcohol is not the root of all evil. It's a pleasure to drink endlessly interesting wines and it's also fantastically sociable. In the same way that I could never, ever understand the fad for calorie-counting, I can't begin to imagine how utterly tedious it would be to have to count the number of glasses of wine I'm drinking.

In any case, it's not just the number of glasses you would need to consider. Higher alcohol wines will have their wicked way with you much faster than a light, refreshing number. How big are your glasses? Are you mixing your drinks? Are you drinking your wine with food or having it solo? All these factors need to be taken into account.

It's just like everything else in life. Apply common sense and you will not be too far off the mark. You wouldn't live on chocolate alone, would you? A lifetime of nothing but broccoli would undoubtedly have some unforgiving side-effects. What we need to achieve, is balance.

Let's drink, eat and be merry but remember to take care of ourselves by keeping fit, not overdoing it and feeling fresh enough to enjoy it all again tomorrow.

Anyway, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself a few days later as I sat in the John Radcliffe's A&E department after a spectacular crash from my horse had seen me land directly on top of my head. Riding is by its very nature a pretty hazardous activity. Do enough of it and you will fall off and have accidents. To minimise the danger, we wear hats and body protectors and ride as safely as we can. Still, I'm waiting for the day when someone decides to tell me that I'm not allowed to do it anymore because I'm a hazard'. Such a directive will come from the soon-to-be-formed Government department, ministry against fun'.

So, the week hasn't ended well. Not because I ache from head to toe or because I've realised fame and fortune isn't coming anytime soon, but because the prescribed painkillers come with a strict instruction not to drink alcohol. Still, it's an opportunity to get down my weekly drinking average and as I'm too wobbly to get back in the saddle, I'm rejoicing in my new-found status as a model citizen.

Don't be fooled though, I'm already eyeing up the wine-rack to see what treats there are to delve into when I'm steady and upright again. The fruity wines of the Rhône Valley have been consistently popular both in France and the UK and their popularity seems to be rising.

This week's offer from The Oxford Times Wine Club contains four gems from the south of the region and they are just the sort of approachable, comforting bottles of wine that I've got my eyes on.

Click here for The Oxford Times Wine Club offers.

1:44pm Thursday 8th November 2007

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