The perils of the modern wine writer

Origin of the Gout, Henry William Bunbury, 1815

How does the modern day wine writer quench the multimedia's thirst for frequent tasting notes and oenological insights whilst observing medical guidelines regarding alcohol intake? As a regular reader of the vinous press and wine blogs, it has often struck me that, in order to publish such an enormous amount material on a constant basis, wine journalists must have strong livers and hollow legs.

Now, of course, I realise that at most wine tastings the professional wine hack makes use of the spitoons, but what of the sheer number of wines tasted? Are gout, a ruddy complexion, having a liver that looks like foie gras and a constant hangover the inevitable side effects of a successful career in the wine media? The only conclusion I can draw is that the venerable Michael Broadbent, with a career in the wine trade spanning decades, must have the constitution of an ox to have lasted this long and keep going!