Are you getting notes of tobacco in your red wine? Maybe it's because you're smoking a cigarette at the same time? But with taxes on cigarrettes constantly rising along with the expansion of smoke-free air laws, is this having an effect on enjoying a Marlboro along with a Malbec? A study with the epically long title, "Effects of State Cigarette Excise Taxes and Smoke-Free Air Policies on State Per Capita Alcohol Consumption in the United States, 1980 to 2009" [authors Krauss, M. J., Cavazos-Rehg, P. A., Plunk, A. D., Bierut, L. J. and Grucza, R. A.] investigates if restrictions on smoking due to higher prices and less places to enjoy them is also impacting the amount of booze we're swilling.
Interestingly enough, the authors found that increase in the price of a pack of smokes does lead to lower consumption of liquor and beer. But not wine.
