I’m a wine drinker. I thoroughly enjoy the intensity of a complex red, the crispness of a smooth white, the subtle fruits of a chilled rosé.

Which color wine I drink usually depends on my mood, the weather, and often what I’m eating. I have a collection of glasses (a recent obsession that is a whole other story) and the color of the wine typically dictates the choice of glass–not the grape variety like for some wine aficionados–part of a spectrum that ranges from everyday juice glass to inexpensive stemless to fine crystal.

Thinking back to the era of the ever-popular white wine spritzer (to which I never took a liking), I was surprised to learn the news that American women prefer red wine. A recent study conducted by the WineSpectator.com surveyed 431 women in the U.S. (part of a larger global survey of 4,300 women worldwide) and found that the large majority of American women–79 percent–typically choose red wine over white and rosé (Red was the preference of 60 percent of  all of the women surveyed globally).

Of the American women surveyed, 93 percent said they drink wine once a week, and of that group, 80 percent said they drink most often with meals. When asked why they drink, 92 percent of the women said they like the taste, and 71 percent answered “because it goes well with food.” Less than 2 percent of American women said they drink wine because it’s fashionable (phew–we aren’t as image conscious as I’d thought). And a whopping 97 percent of the U.S. respondents believe that wine is part of a healthy, balanced diet!

When it comes to cost, 66 percent of the American women spend an average of between $11 and $20 per bottle when buying from a retail store, while 26 percent will spend between $21 and $50.

So, if you have any favorite reds to share, please do. My cellar (read: rack in the boiler room) could use some replenishing…

According to a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, women who drink a glass or two of red wine may experience greater sexual desire, lubrication, and overall sexual function.

According to the study’s authors, members of the departments of Urology and Public Health at the University of Florence in Italy, the results help give a clearer picture on the female sexual response cycle.

The study, supposedly the first of its kind, examined red wine intake and the sexual function of 800 women between the ages of 18 and 50, none of whom had ever reported a sexual health problem. The women were divided into three groups–one group drank one or two glasses, another group drank less than one glass and a third group didn’t drink at all. Those drinking more than two glasses of wine were excluded from the study.

The participants answered a questionnaire called the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), a questionnaire used by doctors to assess sexual health in women. The results revealed that the levels of sexual desire were higher in women who were moderate drinkers of red wine than in their counterparts who preferred other alcoholic drinks, or were teetotal.

Typically, medical studies on sexual health focus on men and dysfunction, so this was a welcome change. “Historically, the aspects of wine and sexuality have been well known since the time of Ancient Greece,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Nicola Mondaini, who was quoted in an article in the Wine Spectator and is publishing a book on the subject next month, titled Vino e Eros. “But the field of female sexual dysfunction is still highly unexplored.”

The researchers’ conclusion stated that “While this finding needs to be interpreted with some caution, because of the small sample size, self-reported data, and the lack of support from laboratory exams, it nevertheless suggests a potential relationship between red wine consumption and better sexuality.”

Any chance you’ll be testing this on your own?