It was late at night and we were the last table at Chez Suave. We had just finished our meal. Mr. Vino had just finished his scallops, which were sautéed in garlic and oil and served over angel hair pasta. I had mussels and pasta tossed with anchovies, capers and garlic. Our guest, being vegetarian, had pasta with tomatoes, eggplant and pepper sauce. With dinner, we had Mason Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, a crisp white wine that enhanced our meal. We then ordered a bottle of Krug Brut Champagne to accompany our coffee drinks and conversation.

Our guest was a Los Angeles-based trial attorney named Jerry Mason, a jovial man with wicked bright eyes. He was seeking to retire and wanted us to help him put together a wine bar for him so he could hang around beautiful people and drink fine wine. What a lovely a dream!

Jerry smiled and winked. “I’m rich because I’m an ambulance chaser and I have been successful because I never found an ambulance that could outrun my red Ferrari,” he said. We laughed.

We discussed possible locations of the wine bar, which he wanted to call the Purple Feet. I poured the last drop of champagne to Jerry and he lifted his flute in a toast, “To great wine, health and happiness!”

As we clinked our wine glasses and ordered another bottle of champagne, I saw a rather serious expression on the face of Mr. Vino. In a slow, deliberate manner, he said: “I know that wine, health and happiness are linked, but many wine drinkers are being shortchanged.”

“What do you, mean?” inquired Jerry.

“Some of the red wines that people think are heart healthy are anything but,” Mr. Vino said.

“You’re talking about additives,” I said.

“Precisely. And it brings up the entire concept of manipulation of wine,” Mr. Vino said. “Throughout history, wine has been manipulated to create good and safe wine to drink. However, wine has reached a new stage. It is once again perceived by the public as being a healthy beverage when used in moderation because it can lower the risk of heart disease. However, there are those in the wine industry whose sole purpose is to create an alcoholic beverage and a large profit.”

Jerry suddenly got very animated. “What a bunch of bastards. I will sue them until they’re so broke they have to live by a dumpster.”

Mr. Vino clapped his hands in approval. “Wine is, of course, an alcoholic beverage, but it is so much more than that,” he said. “It’s a healthy drink because it is a natural drink and not martini. A lot of wine consumers drink red wine to help lower their risk of heart disease because of wine’s antioxidant properties and its ability to relieve stress. Additives like apple and pear hard ciders – which can be found in many of the cheap $2 wines – reduce the healthy aspects of wine. It’s like diluting heart medicine.”

“Wine has always been manipulated to create a healthier and better tasting beverage,” I said. “Barrel aging and the addition of sulfites to create a more hygienic wine have been used for centuries.”

Mr. Vino nodded his head. “Yes, and that is fine. What I object to is the addition of substances that have nothing to do with wine grapes, like flavor additives and ciders. If wineries add these substances, which they do to some of the pop wines like peach chardonnay and blackberry merlot, it should be clearly marked on the bottle.

“But some wines don’t make this disclosure,” Mr. Vino continued. “Don’t get me wrong, the vast majority of wine is made with wine grapes like merlot, but the balance can be just about anything. A lot of wine drinkers get fond of some of the flavors and are disappointed when they don’t find those flavors in other wines. The best wines are ones that are the most natural, that are organically farmed and are unfired and unfiltered.”

“There should be some sort of disclosure on the label if substances other than wine are used,” Jerry said emphatically.

Mr. Vino pointed one finger in the air and said: “Yes, but let’s leave the federal government out of it. They still have difficulty with the fact that wine is good for you. There should be more self-regulation within the wine industry.”