Reknowned sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer has another trick up her sleeve to help couples relax and enjoy each other: low-alcohol wine. Specifically, she has her own brand of low-level spirits, Vin d'Amour, which currently has three varieties: a white zinfandel, a cabernet sauvignon, and a chardonnay.
While the typical glass of wine has an alcohol content of approximately 13%, Westheimer's brand maxes out at 6%. The decrease is not an attempt to be stingy. Rather, the 83-year-old doctor, who is celebrating her birthday next week, is staying true to her mission to help couples be more intimate. "I’m always saying couples should drink to relax, but not too much. If [the woman] drinks too much, she falls asleep and if [the man] drinks too much, he can’t perform," she said, during an interview with the New York Post. "My idea is that just the right amount [of alcohol] will awaken your senses and arouse you."
Although she'd previously nixed the idea for putting her name to lines of underwear and popcorn, the wine idea appealed to her, albeit not initially. Her wine will be sold in bodegas, supermarkets, and restaurants beginning in early July. The bottles will cost between $7.99 and $9.99, and some of the profits will be donated to the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
With books, videos, a syndicated collumn, late-night radio shows, and television programs on her resume, her advice is valuable. She even inspired a biographical one-woman play -- called Dr. Ruth: All the Way -- which premieres next month.
Though she's known for her straight talk and her sex advice, it is emotional intimacy that she seems most interested in. "A little bit of alcohol is welcome because it makes people not only relax, but communicate better,” she told the Post. “They will talk about their feelings, their hopes and their dreams easier than without alcohol, because there is less censure." Later, she said, "If sex follows or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s about finding and communicating with a significant other."
