MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

LETTER FROM INCOMING PRESIDENT HOWARD MACCABEE PhD. MD.

Spring 2007

The last twelve months have been eventful for our Society, as usual. As Secretary of SMFW during this period, I witnessed "up close" the enormous efforts of our president, Larry Dennen, in organizing the Quarterly Dinners, his ingenuity for improving our activities, and his enthusiasm for economic efficacy and growth of membership. Ellen Mack served ably as Vice President, and Randy Wong as Treasurer. Susan Guerguy continued her splendid work as Executive Secretary, ably attending to all the details of the Quarterly Dinners, as well as maintaining the "business functions" of correspondence and records of member-ship and financial affairs, as well as organizing meetings of the Executive Committee and Board of Governors.

The 233rd. Quarterly Dinner was held at Bistro 350 of the California Culinary Academy on March 24th, with 85 attending, despite driving rain and the worst traffic in San Francisco's history. Dave Newhouse and I were the dinner chairs, and Wine Chairs were Larry Dennen and Bruce Lehman. Speaker was Richard Peterson PhD., on "A Very Old 'New' Sparkling Wine".

The World Trade Club hosted our 234th. Quarterly Dinner on June 9th.   Ralph Brindis was the Dinner Chair, and Wine Chairs were Roger Ecker and James Pfeifer.  Arthur Klatsky, one of the worlds leading experts on health effects of alcohol consumption, gave an update on his ongoing research based on health records and surveys of tens of thousands of members of Kaiser Permanente Health Plan.

Over the September 15 weekend, we renewed the tradition of the "Vintage Tour" with a very special event, a joint meeting with the Society of Physicians for Wine and Health of Portland, in Ashland Oregon. We visited several splendid wineries, and feasted at the excellent restaurant, Beasy's on the Creek, with an overwhelmingly generous sharing of great red wines brought by the members.

The venue for the 235th. Quarterly Dinner on November 12, was at "Shanghai 1930", in San Francisco, with a fabulous Asian menu and a romantic nightclub atmosphere. Anita Car-men Choy was the Dinner Chair, with Sterling Haidt and Bruce Lehman planning wines. We had a sparkling presentation on "Prevention of Prostate Cancer: Diet, Drugs or Wine" by UCSF Senior Resident Matt Cooperberg, M.D.

The Society awards an Honorary Membership from time to time, in recognition of great service to our scientific and educational goals. This was awarded to Christopher Wirth of the Wine Institute of San Francisco, and announced at the 68th. Annual Dinner at the Stanford Court Hotel on February 18, 2007.

The highlight of the meeting was the Leon Adams Research Award, presented to Professor Serge Renaud, whose brilliant and timeless investigations led to the discovery and explanation of the "French Paradox". Dr. Dominique Lanzmann spoke for the heroic Renaud, on "The French Paradox Today". Dinner chairs were Henry Kitajima and Naomi Newhouse. David Newhouse and Bill Jervis served as Wine Chairs.

Various aspects of the health benefits of moderate wine consumption continue to make news. Media coverage recently included a cover feature by David Stipp in Fortune in January 2007. "Can Red Wine Help You Live Forever?" was the provocative title, with a story in depth about resveratrol, which continues to be of interest for its potential as an anticancer or anti-aging molecule.

As incoming President, I want to thank all the members and officers of the Society for their continued support, and to acknowledge the ongoing cooperation of Susan Guerguy and the new Executive Committee and Board of Governors, in planning the events for the next twelve months.

I am relieved that one of our first reforms to ease the tremendous burden on the leadership is to have each of the quarterly dinners be the responsibility of a different officer. Thus the next dinner, on June 27, is being organized by Dr. Richard Geist, and the fall event by Dr. Ian Leverton.

I will be planning the Annual Meeting in January 2008.I end, as I did in 2001, by wishing to all: L'Chaim, Prosit, Santè and Good Health.

Howard Maccabee Ph.D. MD.