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The University of Navarra is calling on 10,000 adults in Spain to drink a glass of wine a day for four years as part of the world’s largest alcohol study, funded by the European Research Council.
With over 6,500 people already enrolled, the study aims to settle a decades-long debate on whether moderate alcohol consumption is healthier – or not – than abstaining altogether.
Why Spain is giving away wine to over 50s for science
This isn’t your average clinical trial. The University of Navarra Alumni Trialist Initiative (UNATI) is a €2.4 million, EU-funded randomised trial investigating if moderation in drinking can be just as safe, or safer, than full refraining when it comes to diseases like cancer, heart disease, and dementia.
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According to the official research plan, the trial’s aim is to provide “first-level evidence to confront the harms of one of the most widely used substances by humankind.”
Principal Investigator Professor Miguel A. Martínez-González writes, “A large pragmatic randomised controlled trial… is long overdue” and hopes UNATI will finally offer “an evidence-based answer to a question of the utmost interest in clinical medicine.”
Who can apply for drinking free wine in Spain
To take part, you must:
Live in Spain
Be a man aged 50–70 or a woman aged 55–75
Drink between 3 and 40 alcoholic drinks per week
Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
Moderation: up to 1 glass of red wine per day, always with meals, spread out during the week
Abstention: complete alcohol avoidance, with professional support
Both groups receive ongoing health coaching via psychologists, dietitians, and group calls. Volunteers will also complete regular online questionnaires and health check-ins.
What is being studied?
The trial is structured as a non-inferiority study, meaning it’s designed to test whether drinking in moderation is no worse than abstaining when it comes to major health risks. These include:
All-cause mortality
Cardiovascular events
Invasive cancer
Type 2 diabetes
Depression and dementia
Liver cirrhosis and hospitalisations
The alcohol intake pattern being tested is defined as the Mediterranean Alcohol Drinking Pattern (MADP), which promotes “moderate alcohol intake… with preference for red wine consumed always with meals, and consumption spread out throughout the week”.
Importantly, the study avoids the conflicts of interest that plagued previous alcohol trials. The research plan notes: “To avoid potential conflicts of interest we have not requested these gifts from the alcohol industry, but from a large supermarket chain in Spain.”
Global studies like GBD (Global Burden of Disease) have long pushed the idea that “there is no safe level of alcohol intake,” but others suggest moderate consumption – especially in older adults – might reduce risks for some conditions. UNATI is the first major trial to test these opposing views head-to-head.
Professor Martínez-González adds, “This randomised trial is long overdue and has largely been warranted for decades… A clear and definitive answer based on first-level evidence is of utmost need.”
Back in 2023, an American red wine called Muscadine made headlines with reports claiming that it made women look younger.
Where to sign up for the wine volunteer study in Spain
Recruitment runs until June 2025, with over 6,500 already signed up. If you qualify and want to contribute to a landmark health study while enjoying free wine, visit the official registration page.
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Tags: red wine, Spanish Wine