For years, the author promoted wine as part of a healthy Mediterranean-style cuisine.

He promoted wine in his customer newsletter and was asked by Will Rogers, Jr. to write a regular wine column in his local newspaper in 1937.

Mr. Barraclough, 30, is a public relations manager at Sopexa UK, a marketing communications agency in London that promotes the food and wine of France.

If we don't promote wine and food," he said as we toured the vineyard's remarkable organic gardens in August, "we're going to lose it.

But we do promote Tuscan wine and food.

The plan includes grants, loans and tax breaks for winemakers and growers and $4.5 million to promote French wine abroad.

Others have been concerned about the possibility that those connected with the museum could use it to promote their food and wine.

As a result, he added, "it's very, very difficult to promote Italian wine in America."

Even the industry's trade organization, the Wine Institute, counseled against promoting wine as a health drink.

The Wine Institute still advises its members not to promote wine as healthy, and these days there are fewer rebels.