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"I really liked the red wine part ... " I didn't. Sigh. Sorry to be a killjoy, but my father was an alcoholic, and inflicted so much suffering on us. The Catholic community was very tolerant of his drinking - they always are - and blamed us for not being "supportive" enough. I often wonder about the role of alcoholism in these sex scandals which have plagued the Church (and which are IMO, merely a reflection of wider social problems). There is a strong co-relation between substance abuse and sexual abuse, but I don't see anyone mentioning that. Probably, they want to appear "puritanical", like mentioning the link between deviancy (homosexuality) and sexual agression toward youths.

"but my father was an alcoholic"
I'm sorry you had to live through that. I don't think that was what Belloc was referencing. Jesus drank wine as did the Apostles. Jesus was accusd of being a drunk; so was the first Pope - see Peter at Pentecost telling the crowd it isnt even noon yet so how could they be drunk (my own standard is to not get drunk prior to lunch).
I think it true the European countries that Belloc referenced had a lower rate of alcoholism than does puritanical America with its either/or approach. Wine was a regular part of the Mediterranean life - still is - and The "Mediterranean Diet" calls for its wise use for "medical reasons." But, who wants to take the pleasure out of wine by saying "my doctor told me to drink 2 glases a day?"

The Bible both praises and cautions us about the use of wine. Nobody praises alcoholism or sin. Belloc certainly wasn't.
It is too often the case that one either abstains or gets drunk rather than being schooled in how to drink in moderation. I taught my kids at a young age how to drink. They always could have a drink at any time at any age and they went through High Schol without EVER drinking and driving or drinking to intoxication or drinking without us knowing it.
Temperance, in Catholicism, does not mean no alcohol.
It is the virtue that moderates the desire for pleasure. We are not Puritans nor are we Pagans. The wise use of wine IS a delight and Belloc is absolutely correct in sighting its healthy and happy use.