I used to drink. I used to drink far too much, but I never considered myself to be an alcoholic - I just drank because I was stuck in a flat 24/7 caring for my Dad who had dementia, and there was very little else to do in the evenings when I was missing home and DH.
It's a habit you get into - a way of shutting out the worries and tedium of life. After Dad died, I carried on drinking for a few months, butu hated the way it made me feel - like I was operating at a sub-par level all the time. So, I stopped.
I didn't drink any alcohol at all for 10 months - that was two years ago. Now I have perhaps a bottle of wine once every one or two weeks, when cooking Sunday lunch for friends. I like the taste and the way it goes with the dinner.
Apart from the occasional bottle of wine - I am loving life without booze in it. I sleep so much better, I wake up feeling well, I can remember everything, and I no longer worry that I'm damaging my liver, or heart, or whatever. My skin looks better (no more open pores), and I feel more optimistic about life in general.
To relax, I play video games - always have done, but I'm better at them when I'm sober. I used alcohol as a crutch when going through the 'Dad years' - but now I don't need it, and life is better as a result. I'll still have a few drinks at Christmas, still have my Sunday wine when I'm cooking - but on the whole I prefer life when sober. It just took a while after quitting the nightly drinks to realise how much better I felt.
Anyway, that's my drinking history - everyone is different. I'd never say that you shouldn't have a glass or two every night - that's your decision to make - but unless you have a break from it for a while you'll never know whether you feel better or worse with the wine. Maybe try life without it, then decide?