When we last left wine and food writer Ted Lee, he had found the formula for preserving his liver: don't exceed 3-4 glasses of a night, eat less fatty, more organic foods, and get back to burning calories on his skateboard. Here, our author catches us up on his progress, what he's been drinking, and where he hopes to shred next. By Ashley Muldoon

MV: I heard you were just in Ireland, which isn't exactly a country known for its moderation. What were you doing there and were you following your dad's drinking calculation?

TL: My brother Matt and I were researching a story on the southern part of Ireland. And, yeah, the calculation came in handy. It really is sort of a benchmark that I use now. And I tend to probably push it, still, but I do keep it in mind. And, since I did this piece, I haven't been drinking as much as I used to. It changed my life. I think as a wine writer you tend to taste a lot, and drink a lot of the things you love. I think now I'm being a little bit more professional about it and holding back. But summer is also a time when you entertain. I feel like I've tasted a whole lot but I've also been sharing too. I've been using the 3-4 glasses rule to taste, and then just passed the bottle immediately.

MV: You sound like a great host.

TL: This is another benefit of being a wine writer. You can be very generous with your wine.

MV: Back to Ireland, what were you drinking there?

TL: You know, I've always been all about the Guinness, but I think I'm turning into a Murphy's guy. And I also really got into cider in a way that I hadn't before. They have this cider called Bullmer's [CK], and it's totally not a classy drink. People drink oceans of it. You go to a bar, and all the women would be drinking vodka tonic and all the guys would be drinking Bullmer's. Although it comes in vast quantities, it's only like 2.5 or 3.5 % alcohol. So you can drink more. And it being summer and all it was very refreshing and often served over ice. And so I was really getting into that. Because a stout in summer is just—although, I drank plenty of that too, let's face it.

MV: Are you a wine vs. beer guy or do you just drink whatever compliments your meal?

TL: I tend not to be too uptight about it. For example today at lunch, Matt and I were just having tacos, like we usually do at the Lee Brothers office, but really good tacos, though, with the really spicy, spicy salsa. And I was like, 'Oh. We have 3 open bottles of red wine—Let's just get rid of these.' And Matt was like, 'Are you crazy? You can't drink red wine with food that's as spicy as this. You've gotta open a bottle of champagne.' And so I was like, 'OK. I'll open a bottle.'

MV: So, what happened to the diet? Are spicy tacos now part of the regimen?