Is wine a pleasant libation with possible untapped health benefits or is it a contributor to birth defects and alcoholism?Wine's complicated health effects will be explored by the well-known UC Davis viticulture and enology department in a special public seminar series under way. The seminars will be held at 4:10 p.m. every Tuesday through March 11, in Room 130 of the UC Davis Physics and Geology building.Physicians, nutritionists, wine chemists and a wine historian will be among the speakers from UC Davis and other UC campuses. They will discuss the historical and cultural background of wine, its relationship to preventing cancer and heart disease, and its role in alcoholism and fetal alcohol syndrome."We hope to provide a public forum for discussing the many issues related to wine and health," says Susan Ebeler, an assistant professor of enology, whose recent research has focused on the role of wine in delaying the onset of cancerous tumors in mice.