Sharing a good bottle of wine over dinner is already one of the events to treasure in life, but now there is evidence that it can help your relationship.

Couples who both drink have a higher chance of a happy marriage over the longer term, suggests findings published in the Journals of Gerontology.

Researchers focused on heterosexual couples in the US and measured responses by 2,767 married couples as part of a long-term health survey.

Marriages had already lasted for 33 years on average, with approximately two thirds in their first marriage.

If both partners drank alcohol, the couples tended to report a happier marriage over time.