I also began drinking a bit later in life. Growing up with a A dad meant I hated alcohol so avoided it for many years. However I did have food issues. Basically used sugar the way an A uses alcohol. I didn't understand this at the time.
Alcohol took over from food in my early 40's when husband and I retired. We started off by pleasantly sharing a bottle of wine with lunch. It grew from there. Became a bottle each and onwards.
With the knowledge I now have, I think I was an A from the start. It's just that I used a variety of things before I used alcohol.