If I remember correctly, the peak of Mediterranean Diet hype was in late 1990's - early 2000's. It's funny that New York Times published this exciting "new" information this year. Slowpokes?
As for my opinion, I think that any diet involving healthy food in moderate quontities is great, but I doubt anyone can recreate the "mediterranean effect" just by eating more nuts and fish, or whatever. I believe that any "healthy" or "unhealthy" effect is a combination of local (fresh!) food, climate, national lifestyle (sedate or active), even mentality.