The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients.

Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast which consume the sugars found in the grapes and convert them into alcohol. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are used depending on the types of wine being produced.

Although other fruits such as apples and berries can also be fermented, the resultant wines are normally named after the fruit from which they are produced (for example, apple wine or elderberry wine) and are generically known as fruit wine or country wine (not to be confused with the French term vin du pays). Others, such as barley wine and rice wine (e. g. sake), are made from starch-based materials and resemble beer and spirit more than wine, while ginger wine is fortified with brandy. In these cases, the use of the term "wine" is a reference to the higher alcohol content, rather than production process.

The commercial use of the English word "wine" (and its equivalent in other languages) is protected by law in many jurisdictions.

Wine has a rich history dating back to around 6000BC and is thought to have originated in areas now within the borders of Georgia and Iran.

Wine probably appeared in Europe at about 4500BC in what is now Bulgaria and Greece, and was very common in ancient Greece, Thrace and Rome. Wine has also played an important role in religion throughout history. The Greek god Dionysos and the Roman equivalent Bacchus represented wine, and the drink is also used in Christian and Jewish ceremonies such as the Eucharist and Kiddush. The word "wine" derives from the Proto-Germanic "*winam," an early borrowing from the Latin vinum, "wine" or "(grape) vine," itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European stem *win-o- (cf. Hittite. wiyana,Lycian. Oino, Ancient Greek

Similar words for wine or grapes are found in the Semitic languages (cf. Arabic ﻭﻳﻦ wayn) and in Georgian (ğvino). some consider the term to be a wanderwort, or "wandering word".

Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest production of wine, made by fermenting grapes, took place in sites in Georgia and Iran, from as early as 6000BC.

These locations are all within the natural area of the European grapevine Vitis vinifera. A 2003 report by archaeologists indicates a possibility that grapes were used together with rice to produce mixed fermented beverages in China as early as 7000BC. Pottery jars from the Neolithic site of Jiahu, Henan were found to contain traces of tartaric acid and other organic compounds commonly found in wine. However, other fruits indigenous to the region, such as hawthorn, could not be ruled out.

If these beverages, which seem to be the precursors of rice wine, included grapes rather than other fruits, these grapes were of any of the several dozen indigenous wild species of grape in China, rather than from Vitis vinifera, which were introduced into China some 6000 years later.

In Ancient Egypt, six of 36 wine amphoras were found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun bearing the name "Kha'y", a royal chief vintner. Five of these amphoras were designated as from the King's personal estate with the sixth listed as from the estate of the royal house of Aten.

Traces of wine have also been found in central Asian Xinjiang, dating from the second and first millennia BC.

In medieval Europe, the Roman Catholic Church was a staunch supporter of wine since it was necessary for the celebration of Mass. In places such as Germany, beer was banned and considered pagan and barbaric, while wine consumption was viewed as civilised and a sign of conversion to Christianity. Monks in France made wine for years, storing it underground in caves to age.

Wine is usually made from one or more varieties of the European species Vitis vinifera, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. When one of these varieties is used as the predominant grape (usually defined by law as a minimum of 75% or 85%), the result is a varietal, as opposed to a blended, wine. Blended wines are not necessarily considered inferior to varietal wines. some of the world's most expensive wines, from regions like Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley, are blended from different grape varieties of the same vintage.

Wine can also be made from other species of grape or from hybrids, created by the genetic crossing of two species. Vitis labrusca (of which the Concord grape is a cultivar), Vitis aestivalis, Vitis rupestris, Vitis rotundifolia and Vitis riparia are native North American grapes usually grown for consumption as fruit or for the production of grape juice, jam, or jelly, but sometimes made into wine. Hybridization is not to be confused with the practice of grafting. Most of the world's vineyards are planted with European V. vinifera vines that have been grafted onto North American species rootstock. This is common practice because North American grape species are resistant to phylloxera, a root louse that eventually kills the vine. In the late 19th century, Europe's vineyards were devastated by the bug, leading to massive vine deaths and eventual replanting. Grafting is done in every wine-producing country of the world except for Argentina, the Canary Islands and Chile, which are the only ones that have not yet been exposed to the insect.

In the context of wine production, terroir is a concept that encompasses the varieties of grapes used, elevation and shape of the vineyard, type and chemistry of soil, climate and seasonal conditions, and the local yeast cultures. The range of possibilities here can result in great differences between wines, influencing the fermentation, finishing, and aging processes as well. Many wineries use growing and production methods that preserve or accentuate the aroma and taste influences of their unique terroir.

However, flavor differences are not desirable for producers of mass-market table wine or other cheaper wines, where consistency is more important. Such producers will try to minimize differences in sources of grapes by using production techniques such as micro-oxygenation, tannin filtration, cross-flow filtration, thin film evaporation, and spinning cones.

France has an appellation system based on the concept of terroir, with classifications which range from Vin de Table ("table wine") at the bottom, through Vin de Pays and Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) up to Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC).

Portugal has something similar and, in fact, pioneered this technique back in 1756 with a royal charter which created the "Demarcated Douro Region" and regulated wine production and trade.

Germany did likewise in 2002, although their system has not yet achieved the authority of those of the other countries'.

New World wine—wines from outside of the traditional wine growing regions of Europe tend to be classified by grape rather than by terroir or region of origin, although there have been non-official attempts to classify them by quality.

A "vintage wine" is one made from grapes that were all or mostly grown in a particular year, and labeled as such. Most countries allow a vintage wine to include a portion that is not from the labeled vintage. Variations in a wine's character from year to year can include subtle differences in color, palate, nose, body and development. High-quality red table wines can improve in flavor with age if properly stored.

Consequently, it is not uncommon for wine enthusiasts and traders to save bottles of an especially good vintage wine for future consumption. In the United States, for a wine to be vintage dated and labeled with a country of origin or American Viticultural Area (AVA) (such as "Sonoma Valley"), it must contain at least 95% of its volume from grapes harvested in that year.

Vintage wines are generally bottled in a single batch so that each bottle will have a similar taste. Climate can have a big impact on the character of a wine to the extent that different vintages from the same vineyard can vary dramatically in flavor and quality.

Thus, vintage wines are produced to be individually characteristic of the vintage and to serve as the flagship wines of the producer. Superior vintages, from reputable producers and regions, will often fetch much higher prices than their average vintages. Some vintage wines, like Brunellos, are only made in better-than-average years. Non-vintage wines can be blended from more than one vintage for consistency, a process which allows wine makers to keep a reliable market image and maintain sales even in bad years.

One recent study suggests that for normal drinkers, vintage year may not be as significant to perceived wine quality as currently thought, although wine connoisseurs continue to place great importance on it.

Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. Wines are made up of chemical compounds which are similar or identical to those in fruits, vegetables, and spices. The sweetness of wine is determined by the amount of residual sugar in the wine after fermentation, relative to the acidity present in the wine. Dry wine, for example, has only a small amount of residual sugar. Inexperienced wine drinkers often tend to mistake the taste of ripe fruit for sweetness when, in fact, the wine in question is very dry. Individual flavors may also be detected, due to the complex mix of organic molecules such as esters and terpenes that grape juice and wine can contain. Tasters often can distinguish between flavors characteristic of a specific grape (e. g., Chianti and sour cherry) and flavors that result from other factors in wine making, either intentional or not. The most typical intentional flavor elements in wine are those that are imparted by aging in oak casks. chocolate, vanilla, or coffee almost always come from the oak and not the grape itself.

Some varietals can also have a mineral flavor, because some salts are soluble in water (like limestone), and are absorbed by the wine. Wine aroma comes from volatile compounds in the wine that are released into the air.

Vaporization of these compounds can be sped up by twirling the wine glass or serving the wine at room temperature. For red wines that are already highly aromatic, like Chinon and Beaujolais, many people prefer them chilled.

At the highest end, rare, super-premium wines are the most expensive of all food, and outstanding vintages from the best vineyards may sell for thousands of dollars per bottle. Such wines are considered by some to be Veblen goods—that is, goods for which demand increases instead of decreases as its price rises. The most common wines purchased for investment include those from Bordeaux, Burgundy, cult wines from California, and Vintage port. Characteristics of highly collectible wines include.

A drinking window plateau (i. e., the period for maturity and approachability) that is many years long

Investment in fine wine has attracted fraudsters who prey on their victims' ignorance of this sector of the wine market. Wine fraudsters often work by charging excessively high prices for off-vintage or lower-status wines from famous wine regions, while claiming that they are offering a sound investment unaffected by economic cycles. Like any investment, proper research is essential before investing. Counterfeiting of labels and bottles is another scam that is sometimes encountered in auctions of famous wines such as 1982 Pétrus.

Wine is a popular and important beverage that accompanies and enhances a wide range of European and Mediterranean-style cuisines, from the simple and traditional to the most sophisticated and complex. Wine is important in cuisine not just for its value as a beverage, but as a flavor agent, primarily in stocks and braising, since its acidity lends balance to rich savory or sweet dishes. Red, white and sparkling wines are the most popular, and are known as light wines because they are only 10–14% alcohol-content by volume. Apéritif and dessert wines contain 14–20% alcohol, and are sometimes fortified to make them richer and sweeter. Some wine labels suggest opening the bottle and letting the wine "breathe" for a couple hours before serving, while others recommend drinking it immediately. Decanting—the act of pouring a wine into a special container just for breathing—is a controversial subject in wine. In addition to aeration, decanting with a filter allows one to remove bitter sediments that may have formed in the wine. Sediment is more common in older bottles but younger wines usually benefit more from aeration.

During aeration, the exposure of younger wines to air often "relaxes" the flavors and makes them taste smoother and better integrated in aroma, texture, and flavor. Older wines generally fade, or lose their character and flavor intensity, with extended aeration.

Despite these general rules, breathing does not necessarily benefit all wines. Wine should be tasted as soon as it is opened to determine how long it should be aerated, if at all.

In Iran (Persia), mei (Persian wine) has been a central theme of poetry for more than a thousand years, although alcohol is strictly forbidden under Islamic law.

The use of wine in religious ceremonies is common to many cultures and regions. Libations often included wine, and the religious mysteries of Dionysus used wine as a sacramental entheogen to induce a mind-altering state. Wine is an integral part of Jewish laws and traditions. The Kiddush is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat or a Jewish holiday. On Pesach (Passover) during the Seder, it is a Rabbinic obligation of men and women to drink four cups of wine.

In the Tabernacle and in the Temple in Jerusalem, the libation of wine was part of the sacrificial service.

Note that this does not mean that wine is a symbol of blood, a common misconception which contributes to the myth of the blood libel. A blessing over wine said before indulging in the drink is. "Baruch atah Hashem elokeinu melech ha-olam, boray p’ree hagafen"—"Praised be the Eternal, Ruler of the universe, who makes the fruit of the vine." In Christianity, wine or grape juice is used in a sacred rite called the Eucharist, which originates in Gospel accounts of the Last Supper in which Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples and commanded his followers to "do this in remembrance of me" (Gospel of Luke 22.19). Beliefs about the nature of the Eucharist vary among denominations. Roman Catholics, for example, hold that the bread and wine are changed into the real body and blood of Christ in a process called transubstantiation. Wine was used in the Eucharist by all Protestant groups until an alternative arose in 1869. Methodist minister-turned-dentist Thomas Bramwell Welch applied new pasteurization techniques to stop the natural fermentation process of grape juice. Some Christians who were part of the growing temperance movement pressed for a switch from wine to grape juice, and the substitution spread quickly over much of the United States. (However, in such rites the beverage is usually still called "wine" in accordance with scriptural references.)

There remains an ongoing debate between some American Protestant denominations as to whether wine can and should be used for the Eucharist or allowed as a regular beverage. The use of wine is forbidden under Islamic law. Iran used to have a thriving wine industry that disappeared after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Although excessive alcohol consumption has adverse health effects, epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated that moderate consumption of alcohol and wine is statistically associated with a decrease in death due to cardiovascular events such as heart failure.

In the United States, a boom in red wine consumption was initiated in the 1990s by the TV show 60 Minutes, and additional news reports on the French paradox.

The French paradox refers to the comparatively lower incidence of coronary heart disease in France despite high levels of saturated fat in the traditional French diet. Some epidemiologists suspect that this difference is due to the higher consumption of wines by the French, but the scientific evidence for this theory is limited. The average moderate wine drinker is more likely to exercise more, to be more health conscious, and to be of a higher educational and socioeconomic class, evidence that the association between moderate wine drinking and health may be related to confounding factors.

Population studies have observed a J curve association between wine consumption and the risk of heart disease. This means that heavy drinkers have an elevated risk, while moderate drinkers (at most two five-ounce servings of wine per day) have a lower risk than non-drinkers. Studies have also found that moderate consumption of other alcoholic beverages may be cardioprotective, although the association is considerably stronger for wine. Also, some studies have found increased health benefits for red wine over white wine, though other studies have found no difference. Red wine contains more polyphenols than white wine, and these are thought to be particularly protective against cardiovascular disease.

A chemical in red wine called resveratrol has been shown to have both cardioprotective and chemoprotective effects in animal studies.

Low doses of resveratrol in the diet of middle-aged mice has a widespread influence on the genetic levers of aging and may confer special protection on the heart. Specifically, low doses of resveratrol mimic the effects of what is known as caloric restriction - diets with 20-30 percent fewer calories than a typical diet.

Resveratrol is produced naturally by grape skins in response to fungal infection, including exposure to yeast during fermentation. As white wine has minimal contact with grape skins during this process, it generally contains lower levels of the chemical.

Red wines from the south of France and from Sardinia in Italy have been found to have the highest levels of procyanidins, which are compounds in grape seeds suspected to be responsible for red wine's heart benefits. Red wines from these areas have between two and four times as much procyanidins as other red wines. Procyanidins suppress the synthesis of a peptide called endothelin-1 that constricts blood vessels.

A 2007 study found that both red and white wines are effective anti-bacterial agents against strains of Streptococcus.

Also, a report in the October 2008 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, posits that moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men.

Wine's effect on the brain is also under study. One study concluded that wine made from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape reduces the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.

Sulphites are present in all wines and are formed as a natural product of the fermentation process, and many wine producers add sulfur dioxide in order to help preserve wine. Sulfur dioxide is also added to foods such as dried apricots and orange juice. The level of added sulfites varies, and some wines have been marketed with low sulfite content.

Most wines are sold in glass bottles and are sealed using corks. An increasing number of wine producers have been using alternative closures such as screwcaps or synthetic plastic "corks". In addition to being less expensive, alternative closures prevent cork taint, although they have been blamed for other problems such as excessive reduction. Some wines are packaged in heavy plastic bags within cardboard boxes, and are called box wines, or cask wine. These wines are typically accessed via a tap on the side of the box. Box wine can maintain an acceptable degree of freshness for up to a month after opening, while bottled wine will more rapidly oxidize, and is considerably degraded within a few days. Environmental considerations of wine packaging reveal benefits and drawbacks of both bottled and box wines. Glass used to make bottles has a decent environmental reputation, as it is completely recyclable, whereas plastics as used in box wines are typically considered to be much less environmentally friendly. However, wine bottle manufacturers have been cited for Clear Air Act violations. A New York Times editorial puported that box wine, being lighter in package weight, has a reduced carbon footprint from its distribution. Boxed wine plastics, even though possibly recyclable, can be more labor-intensive (and so expensive) to process than glass bottles. And while a wine box is recyclable, its plastic wine bladder most likely isn't.

Wine cellars, or wine rooms if they are above-ground, are places designed specifically for the storage and aging of wine. In an active wine cellar, temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. Passive wine cellars are not climate-controlled, and so must be carefully located. Wine is a natural, perishable food product. when exposed to heat, light, vibration or fluctuations in temperature and humidity, all types of wine, including red, white, sparkling, and fortified, can spoil. When properly stored, wines can maintain their quality and in some cases improve in aroma, flavor, and complexity as they age. Consensus among wine experts is that the optimal temperature for aging wine is 55°F(12.8°C).

An amateur wine maker, or a derogatory term used for small scale operations of recent inception, usually without pedigree and located in Bordeaux.

A wine merchant, most specifically those who assemble the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells them under their own name.

A restaurant specialist in charge of assembling the wine list, educating the staff about wine, and assisting customers with their wine selections.

Falcon Crest, USA 1981–1990. A popular CBS primetime soap opera about the fictional Falcon Crest winery and the family who owned it, set in a fictional "Tuscany Valley" in California. A wine named "Falcon Crest" even went on the market.

A Walk in the Clouds 1995. A love story set in a Mexican-American family's traditional vineyard showcasing different moments in the production of wine.

Mondovino, USA/France 2004. A documentary film directed by American film maker Jonathan Nossiter, exploring the impact of globalization on various wine-producing regions.

Sideways, 2004. A comedy/drama film, directed by Alexander Payne, with the tagline. "In search of wine. In search of women. In search of themselves." Wine, particularly Pinot Noir, plays a central role.

Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure, UK 2006–7. "Wine ponce" Oz Clarke tries to teach motor head James May about wine. The first series saw them traveling through the wine regions of France, and the second series saw them drive throughout California.

Crush, USA 2007. Produced and directed by Bret Lyman, this is a documentary short that covers the 2006 grape harvest and crush in California's wine country. It also features winemaker Richard Bruno.

Bottle Shock (USA 2008) tells a story centered around the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, in addition to portraying the birth of the Napa wine industry.

The Judgment of Paris (in production, USA 2010) is to based on journalist George M. Taber's account of the same Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 that was fictionalized in Bottle Shock.

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Does red wine protect against heart disease? Maybe. Many studies investigated the benefits of red wine suggested that moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age by ~ 30 to 50 percent. It is also suggested that alcohol such as red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one. Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. Indeed, studies showed that people from the Mediterranean region who regularly drank red wine have lower risks of heart disease What's in Red Wine that are good for heart? Red wine is a particularly rich source of antioxidants flavonoid phenolics, so many studies to uncover a cause for red wine's effects have focused on its phenolic constituents, particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids. Resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds, increases HDL cholesterol and prevent blood clotting. Flavonoids, on the other hand, exhibit antioxidant properties helping prevent blood clots and plaques formation in arteries. Should I start drinking more red wine now? The answer is No. Studies showed that alcohol drinking may increase triglycerides (another Bad blood lipids) and result in weight gain due to its empty calories. Other studies also suggested that alcohol consumption is associated with cancer risk. Read Alcohol and Cancer. The American Heart Association cautions people NOT to start drinking if they do not already drink alcohol. If you already drink alcohol, do so in moderation. AHA recommends one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. (A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.)

First things first, red wine is wellred, but why? It's color can be derived from a vast assortment of grape varietals ranging from grapes that are reddish, deep purple, and even a beautiful blue on the color scale. These grapes give rise to a wine that is color classified with such descriptors as garnet, almost black, dark red, light red, ruby red, opaque purple, deep violet, maroon and the list goes on. It is the grapeskins that are responsible for the red wines distinct color spectrum. The skins are in contact with the grapes juice during the fermentation process, allowing the dispersion of both color and tannins. The individual wines particular red hue depends on the grape type used in the process and the length of time the skins pigmentation is in contact with juice. There are right around 50 key red wine varietals that consistently manifest themselves in todays worldwide wine market. Red Wine Glass Choice Red wines will put their best foot forward when poured into and sipped out of a wine glass with adequate room. A distinctly oval or egg-shaped bowl that narrows slightly at the top as opposed to a slender flute-like glass is necessary to enjoy a red wine to the fullest . The ideal red wine glass will accommodate between 10-22 ounces of liquid, allowing more room to swirl your wine and better surface area for allowing the wine to breathe a bit. On the serving note, keep in mind that most red wines are at their best when serving temperatures are between 60-65 degrees Farenheit serve them too warm and the taste of alcohol is overly evident, serve them too cold and they will quickly veer towards bitter and more astringent on the palate. Red Wine Style As with all wines, the particular winemaker will have adequate say in the style of wine he will produce. That said, red wines are often classified by body-type. For example, one might say that a certain red wine is light-bodied referring to the mouth-feel and tannin structure. A light-bodied wine will have fewer tannins present and less presence on the palate. These wines tend to be less demanding partners with flavor-filled foods. An example of a light-bodied red wine would be one derived from the Gamay grape varietal, such as Frances famed young red wine. Beaujolais Nouveau. A medium-bodied red wine will contain more tannins than the above Beaujolais Nouveau, but will not have near the pucker power of a high-powered California Cabernet Sauvignon or an Italian Super Tuscan. Typical examples of medium-bodied red wines include. Merlot, Shiraz or a Chianti. Full-bodied red wines boast the highest tannin (and often alcohol) content. Prime examples of full-bodied reds are Frances esteemed Bordeaux wines, Californias key Cabs and Italys sizzling Super Tuscans. In general, light-bodied wines tend to feel more like water in the mouth. In contrast, full-bodied wines feel heavier, more like milk, this effect is due in large part to the higher tannin (and again, alcohol) content. Key Red Wine Varietals The top red wine varietals that you are likely to encounter are. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Shiraz, Sangiovese, Malbec, and Grenache. Sometimes, you will hear of red wines referred to by their popular regional names. For example, a Bordeaux is a red wine from France that is made primarily from three varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. Or move to ordering a wine from Italy and you will often hear of a Chianti- made from the Sangiovese grape varietal, or look at Piedmont's Barolo or Barbaresco wines (both of which hail from the Nebbiolo varietal). Common Red Wine Flavor Descriptions Cherry Plum Strawberry Blackberry Raspberry Currant Gooseberry Boysenberry Raisin Fig Pepper (white/black) Clove Cinnamon Coffee Cocoa Mocha Tobacco Leather Licorice Toast Smoke Violet

A look at the types of red wines available, vintage pricing and recommendations, producing regions, appropriate food pairing ideas, storing and serving tips and a bit of demystifying vineyard vocabulary that often accompanies red wines.

Red Wine BasicsWhy are red wines "red," why do bigger glasses work better for serving red wines and what is the difference between a light-bodied red wine and a full-bodied red wine? Answers to these and other pressing red wine questions abound in "Red Wine Basics."

Red Wine ClubsWine clubs have come a long way in the past decade. With the increasing popularity of both domestic and imported red wines, many clubs are allowing Wine Lovers the option of selecting only red wines for their monthly shipments. Here are four top picks for the very the best wine clubs featuring red wine exclusives in each shipment.

How to Clean Red Wine Spills on CarpetQuick tips to clean red wine spills and stains on carpets or area rugs.

Red Wine Sangria RecipesEverybody loves a good Sangria and this list provides the best of the best - easy, tasty and fun sangria recipes !

Red Wine Audio designs and manufactures reference-level home audio components for the music connoisseur seeking a sublime listening experience. Our product philosophy is based on the principle that simplicity and elegance in design, coupled with the use of high-current battery power, delivers an emotionally involving musical presentation that has no equal. Our vision is to develop long-term relationships with our customers by offering complete audio system solutions that have been carefully evaluated for the finest level of synergy, while providing unmatched quality and customer service.

Are there cardiovascular risks associated with drinking alcohol? Drinking too much alcohol can raise the levels of some fats in the blood (triglycerides) (tri-GLIS'er-idz). It can also lead to high blood pressure, heart failure and an increased calorie intake. (Consuming too many calories can lead to obesity and a higher risk of developing diabetes.) Excessive drinking and binge drinking can lead to stroke. Other serious problems include fetal alcohol syndrome, cardiomyopathy (kar"de-o-mi-OP'ah-the), cardiac arrhythmia (ah-RITH'me-ah) and sudden cardiac death. AHA Recommendation If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. This means an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.(A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.) Drinking more alcohol increases suchdangers as alcoholism, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, breast cancer, suicide and accidents. Also, it's not possible to predict in which people alcoholism will become a problem. Given these and other risks, the American Heart Association cautions people NOT to start drinking. if they do not already drink alcohol. Consult your doctor on the benefits and risks of consuming alcohol in moderation. What about red wine and heart disease? Over the past several decades, many studies have been published in science journals about how drinking alcohol may be associated with reduced mortality due to heart disease in some populations. Some researchers have suggested that the benefit may be due to wine, especially red wine. Othersare examining the potential benefits of components in red wine such as flavonoids (FLAV'oh-noidz) and other antioxidants (an"tih-OK'sih-dants) in reducing heart disease risk. Some of these components may be found in other foods such as grapes or red grape juice. The linkage reported in many of these studies may be due to other lifestyle factors rather than alcohol. Such factors may include increased physical activity, and a diet high in fruits and vegetables and lower in saturated fats No direct comparison trials have been done to determine the specific effect of wine or other alcohol on the risk of developing heart disease or stroke. Are there potentialbenefits of drinking wine or other alcoholic beverages? Research is being done to find out what the apparent benefits of drinking wine or alcohol in some populations may be due to, including the role ofantioxidants, an increase in HDL ("good") cholesterol or anti-clotting properties. Clinical trials of other antioxidants such as vitamin E have not shown any cardio-protective effect. Also, even if they were protective, antioxidants can be obtained from many fruits and vegetables, including red grape juice. The best-known effect of alcohol is a small increase in HDL cholesterol. However, regular physical activity is anothereffective way to raise HDL cholesterol, and niacin can be prescribed to raise it to a greater degree. Alcohol or some substances such as resveratrol (res-VAIR'ah-trol) found in alcoholic beverages may prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together. That may reduce clot formation and reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. (Aspirin may help reduce blood clotting in a similar way.) How alcohol or wine affects cardiovascular risk merits further research, but right now the American Heart Association does not recommend drinking wine or any other form of alcohol to gain these potential benefits. The AHA does recommend that to reduce your risk you should talk to your doctor about lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure, controlling your weight, getting enoughphysical activityand following a healthy diet. There is no scientific proof that drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage can replace these conventional measures. What about alcohol and pregnancy? Pregnant women shouldn't drink alcohol in any form. It can harm the baby seriously, including causing birth defects. What about alcohol and aspirin? The U. S. Food and Drug Administration warns that people who take aspirin regularly should not drink alcohol. Heart disease patientsshould stop drinking and keep taking aspirin if their doctor prescribed it for their heart condition. Patients should not stop taking aspirin without first talking to their doctor. Related AHA publications.

Research on the antioxidants found in red wine has shown that they may help inhibit the development of certain cancers. (See Question 1)

Red wine is a rich source of biologically active phytochemicals, chemicals found in plants. Particular compounds called polyphenols found in red wine-such as catechins and resveratrol-are thought to have anti oxidant or anti cancer properties. 1. What are polyphenols and how do they prevent cancer? Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds found in the skin and seeds of grapes. When wine is made from these grapes, the alcohol produced by the fermentation process dissolves the polyphenols contained in the skin and seeds. Red wine contains more polyphenols than white wine because the making of white wine requires the removal of the skins after the grapes are crushed. The phenols in red wine include catechin, gallic acid and epicatechin. Polyphenols have been found to have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from oxidative damage caused by molecules called free radicals. These chemicals can damage important parts of cells, including proteins, membranes and DNA. Cellular damage caused by free radicals has been implicated in the development of cancer. Research on the antioxidants found in red wine has shown that they may help inhibit the development of certain cancers. 2. What is resveratrol and how does it prevent cancer? Resveratrol is a type of polyphenol called a phytoalexin, a class of compounds produced as part of a plant's defense system against disease. It is produced in the plant in response to an invading fungus, stress, injury, infection or ultraviolet irradiation. Red wine contains high levels of resveratrol, as do grapes, raspberries, peanuts and other plants. Resveratrol has been shown to reduce tumor incidence in animals by affecting one or more stages of cancer development. It has been shown to inhibit growth of many types of cancer cells in culture. Evidence also exists that it can reduce inflammation. It also reduces activation of NF kappa B, a protein produced by the body's immune system when it is under attack. This protein affects cancer cell growth and metastasis. Resveratrol is also an antioxidant. 3. What have red wine studies found? The cell and animal studies of red wine have examined effects in several cancers including leukemia, skin, breast and prostate cancers. Scientists are studying resveratrol to learn more about its cancer preventive activities. Recent evidence from animal studies suggests this anti-inflammatory compound may be an effective chemopreventive agent in three stages of the cancer process. initiation, promotion and progression. Research studies published in the International Journal of Cancer show that drinking a glass of red wine a day may cut a man's risk of prostate cancer in half and that the protective effect appears to be strongest against the most aggressive forms of the disease. It was also seen that men who consumed four or more 4-ounce glasses of red wine per week have a 60 percent lower incidence of the more aggressive types of prostate cancer. However, studies of the association between red wine consumption and cancer in humans are in their initial stages. Although consumption of large amounts of alcoholic beverages may increase the risk of some cancers, there is growing evidence that the health benefits of red wine are related to its nonalcoholic components. Back to Top

Vintage Roots the UKs leading mail order supplier of organic red wine, organic white wine, organic beers, organic ciders, organic spirits, organic liqueurs, organic soft drinks and organic chocolate – they’re all just a few clicks away. All of the wines we sell are made from grapes that havent been in contact with any chemicals during the wines making process which makes them better for you and the environment.

Vintage Roots recently took home the "Independent Specialist Merchant of the Year" at the Decanter Wine Retailer of the Year Awards. Click here to see the full story.

A blend of Merlot and Cabernet franc this is a very good, cheerful red wine with red plum and redcurrant fruits. Rounded, well-integrated tannins mean.

Click here to see the PAN press release regarding European wines systematically contaminated with pesticide residues. The environment matters to us Click here to see what we have to say about it.

12/29/2008 - (NaturalNews) A phytochemical believed to be responsible for the life-extending benefits of red wine may improve quality of life for the elderly, according to a study conducted by researchers from the National Institute on Aging and Harvard Medical School,.

12/9/2008 - (NaturalNews) Moderate red wine drinkers have less incidence of heart disease than non-drinkers and now scientists are confirming a direct correlation between red wine and many powerful anti-aging benefits. Moderate consumption of some red wines may be.

8/26/2008 - (NaturalNews) A wealth of new research findings continue to underscore the wonders of resveratrol, the compound discovered only a few years ago that has already achieved superstar status. Found predominately in red wine, grapes and peanuts, resveratrol.

1/28/2008 - (NaturalNews) The main aspect of the Mediterranean diet is the high consumption of fresh fruits and 1 glass a day of red wine. Recent studies confirm the health benefits of this diet in preventing cancer and heart disease. The Mediterranean diet is.

12/16/2007 - (NaturalNews) There are a number of studies showing the benefits of including wine in a healthy diet. The most recent is one conducted by the Karolinska Institute on 25,000 women in Sweden. This study looked at women that consumed fresh fruits and vegetables,.

9/22/2007 - (NaturalNews) The health, nutrition and beauty supplement company NFI Consumer Products has released Resvinatrol Complete, which it bills as a healthy "red wine alternative." "Resvinatrol Complete provides today's health-conscious consumers with an.

2/6/2007 - (NaturalNews) A new study suggests that red grape juice may offer the same protection against heart disease as red wine. "Grape juice can have a similar effect as red wine but without the alcohol," said lead researcher Dr. Valeri Schini-Kerth. According.

11/17/2006 - (NaturalNews) A drug based on resveratrol -- a phytonutrient found in red wine -- may double exercise endurance, fight obesity and prolong life, according to a new study by French researchers. Dr. Johan Auwerx and colleagues from the Institute of Genetics.

11/13/2006 - A new study directed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine has found that moderate red wine consumption in a form of Cabernet Sauvignon may help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The study entitled “Moderate Consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon.

11/2/2006 - (NaturalNews) When resveratrol, a chemical found in red wine, was given to mice in a recent study, it countered some effects of a high-calorie diet, improving the health of the mice and increasing their life spans. Resveratrol could not reverse all.

10/16/2006 - (NaturalNews) Drinking a couple of glasses of red wine every day may help protect the brain from stroke damage, according to new research by scientists from Johns Hopkins University. The researchers -- led by Dr. Sylvain Dore -- fed mice a moderate.

9/28/2006 - (NaturalNews) When administered the equivalent to the U. S. Department of Agriculture's definition of a "moderate" amount of wine -- 5 ounces daily for women and 10 ounces daily for men -- memory loss and brain cell death slowed in mice with an Alzheimer's-like.

The Food Timing DietRevealed. The Mike Adams secret to shedding body fat, experiencing phenomenal mental and physical energy and eliminating blood sugar swings -- all while eating enormous quantities of health-enhancing (and delicious!) food. Learn why it's not WHAT you eat as much as WHEN you eat!

Grocery WarningHow to recognize and avoid the common foods (and food ingredients) that cause disease. Names all the exact ingredients that directly cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, depression, osteoporosis, arthritis, high blood pressure, ADHD, behavioral disorders, mood swings and many more.

The Five Soft Drink Monsters. how to kick the soft drink addiction for goodThis downloadable ebooks reveals how to easily and permanently break the soft drink habit for good. This guide will show you, in clear understandable terms, how to recognize each of the five addictive elements of soft drinks -- and then beat them with a clever strategy that's already worked for thousands.

The Five Habits of Health TransformationExplores the five most effective, yet effortless strategies for transforming human health. Written for busy people and based on research involving 763 participants, this book reveals which health strategies deliver the most results with the least investment in time, money or effort.

Spam Filters For Your BrainYour brain is being spammed by 3,000 ads and commercial messages per day. Now you can actually filter out annoying, manipulative messages with the revolutionary brain defense technology revealed in this guide.

See Google search results on red wine (NaturalNews. com site)See Google search results on red wine (entire internet)See Google Scholar search results on red wine (includes scientific, academic and medical journals)

CounterThink cartoons are free to view and download. They cover topics like health, environment and freedom. naturalnews. com offers news, commentary and a free email newsletter covering natural health solutions and criticism of conventional medicine. TruthPublishing. com offers alternative health books and free downloadable interviews with top doctors and health authors. The Honest Food Guide chart is a free, downloadable public health and nutrition chart that dares to tell the truth about what foods we should really be eating. HealingFoodReference. com offers a free online reference database of healing foods, phytonutrients and plant-based medicines that prevent or treat diseases and health conditions. The Natural Health Library offers more than fifteen free, downloadable books and interviews on natural health solutions. HerbReference. com is a free, online reference library that lists medicinal herbs and their health benefits. Read about emerging, renewable energy solutions at the NaturalNews energy channel, covering solar power, wind power, hydrogen, fuel cells and other topics for the eco-conscious consumer. NutrientReference. com is a free online reference database of phytonutrients (natural medicines found in foods) and their health benefits. Lists diseases, foods, herbs and more. Join our natural health e-mail newsletter for free daily updates on health news that matters. Our e-mail newsletter is powered by ArialSoftware's E-Mail Marketing Director newsletter software. Videos are powered by Zeop Online Video Engine.

Scientists may have discovered the reason why red wine appears to protect the heart. Numerous studies have suggested that moderate alcohol drinking helps to reduce the likelihood of heart disease. The so-called "Mediterranean diet", which includes a larger intake of wine, has been credited with lower rates of heart disease in those countries, despite a higher intake of saturated fats. However, there is no clear evidence that red wine is any better than any other alcoholic drink. But a team of scientists from Barts and the London School of Medicine, and the Queen Mary University in London, may have found a mechanism which points to the benefits of red wine. They say it appears to interfere with the production of a body chemical which is vital to the process which clogs up arteries and increases the risk of a heart attack. Wines tested That chemical, a protein called endothelin-1 (ET-1), has already been shown to be involved in the formation of early signs of artery disease, such as the formation of fatty streaks on the walls of arteries. Chemicals which work against it have been shown to reduce the rate of heart attacks in people who have heart disease. The London team tested extracts from 23 red wines, four white wines, a rosé wine and one red non-alcoholic grape juice sample, after finding that certain chemicals - called polyphenols - from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes decreased the manufacture of ET-1 in bovine artery wall cells. They found that, in the red wines, the amount they inhibited ET-1 ran parallel with the amount of these polyphenols they contained. The white and rosé wines had no similar effect. Cabernet the best Dr Roger Corder, from the William Harvey Research Institute at St Barts, said. "What we are proposing is the mechanism that could explain why red wine is a better alcoholic beverage to consume than others. "If you consume one glass of red wine and you have a good absorption of the active principle, that would be more than adequate." He said that Cabernet Sauvignon-derived wines seemed to have the most impact. The study is published in the journal Nature.

12/29/2008 - (NaturalNews) A phytochemical believed to be responsible for the life-extending benefits of red wine may improve quality of life for the elderly, according to a study conducted by researchers from the National Institute on Aging and Harvard Medical School,.

12/9/2008 - (NaturalNews) Moderate red wine drinkers have less incidence of heart disease than non-drinkers and now scientists are confirming a direct correlation between red wine and many powerful anti-aging benefits. Moderate consumption of some red wines may be.

8/26/2008 - (NaturalNews) A wealth of new research findings continue to underscore the wonders of resveratrol, the compound discovered only a few years ago that has already achieved superstar status. Found predominately in red wine, grapes and peanuts, resveratrol.

1/28/2008 - (NaturalNews) The main aspect of the Mediterranean diet is the high consumption of fresh fruits and 1 glass a day of red wine. Recent studies confirm the health benefits of this diet in preventing cancer and heart disease. The Mediterranean diet is.

12/16/2007 - (NaturalNews) There are a number of studies showing the benefits of including wine in a healthy diet. The most recent is one conducted by the Karolinska Institute on 25,000 women in Sweden. This study looked at women that consumed fresh fruits and vegetables,.

9/22/2007 - (NaturalNews) The health, nutrition and beauty supplement company NFI Consumer Products has released Resvinatrol Complete, which it bills as a healthy "red wine alternative." "Resvinatrol Complete provides today's health-conscious consumers with an.

2/6/2007 - (NaturalNews) A new study suggests that red grape juice may offer the same protection against heart disease as red wine. "Grape juice can have a similar effect as red wine but without the alcohol," said lead researcher Dr. Valeri Schini-Kerth. According.

11/17/2006 - (NaturalNews) A drug based on resveratrol -- a phytonutrient found in red wine -- may double exercise endurance, fight obesity and prolong life, according to a new study by French researchers. Dr. Johan Auwerx and colleagues from the Institute of Genetics.

11/13/2006 - A new study directed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine has found that moderate red wine consumption in a form of Cabernet Sauvignon may help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The study entitled “Moderate Consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon.

11/2/2006 - (NaturalNews) When resveratrol, a chemical found in red wine, was given to mice in a recent study, it countered some effects of a high-calorie diet, improving the health of the mice and increasing their life spans. Resveratrol could not reverse all.

10/16/2006 - (NaturalNews) Drinking a couple of glasses of red wine every day may help protect the brain from stroke damage, according to new research by scientists from Johns Hopkins University. The researchers -- led by Dr. Sylvain Dore -- fed mice a moderate.

9/28/2006 - (NaturalNews) When administered the equivalent to the U. S. Department of Agriculture's definition of a "moderate" amount of wine -- 5 ounces daily for women and 10 ounces daily for men -- memory loss and brain cell death slowed in mice with an Alzheimer's-like.

The Food Timing DietRevealed. The Mike Adams secret to shedding body fat, experiencing phenomenal mental and physical energy and eliminating blood sugar swings -- all while eating enormous quantities of health-enhancing (and delicious!) food. Learn why it's not WHAT you eat as much as WHEN you eat!

Grocery WarningHow to recognize and avoid the common foods (and food ingredients) that cause disease. Names all the exact ingredients that directly cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, depression, osteoporosis, arthritis, high blood pressure, ADHD, behavioral disorders, mood swings and many more.

The Five Soft Drink Monsters. how to kick the soft drink addiction for goodThis downloadable ebooks reveals how to easily and permanently break the soft drink habit for good. This guide will show you, in clear understandable terms, how to recognize each of the five addictive elements of soft drinks -- and then beat them with a clever strategy that's already worked for thousands.

The Five Habits of Health TransformationExplores the five most effective, yet effortless strategies for transforming human health. Written for busy people and based on research involving 763 participants, this book reveals which health strategies deliver the most results with the least investment in time, money or effort.

Spam Filters For Your BrainYour brain is being spammed by 3,000 ads and commercial messages per day. Now you can actually filter out annoying, manipulative messages with the revolutionary brain defense technology revealed in this guide.

See Google search results on red wine (NaturalNews. com site)See Google search results on red wine (entire internet)See Google Scholar search results on red wine (includes scientific, academic and medical journals)

CounterThink cartoons are free to view and download. They cover topics like health, environment and freedom. naturalnews. com offers news, commentary and a free email newsletter covering natural health solutions and criticism of conventional medicine. TruthPublishing. com offers alternative health books and free downloadable interviews with top doctors and health authors. The Honest Food Guide chart is a free, downloadable public health and nutrition chart that dares to tell the truth about what foods we should really be eating. HealingFoodReference. com offers a free online reference database of healing foods, phytonutrients and plant-based medicines that prevent or treat diseases and health conditions. The Natural Health Library offers more than fifteen free, downloadable books and interviews on natural health solutions. HerbReference. com is a free, online reference library that lists medicinal herbs and their health benefits. Read about emerging, renewable energy solutions at the NaturalNews energy channel, covering solar power, wind power, hydrogen, fuel cells and other topics for the eco-conscious consumer. NutrientReference. com is a free online reference database of phytonutrients (natural medicines found in foods) and their health benefits. Lists diseases, foods, herbs and more. Join our natural health e-mail newsletter for free daily updates on health news that matters. Our e-mail newsletter is powered by ArialSoftware's E-Mail Marketing Director newsletter software. Videos are powered by Zeop Online Video Engine.

A woman tastes one of southern Italy's full-bodied red wines, near Guagnano, in Puglia, the heel of boot-shaped Italy. Red wine has been touted as beneficial to cardiovascular health, but new research suggests that drinking more than a certain amount of that favourite Merlot or Shiraz may actually be harmful over time.

It's been quite a decade for wine sales in Canada. In 2007, Canadians spent $5 billion on wine — an increase of 9.5 per cent from the year before, according to figures from Statistics Canada. Canada's love affair with fermented grape juice really began taking off in the late 1990s, when wine accounted for 21 per cent of sales of all alcoholic beverages across the country. Since then, market share for beer and spirits has been declining while wine's popularity has been increasing. It now accounts for 28 per cent of the alcoholic beverage market. Most of that growth has been due to a surge in red wine sales. Since 2000, sales of red wine are up by 130 per cent compared to a 33 per cent increase for white wine. Sales of red outpace sales of white in every province except New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The wine tide appears to have turned in the late 1990s when research about red wine's potential health benefits began to surface. The benefits of red wine appear to be linked to the presence of resveratrol, melatonin and flavonoids. Flavonoids are thought to help protect the body from cancer because of their antioxidant properties. They help the body neutralize certain free radicals that can trigger the cellular activity that may lead to cancer. Melatonin — a substance present in red wine and some foods and that humans naturally produce in small amounts — is thought to delay the oxidative damage and inflammatory processes typical of old age. Resveratrol is produced naturally by grape skins during red wine's fermentation process. Several studies have suggested that resveratrol may explain the "French paradox" — why the French appear to be able to consume a diet higher in fat than the norm while enjoying a comparatively lower incidence of heart disease. High doses of the chemical appear to mimic the effects that a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in calories in the typical diet would have. Researchers say such a diet is effective at prolonging life in many species. A study released in June 2008 found that not only is resveratrol effective at protecting the heart at high doses, but it can also be effective at low doses beginning in middle age, leading to a healthier heart and better quality of life in old age. Red wine has been credited with more than keeping your heart healthy and delaying the aging process. It has also shown promising results in preventing prostate cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, leukemia and some common food-borne illnesses. Not all effects are positive But the long list of potential health benefits does not necessarily mean red wine should be a staple in every household. Wine is an alcoholic beverage, and pregnant women — or women contemplating having a baby — should avoid alcohol. It can be dangerous to the fetus. Alcohol can also increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. Two drinks a day can increase a healthy woman's risk by 10 per cent — or more if there is a family history of the disease. Red wine can also trigger migraines in people who are susceptible to them, probably because of the accumulation of histamines and tannins from prolonged contact with the skin of the grape during the fermentation process. Wine can also elevate your triglyceride levels. High triglyceride levels are associated with health problems such as diabetes. Drinking wine — or any other alcoholic beverage — can also lead to weight gain. A glass of wine contains about 120 calories and no nutrients — that is, empty calories. Get together with friends, have a few glasses of wine along with a small plate of hors d'oeuvres, and you're approaching your total recommended caloric intake for the entire day. If you're not active, before long, your waistline will be in expansion mode. Worldwide, drinking causes almost as much harm as smoking, according to the World Health Organization. The agency estimates that alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths around the world every year. about a third of those deaths are accidents that could have been avoided. The WHO also estimates that worldwide, alcohol causes or plays a role in 20 per cent to 30 per cent of all cases of esophageal cancer, liver cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, homicide, epileptic seizures and traffic accidents. Even in France, attempts have been made to make the country more aware of the potential pitfalls of alcohol. A 2005 report urged the French government to snap out of its state of national denial and take urgent steps to address the problems of alcohol abuse. The report found that alcohol was directly responsible for 23,000 deaths a year in France and indirectly responsible for 22,000 more. The report's author, Hervé Chabalier, said one person in 10 in the country is ill because of the effects of alcohol.

Enjoy the experience of raising kids late in life, an American woman who gave birth to twins at age 60 two years ago advises a 60-year-old woman in Calgary who is also the proud new mother of twins.

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration made history Friday as it approved the first drug made with materials from genetically engineered animals, clearing the way for a new class of medical therapies.

It may not only be unhelpful to use X-rays, MRI and CT scans for people with low back pain, but it may also expose them to low doses of radiation unnecessarily.

A Calgary doctor says Ranjit Hayer's decision to have twins at age 60 should be considered through the lens of South Asian cultures.

U. S. Vice-President Joe Biden says his country is willing to talk to Iran, but will further isolate Tehran if it does not abandon its 'illicit nuclear program.'

What I consider to be the six classic red grapes are detailed here, together with further details on a number of other varieties at the foot of the page. Some of the grape varieties mentioned here, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, will be familiar to even the novice wine drinker. Others, however, such as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, will be much less familiar, as outside of the regions of northern Italy where these grapes have their home they are not, as yet, extensively planted. Each profile contains information on. Spiritual home. the Old World locations where the grape has its home. Most grape varieties have just one or two locations in the Old World where they are traditionally cultivated. This section tells you where. Grown elsewhere. some grapes have found a niche in the New World, and may have gained considerable fame as a result, such as Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand. Others are almost ubiquitous, whereas some have travelled little. This section gives you a brief one-liner as to where the variety is found, with more detail in the profile. Keywords. this section gives just one or two words that give some idea as to the intrinsic flavour of the grape. It is merely a quick note to 'hang your hat on', so to speak, and is by no means comprehensive. Much more detail is given in the profile. Profile. A guide to the growing requirements or preferences, taste and aroma, ability to age and so on.

Spiritual home. Bordeaux. Grown elsewhere. Widely cultivated throughout the world. Key flavour. Blackcurrants. Profile. Renowned for the wines it produces on the well-drained, gravelly soils on the left bank of the Gironde in Bordeaux, cabernet Sauvignon has been a natural choice for New World winemakers wishing to emulate the fine wine that is claret. It is a robust grape that has travelled well, and is now cultivated in Australia, South Africa, North America and South America, but has also been put to use in Italy, Spain and Eastern Europe. It has small, blue-black berries which have thick skins, providing necessary tannin, colour and flavour. Characteristics aromas and flavours are blackcurrants, cedar, old furniture and cabinets, coffee, tobacco, cigars, cigar boxes, violets, minerals, green pepper (especially if grapes are somewhat under-ripe), chocolate and so on. Young wines start off intensely fruity, whilst the more complex aromas will develop with age.

Spiritual home. Bordeaux. Grown elsewhere. Important in Italy and California. Key flavours. Chocolate, fruitcake. Profile. Whereas Cabernet Sauvignon has its spiritual home in the left bank communes of Bordeaux, Merlot is most famous for the wines from the right bank, especially from Pomerol and St Emilion. Although somewhat less widely travelled when compared to Cabernet, this thin-skinned, large-berried variety has found a new home in California. It is also important in some of the top wines of Italy, and can also be found in Australia and Eastern Europe. Spicy fruitcake, Christmas cake and chocolate characteristics will often give Merlot away, although it may also display blackcurrant, black cherry and plums. It is less tannic than Cabernet Sauvignon, and is often used in clarets when they need to be 'fleshed out' in weaker vintages.

Spiritual home. Burgundy, important in Champagne. Grown elsewhere. Success in New Zealand, California, Australia. Keywords. Summer berry fruits (primary characteristics). Profile. Without doubt, although many winemakers of the New World have tried their hand at cultivating this variety, none have come close to emulating the fine wine that can be produced in Burgundy. Nevertheless, the wines of New Zealand have received critical acclaim in recent years, and there are also extremely good examples from California, Australia and South Africa to be found, although all are made in a richly fruity style quite distinct from Burgundy. This variety is thin skinned, grows in small bunches, and is prone to problems with yields. Accepted wisdom states that consistently low yields are necessary to maintain quality, and although high-yield clones have been developed (there are many different clones of Pinot Noir, all of which have different flavour, yield, disease resistance and so on) the final product lacks the necessary quality. When discussing Pinot Noir, it is also worth remembering that it plays a vital role as one of the three grapes widely planted in Champagne. Primary aromas and flavours (those present when young) are redcurrants, cranberries, strawberries, blackberries and chocolate. The secondary aromas (those that develop with age) include horsehair and animal fur, farmyard aromas, manure and compost. Lovely!

Spiritual home. Rhône Valley, particularly the north. Grown elsewhere. Australia, but many other countries also. Keywords. Black fruits black pepper. Profile. Syrah is the grape behind fine wines of the Northern Rhône, not only Côte Rôtie (roasted slope) and Hermitage, but also Cornas and Crozes-Hermitage. Nevertheless, most wine drinkers are familiar with it as Shiraz, the name by which it is known in Australia, where it is responsible for richly fruity wines, ranging from inexpensive everyday bottles right up to Australia's first growth, Penfolds Grange (once known as Grange 'Hermitage'). This thick-skinned grape may produce potentially tannic and long-lived wines. It is also late-ripening, explaining why it has gravitated towards warm regions such as the Rhône and Australia, although it is also producing good wines in South Africa, Chile and California. Typical descriptors include black fruits and black pepper, but more intriguingly raspberries, spice, herbs, grilled meats, charcoal, smoke and tar may be found. When aged it may develop rubbery aromas, particularly when from the Northern Rhône.

Spiritual home. Chianti. Grown elsewhere. Not extensively. Keywords. Black cherries. Profile. This variety enjoys a warm climate, and is capable of producing great wines in such conditions. A cooler environment may result in excessive acidity. Despite this, Sangiovese has not been the focus of the attention of new World winemakers in the same way as Cabernet or Pinot. This may relate to Chianti's image problem, as for too long it has been regarded by many as a jug wine, despite the efforts of top producers such as Felsina, Fonterutoli and Fontodi. Sangiovese is also the grape behind other classic wines of Northern Italy, such as Brunello di Montalcino (Brunello being an Italian synonym for this grape) and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. In the New World, there are some small plantings in California and Australia, as well as Argentina. Typical characteristics include slightly bitter, mouth-watering sour cherry and black cherry aromas, with spices, herbs and tobacco.

Spiritual home. Barolo. Grown elsewhere. Not extensively. Keywords. Black cherries. Profile. Like Sangiovese, Nebbiolo is another of Northern Italy's classic grapes which, despite great potential, and being responsible for some of Italy's finest wines, has not been widely planted in the New World. It's home is not just in Barolo, but also nearby Barbaresco, where fine wines are also produced. It would seem ideally suited to planting in warmer climes, as this thick-skinned variety is late ripening. Indeed, the name Nebbiolo may be derived from nebbia, a fog which hangs over the vineyards during the Autumn harvest. There are small plantings, however, in California, Australia and Argentina. Typical adjectives used to describe the wines of the Nebbiolo grape include black cherries, liquorice, tar, hung game and chocolate.

There are tens of thousands of grapes suitable for viticulture, although only a few are capable of making great wine. Here are a few of the other important red grapes. Grenache. Important in the Southern Rhône, where it dominates. Nevertheless, in almost all cases in is blended with other varieties such as Syrah and Mourvèdre, which is standard practice in this region. It may also be found in Spain and Australia. Characteristics. raspberries, white pepper. Mourvèdre. Also important in the Southern Rhône, but also Bandol in Provence where it produces some classic wines. Also known as Monastrell or Mataro, and may be found in Spain and California. Characteristics. tannic, long ageing wines. Black fruits. Cabernet Franc. Dominant grape in the Loire Valley, but also extremely important in Bordeaux where it is general used as a minor component of the blend by most châteaux, although by itself it is the grape behind the wine from one of the regions top estates, Cheval Blanc. Characteristics. blackcurrants, blackcurrant leaves, green/bell peppers, smoke, spice. Tempranillo. The grape of Rioja. Many of the characteristics of Rioja are derived from the long oak-ageing. Characteristics. vinified without oak, you might find strawberries and soft spices. Malbec. Like Cabernet Franc, this is used as part of the blend by some Bordeaux estates. It is also the grape behind Cahors, a southern French appellation. It is becoming more widely known, however, for the steadily improving wines it is producing in Argentina. Characteristics. intense summer fruits, spice. Zinfandel. The grape the USA has made its own, with wide plantings in California especially. It is also grown in southern Italy where it is known as Primitivo. Characteristics. red and black fruits, black pepper. Pinotage. This grape belongs in South Africa. It is a crossed variety, the parents being Pinot Noir and Cinsault, which was once known as Hermitage. Characteristics. summer fruits, fruitcake, tar, leather, smoke. Gamay. The grape of Beaujolais. Like Tempranillo, many of the flavours associated with this grape are not from the grape itself. In Beaujolais, the winemaking technique carbonic maceration is more the culprit. Certain yeast strains have also been implicated as being responsible for some flavours, particularly banana. Characteristics. red fruits, bananas, bubblegum.

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Richland Shiraz 2007 South Eastern Australia The Richland Shiraz is smooth and clean, with just enough firm tannins and a dash of pepper to tell you there's some drive behind the laidback pose.

Salamander Merlot 2006 Lodi, California Ripe, juicy and jammy Merlot with a refreshing hint of green pepper. Enjoy it with your favorite red meats, sausage pasta or pepperoni pizza!

Laurent Miquel Syrah-Grenache 2006 Vin de Pays d'Oc, France Delicious wine with lush plum and fresh raspberry fruit. Medium-bodied and easy to drink but with a lot of personality. Enjoy it with cheese, chicken, chorizo or all by itself.

Looking Glass Lane Merlot 2007 Lodi, California Velvety and plummy, this soft and juicy Merlot should please a wide range of taste. Great by itself or with everything from roast chicken to spare ribs!

Thomas Henry Zinfandel 2005 Napa Valley, California Ripe raspberry and cherry flavor abound in this big, juicy Zin. An easy wine to enjoy around with grilled meats, ribs and burgers.

Baco Gran Reserva Cab Franc 2005 Maule Valley, Chile Ripe black plum aromas with a hint of green pepper give way to plummy fruitcake in the mouth! An interesting and complex wine that would work well with hearty red meat, grills, game and cheese.

Is red wine the fountain of youth or a potent poison? Is enjoying a glass of red wine with dinner each evening beneficial to your health? Current research suggests that a glass of red wine each day may be providing you with more than just a little relaxation. What are the health benefits of drinking red wine? For over 10 years, research has indicated that moderate intake of alcohol improves cardiovascular health. In fact, in 1992 Harvard researchers included moderate alcohol consumption as one of the eight proven ways to reduce coronary heart disease risk. However, research has suggested that specifically red wine is the most beneficial to your heart health. The cardioprotective effect has been attributed to antioxidants present in the skin and seeds of red grapes. Scientists believe the antioxidants, called flavonoids, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in three ways.

By reducing blood clotting. Furthermore, consuming a glass of wine along with a meal may favorably influence your lipid profiles following that meal

Recently, researchers have found that moderate red wine consumption may be beneficial to more than just your heart. One study found that the antioxidant resveratrol, which is prevalent in the skin of red grapes, may inhibit tumor development in some cancers. Another study indicated that resveratrol aided in the formation of nerve cells, which experts believe may be helpful in the treatment of neurological diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. Which wines should you consume to reap the most benefits? Researchers at the University of California, at Davis tested a variety of wines to determine which types have the highest concentrations of flavonoids. Their results concluded that the flavonoid favorite is Cabernet Sauvignon, followed closely by Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir. Both Merlots and red zinfandels have fewer flavonoids than their more potent predecessors. White wine had significantly smaller amounts than the red wine varieties. The bottom line is the sweeter the wine, the fewer the flavonoids. Dryer red wines are your best bet for a flavonoid boost. How much red wine should I drink? A four-ounce glass of wine is equivalent to one serving. Men will benefit from consuming one to two servings per day. Women should consume only one serving per day to reap the maximum benefits. This is not to say that you should start drinking alcohol if you presently do not. Occasional or binge drinkers have higher mortality rates than those who drink moderately on a regular basis. In those who consume three or more drinks per day, there is an increased risk for elevated serum triglycerides (fat in the bloodstream). Long-term, excessive alcohol consumption can damage nerve cells, the liver and the pancreas. Heavy drinkers are also at risk for malnutrition, as alcohol may substitute for more nutritious foods. What if I have other health problems? Recommendations to consume moderate amounts of wine are limited to individuals with a clean bill of health. It is clear that people with medical and social conditions worsened by alcohol should not consume any alcohol at all. Hypertryglyceridemia, pancreatitis, liver disease, uncontrolled hypertension, depression and congestive heart failure are diseases that may be worsened by alcohol. Those individuals at risk for these conditions should consult with their physician before consuming any alcohol at all. What about grape juice and non alcoholic red wine? In 1997, researchers at the University of Wisconsin concluded that purple grape juice also reduced blood clotting. Another study by researchers at University of California at Davis, confirmed the findings that non alcoholic red wine contains the same antioxidant profile as red wine. However in a 1998 study, Japanese researchers found that while grape juice still had antioxidative benefits, it did not significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels compared to red wine. The debate continues on whether it is the components of the wine, the way the wine is consumed, or the lifestyle traits that is the most responsible for the long healthy lives of many wine drinkers. However, the evidence seems clear that regular, moderate consumption of red wine is beneficial to your health. So heres a toast to your health! Cheers!

Red wine headache ("RWH") is a bad headache often accompanied by nausea and flushing that occurs in many people after drinking even a single glass of red wine. This syndrome can sometimes develop within 15 minutes of consumption of the wine. The condition does not occur after consumption of white wine or other alcoholic beverages. Some individuals report that they get a migraine headache hours later from drinking some red wines. No one knows for certain why this syndrome occurs. It probably has more than one cause.

Since wines contain a warning label about sulfites many people have assumed that sulfites are the cause of RWH. This is not the case. Almost all wine contains sulfites. Many sweet white wines have more sulfites than red wines. Dried fruit and processed food like lunchmeat have far more sulfites than red wine. Less than 1% of the population is sensitive to sulfites.

RWH is probably not caused by histamines except in rare cases. Red wine has 20 - 200% more histamines than white, and those who are allergic to them are deficient in a certain enzyme. Some experts believe that the combination of alcohol and that deficiency could cause headaches. However, a study of 16 people with an intolerance to red wine, reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Feb 2001), found no difference in reactions to low and high histamine wines. Taking loratadine (Claritin) an hour before drinking should reduce the reaction to histamines and the resulting symptoms. This would tell an individual whether histamines were the cause of their problem. Another solution that has been advanced is to drink a cup of black tea before you drink the wine. If one will be drinking over the course of an evening, have another cup or two of black tea during the evening. Quercetin, a bioflavonoid found in black tea, significantly inhibits the headache/flush response (which is an inflammatory effect from histamines), according to Tareq Khan, M. D., a pain expert with St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas. Again, if histamine is not the cause of a given individual's reaction to wine, the antihistamine effects of black tea will be of no more help than the antihistamine effects of loratadine, just as in the example of the previous paragraph.

Other experts think tannins are at the root of RWH. Tannins are the flavonoids in wine that give its degree of mouth-drying bitterness one tastes. The taste is the same as when you bite into a grape skin. Tannin is a chemical substance that comes from grape skins, stems, and seeds. The skins also impart color to wine, which is why red wines typically have a lot more tannin than whites. Red wines are fermented while in contact with the skins and seeds. Modern winemakers take care to minimize undesirable tannins from seeds by crushing grapes gently when extracting their juice. Wines can also take on tannins from the oak or other woods used in wine barrels for storage. Different woods in different countries affect the type of tannins in the wine. Tannins help prevent oxidation, an important role in a wine's aging potential. As age-worthy red wines mature, tannin molecules gradually accumulate and precipitate out of the wine into the harmless sediment (that black sludge at the bottom of older red wines.) Certain wine styles have much less tannin content than others, due to reduced maceration time (grape juice contact with the grape pulp, including sources of tannin such as stems, seeds). French reds from Bordeaux, and Italian reds like Barolo and Barbaresco, are particularly tannic. Vintage port is also very tannic when young, as are wines made from the syrah (shiraz) and cabernet sauvignon grapes. French reds from Burgundy, and Italian wines like Dolcetto and Barbera, are less tannic. Wines made from Pinot Noir and Sangiovese grapes, as well as Spanish Riojas are less tannic. Beaujolais and Tempranillo are also lower tannin wines. A quick way to identify these lower tannic wine bottles on a store shelf is to look for the sloped shoulder "Burgundy bottle". This is specially true for European wines, but several new world wineries have also adopted traditional bottle shapes to help consumers distinguish their wines. There is a difference between the varieties and brands of red wine and the amount one can consume before the headache occurs, but the reports have not been consistent from person to person. Considering how the amount of tannins changes with aging, this would not be surprising. The Harvard Health Letter notes several well-controlled experiments showing that tannins cause the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter. High levels of serotonin can cause headaches and that may happen in people who also suffer from migraine headaches. But that does not explain why people who do not get migraines get RWH. Dr. Marion Nestle, chairwoman of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University, added that no one complains about tea, soy, or chocolate headaches though all contain tannins. The tannins that are extracted from grapes found in red wine are primarily condensed tannins which are polymers of procyanidin monomers. Hydrolysable tannins are extracted from the oak wood the wine is aged in. Hydrolysable tannins are more easily oxidised than condensed tannins.

RWH could be caused by the release of prostaglandins which some people are not able to metabolize. Prostaglandins are substances that can contribute to pain and swelling. Ibuprofen (Advil) and aspirin are prostaglandin inhibitors. Some people get good results taking a dose of ibuprofen an hour before consuming red wine.

It has also been postulated that RWH could be caused by a strain of yeast or bacteria found in red wine.

NEW YORK, Sept. 8 Scientists have known for some time that red wine is healthy for the heart. Now, they have found evidence that provides yet another explanation for this effect.

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have identified another group of chemicals in red wine that is linked to the ability to lower cholesterol. Called saponins, these glucose-based plant compounds are being found in an increasing number of foods. This is the first time they've been found in wine, says Andrew Waterhouse, Ph. D., Professor of Enology (wine chemistry) at the University of California, Davis. His finding was described today at the 226th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. For the most part, the so-called French Paradox the association between red wine and decreased heart disease has been attributed to resveratrol, a compound found in grapes, which acts as an antioxidant. But saponins could be just as important. "Saponins are a hot new food ingredient. People are just starting to pay attention to it," says study leader Waterhouse. "No one ever thought to look for it in wine." The compounds are believed to come from the waxy skin of grapes, which dissolve into the wine during its fermentation process. To better understand their distribution in wine, Waterhouse conducted a preliminary study of six varieties of California wines four red and two white and compared them on the basis of their saponin content. "Average dietary saponin intake has been estimated at 15 mg, while one glass of red has a total saponin concentration of about half that, making red wine a significant dietary source," the researcher says. In general, Waterhouse found that red wine contains significantly higher saponin levels than white about three to ten times as much. Among the red wines tested, red Zinfandel contained the highest levels. Syrah had the second highest, followed by Pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, which had about the same amount. The white varieties tested, Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay, contained much less. Although Merlot was not analyzed in this study, Waterhouse believes it contains significant amounts of saponins at levels comparable to the other red wines. The study also seems to show a positive correlation between alcohol content and saponin levels. The red Zinfandel tested, which contained the highest level of saponins among all the wines tested, also had the highest level of alcohol, at 16 percent. "We think that alcohol may make the saponins more soluble in wine, but follow up studies are needed," says Waterhouse, who is considered an expert on wine chemistry. According to Waterhouse, red wines contain about the same amount of saponin as they do resveratrol. But while resveratrol is thought to block cholesterol oxidation by its antioxidant action, saponins are believed to work by binding to and preventing the absorption of cholesterol, he says. He also mentioned that saponins are known to affect inflammation pathways, an effect that could have implications in heart disease and cancer, according to published studies. Besides wine, other foods containing significant amounts of saponins include olive oil and soybeans. The compounds are even more abundant in desert plants such as the Yucca and Quillaja. For the most part, saponins make up the waxy coating of these plants, where they function primarily for protection. The University of California-Davis provided funding for this study.

Researchers have found that men who drink an average of four to seven glasses of red wine per week are only 52% as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer as those who do not drink red wine. In.

Researchers Develop White Wine With Cholesterol-Lowering Benefits, Discover Israeli Wines Healthier Than French Wines

Scientists at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have created a kosher white wine with the beneficial effects of red wine. In a related study, they also found that an Israeli wine has more.

Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men. The most substantial risk reduction was among smokers who drank one to two glasses of red wine per day. The researchers.

Whether the drink of choice is a frosty beer or a full-bodied red wine, the effect is the same higher blood pressure, according to research reported in Hypertension. Journal of the American.

A new "wine scanner" measures the presence of chemicals in a bottle without opening it, assessing for example if too much oxygen seeped in and turned..

R. Zamora-Ros, M. Urpi-Sarda, R. M. Lamuela-Raventos, R. Estruch, M. Vazquez-Agell, M. Serrano-Martinez, W. Jaeger, and C. Andres-Lacueva Diagnostic Performance of Urinary Resveratrol Metabolites as a Biomarker of Moderate Wine Consumption Clin. Chem., July1,2006. 52(7). 1373 - 1380. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

TheWineCru. com Online Wine Merchants Dear Customer, Thank you for visiting The Wine Cru - the place for lovers of gorgeous red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, champagne, wines from around the world and inspired wine gifts and wine hampers. Are you looking for a no-BS, non-corporate wine merchant with attitude and passion? You're in the right place. TheWineCru. com was established by Kate Goodman and Katy Attwood to deliver the kind of wines and information that we couldn't find anywhere else on t'internet. We always strive to improve, so please comment on our efforts here, otherwise please enjoy our winesite and don't forget to sign up for our free email newsletter for updates on new wines and special offers (we hate spam more than you and will never rent or sell your email address). We at theWineCru. com Online Wine Shop are very proud to serve you with live freephone and chat assistance for any of your wine enquiries. You can contact our friendly Wine Consultants with your feedback concerning any of our wines on FreePhone 0844 560 7702 - you may also contact us by email here. We really hope you enjoy drinking our wines as much as we enjoyed finding them and bringing them to you. Yours sincerely Kate Goodman Katy Attwood theWineCru. com Online Wine Merchants PS. We're always open to customers' personalised requests and we love to hear from you! Simply contact us here or call Freephone 0844 560 7702. PPS. We accept all major credit cards. All personal information you submit is encrypted and 100% secure.

Red wine and something in red wine called resveratrol might be heart healthy. Learn the facts, and hype, regarding red wine and its impact on your heart.

Red wine has long been touted as heart healthy. Some have suggested that the apparent health benefits of red wine, namely reducing your risk of heart disease, are behind the so-called French paradox. The French are regular drinkers of red wine and have relatively high amounts of saturated fat in their diet. Despite this fat intake, the French have lower rates of heart disease. While the news about red wine might sound great if you enjoy a glass of red wine with your evening meal, doctors are wary of encouraging anyone to drink alcohol because too much alcohol can have a host of harmful effects on your body. But despite the caution, doctors do agree that something in red wine appears to help your heart, though it's unclear just exactly what that "something" is. Recent research has indicated a substance called resveratrol, which is found in the skin and seeds of grapes used to make wine, has promising heart-healthy benefits. Resveratrol isn't the only substance in red wine that looks promising. The alcohol in red wine also appears to be heart healthy. Understand what's known and not known about red wine and its possible heart-health benefits.

Various studies have indicated that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine. Some heart-healthy benefits of alcohol include.

Red wine in particular seems to have even more heart-health benefits than other types of alcohol, according to a large Danish study from 2000. The study, known as the Copenhagen City Heart Study, found that those who drank red wine had about half the risk of dying of heart disease as those who didn't. Additional studies have given mixed results some confirming the Danish finding, others showing red wine isn't any better than beer, white wine or liquor for heart health. As a result, the American Heart Association says there's no clear evidence yet that red wine is superior to other forms of alcohol when it comes to possible heart-health benefits. The pro-red wine studies suggest antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. These antioxidants come in two main forms. flavonoids and nonflavonoids.

Flavonoids. These antioxidants are found in a variety of foods, including oranges, apples, onions, tea and cocoa. Other types of alcohol, such as white wine and beer, contain small amounts, too, but red wine has higher levels.

Nonflavonoids. These antioxidants found in red wine have recently been of particular interest because they appear to help prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fatty blockages. However, these studies mostly involved mice not humans. Resveratrol is the nonflavonoid that researchers are most interested in.

Some researchers believe that resveratrol might be the key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces "bad" cholesterol and prevents blood clots. Research in mice given resveratrol has indicated that the antioxidant might also help protect them from obesity and diabetes, both of which are strong risk factors for heart disease. However, those findings were reported only in mice, not in people. In addition, to achieve the dose of resveratrol used in the mice studies, a person would have to consume 100 to 1,000 bottles of red wine a day. Some companies sell supplements containing resveratrol. However, doctors caution that not enough is known about resveratrol's effects to endorse resveratrol supplements. Research into the potential heart-health benefits of resveratrol is continuing.

The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than is white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol. Simply eating grapes, or drinking grape juice, has been suggested as one way to get resveratrol without drinking alcohol. Some studies have suggested that red and purple grape juices have some of the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine. Other foods that contain some resveratrol include peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. It's not yet known how beneficial eating grapes or other foods might be compared with drinking red wine when it comes to promoting heart health. The amount of resveratrol in food and red wine can vary widely.

Red wine's potential heart-health benefits look promising. Those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, including red wine, seem to have a lower risk of heart disease. However, more research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than are other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits. The American Heart Association doesn't recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive. Too much increases your risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, certain types of cancer, accidents and other problems. In addition, even small amounts of alcohol can cause cardiomyopathy weakened heart muscle and heart failure in some people. If you have heart failure or a weak heart you should avoid alcohol completely. If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. Moderate drinking is defined as an average of two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

A drink is defined as 12 ounces (oz.) of beer, 5 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof distilled spirits.

It's common knowledge that a glass or two of red wine a night will do more than enhance a great meal or put you to sleep. it can reduce production of "bad" cholesterol, boost "good" cholesterol and reduce blood clotting, all of which will help reduce the risk of heart disease. But recent studies are showing that wine aficionados may also reap even more benefits, from inhibiting tumor development to helping form nerve cells. Here's a roundup of four recent studies that might encourage you to uncork that bottle of merlot. 1. It Can Help Keep You Fit. For senior citizens who are already in shape, moderate alcohol intake can help prevent the development of physical disabilities, according to a new UCLA study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. (The National Institutes of Health recommends no more than one drink a day for women and two for men.) Researchers found that moderate drinkers in a national survey had a lower risk than heavy drinkers or abstainers of developing physical problems that impeded their abilities to walk or dress or groom themselves. But don't take that as a cue to rest easy. the benefits only applied to seniors who were already in good health. Seniors in poor health may already be too close to developing disabilities for the wine to be of much use, researchers said. 2. It May Help Fight Alzheimer's. In animal trials, UCLA researchers found that compounds known as polyphenols, which naturally occur in red wine, can inhibit the development of proteins that deposit in the brain and form the plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. Polyphenols also are highly concentrated in tea, nuts, berries and cocoa, the researchers, who did the study with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, reported in the November issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The polyphenols block the formation and decrease the toxicity of the Alzheimer's-associated protein deposits, scientists found. they plan to start human clinical trials next.

3. It Boosts Heart-Healthy Omega 3 Levels. Moderate alcohol consumption helps boost the body's omega-3 levels, European researchers report in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The fatty acids are usually derived from fish and help protect against coronary heart disease, but people who consumed alcohol, especially wine, in moderation (one drink for women, two drinks for me) had higher omega-3 levels independent of their fish intake, the researchers found after studying populations in England, Belgium and Italy. They hypothesize that this effect is due in part to polyphenols as well. 4. It May Lower Lung Cancer Risk. Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men, researchers reported in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. Analyzing data collected from the California Men's Health Study, they found that each glass of red wine consumed a month correlated with a 2 percent lower lung cancer risk. Men who drank one or two glasses of red wine a day saw a 60 percent reduced lung cancer risk. There were no similar benefits for white wine, beer or liquor drinkers, though, and smokers who drank red wine still, of course, had a higher lung-cancer risk than non-smokers.

Reba621, You are being silly. No one is telling alcoholics to drink red wine. But for the rest of us, a glass wine or two is a pleasant experience. Should everyone give up sugar because some individuals are diabetic? Get a grip.

Are there any reasons to drink red wine?What about alcoholics? Why are you telling people to drinkwine ? I think this attitude may be responsible for some alcoholics in recovery to start drinking again or enablle others to defend their alcoholabuse. Not to mention most addicts started out as alcoholics.

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What you may not know is that that the 4th and 5th generation iPods use a very high-quality internal Wolfson Microelectronics DAC (Wolfson DACs are used in quite a few high-end home audio CD players). For the music lover in us, all of these features are worthy of our attention. However for the audiophile in us, sonic performance is our highest priority and what Red Wine Audio has found is that the circuitry that follows the internal DAC (the analog line-out stage) needed to be improved in order to achieve true high-end performance.

A less flat and more expansive imaging (the soundstage needs to open up and become more 3D… more wide, more deep, and with a better sense of height in recordings that offer this level of resolution).

Please Note -- The iMod is only offered for the 4th Generation and 5th/5.5 Generation iPods, as they contain the high-quality internal Wolfson dac chip that makes doing the iMod worthwhile. We DO NOT and WILL NOT modify any of the other iPods, including the new 6th Generation iPod Classic, iPhone, iPod Touch, or any of the Nanos. Click HERE for iMod FAQ

The Red Wine Audio iMod We are very pleased to announce the first audiophile hardware modification to be offered for both the 4th Generation iPods (monochrome and color screens) and the 5/5.5 Generation iPods! The Red Wine iMod succeeds in achieving all the desired improvements listed above that take the sound quality of the iPod to a level that is very competitive with high-end CD Players costing many times the price and lacking the features and benefits associated with a battery-powered, hard-drive based music source.

5G/5.5G iMod shown with required ALO Audio iMod dock cable (see details below) iMod by Red Wine Audio badge is only availabe for 5G/5.5G iMods

Why iMod? Even if you use the very best iPod cable with your stock iPod, you are still not avoiding the serious degradation of sound quality that occurs after the internal DAC. This degradation from the cumulative effects of the following stock components that are directly in the line-out signal path and that were NOT optimized for audiophile use.

IMod Details The goal of the Red Wine iMod is to significantly minimize the analog signal path that follows the output of the internal Wolfson Microelectronics DAC chip. iMod for 4th Generation iPods (monochrome and color displays) We take the analog output (line out) signal off of the Wolfson DAC chip and send it directly to the internal 1/8 headphone jack (converting it into a dedicated line-out jack) via high-end Black Gate Non-Polarized NX-Hi-Q coupling capacitors (to block DC offset voltage). This completely bypasses all the components listed above that degrade the sound quality of the Wolfson DAC’s line-output. NOTES regarding the 4th Generation iMod The Red Wine Audio 4th Gen iMod converts the 1/8 headphone jack into a dedicated line-out jack (constant voltage output direct from the dac chip.no volume control), so the headphone output is disabled. The iMod is intended to be connected to either a high quality headphone amp w/ volume control or home stereo system, NOT directly to headphones (unless they have a built-in volume attenuator in the headphone cable). While the stock audio line-out signal from the dock connector is also disabled, all other dock connector functionality remains in its stock form. iMod for 5th Generation iPods (all 5G/5.5G models) We take the analog output (line out) signal from the Wolfson DAC chip and sent it directly to the dock connector pins. This completely bypasses all the components listed above that degrade the sound quality of the line-out of the Wolfson DAC. However, unlike the 4th Generation iMod, we are not able to fit the required, high-end Black Gate Non-Polorized NX-Hi-Q coupling capacitors inside of the5G/5.5G models. Luckily, we found a solution! We have teamed up with ALO Audio, a highly-regarded cable manufacturer, to introduce the iMod Dock Cable (as well as highest quality iMod dock stations). ALO has found a way to install the capacitors in the dock plug of the cable itself, thus it is required for use with the new iMod. You must purchase the cable separately from

NOTES regarding the 5G/5.5G iMod The ALO iMod Dock Cable is required for use of the 5/5.5 Gen iMod. They offer several versions, and each premium quality cable has been specifically designed for use with the 5G/5.5G iMod. Except for the stock iPod USB cable for battery charging and loading music files, DO NOT use any other dock cable with your 5G/5.5G iMod for audio or damage can occur to your amplifier and/or headphones/speakers. We are NOT responsible for any misuse. Unlike the 4th Generation iMod (see above), the 5G/5.5G iMod does NOT in any way alter the stock headphone output… it is not modified or disabled. Its functionality and sound quality of the headphone output remain “stock.” Other iMod information (common to 4G and 5G/5.5G iMods) Line out voltage of iMod. ~1.0 Vrms. For best performance, run the iMod WITHOUT the AC power/charge cable connected. This will isolate the iMod from AC power supply noise, as the iPod will only be running off of battery power. The Black Gate NX-Hi-Q signal coupling caps that we use for the iMods are notorious for taking 200+ hours of burn-in time to sound their best. To properly burn-in your iMod, you need to have it connected to a load (e. g. your headphone amp or home audio preamp/integrated amp). The load does not need to be turned ON, but to allow for electrical current to flow through the modded audio line output, the iMod MUST be connected AND playing music. For burn-in of the 4G iMod, we recommend connecting the external power cable (so the internal battery does not discharge) and playing an album (or playlist) on repeat mode. -- Need a new battery installed? Send it to us with your iPod to be modded, and while we are inside your iPod well change it for FREE. We do not stock iPod batteries, but you can purchase them online and have them shipped directly to use for installation during or after your iMod. Click HERE for iMod FAQ

Look, listen. If you, whoever you are, want to boost the performance of your iPod — a very fine tool to begin with — you might look into a Red Wine Audio iMod. Why settle for very fine, when you can easily have so much more?

Please Note -- The iMod is only offered for the 4th Generation and 5th/5.5 Generation iPods, as they contain the high-quality internal Wolfson dac chip that makes doing the iMod worthwhile. We DO NOT and WILL NOT modify any of the other iPods, including the new 6th Generation iPod Classic, iPhone, iTouch, or any of the Nanos.

Red Wine5.37MB Australias red grapes are amongst its greatest assets. after all, who could imagine a world without classic Australian Shiraz? Australia is blessed with abundant sunshine which enables our grapes to ripen to perfection. Whatever the vagaries of a particular red grape variety, there will be a part of Australia that can give it everything it needs. Even toughies like rustic Malbec or black-as-pitch Petit Verdot turn out a treat. In general, the warmer the wine region, the more likely it will produce rich, full flavoured styles which many people come to associate with Australian red wine. However, Australia also has cool climatic conditions well suited to red varieties which produce lighter and more delicate red wine styles. The worlds classic premium red grape varieties are all found in abundance in Australia. Cabernet Sauvignon has several natural homes amongst Australias wine regions. The famous Coonawarra terra rossa soils have produced excellent Cabernet Sauvignon for over a century, while few regions can match Western Australias Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon for sheer stylishness. In cooler regionsm the tricky grape Pinot Noir fits in nicely, while the versatile Shiraz, expresses itself wonderfully well in virtually all but the coolest regions. Several of the milder climate regions are also home to that eccentric and wonderful Australian speciality wine, sparkling red Shiraz. Whatever youre looking for in terms of red wine, the chances are Australia will be making that style somewhere. Heres what to expect from the different varieties that Australia grows. Barbera Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon (.cab-urn-ay so-vin-yon) Grenache (.gren-ash) Merlot (.mur-low) Mourvedre Pink or Rose Wines (.ros-ay) Pinot Noir (.pea-no nwah) Sangiovese Shiraz (.she-rars) Tempranillo Zinfandel

Of the Italian varieties, Sangiovese and Barbera have had the most success in Australia. Barbera is perhaps the most suited to the country with its full-on plummy fruitiness and it is evidently at home in hot temperatures.

Cabernet Franc is mostly included in blends with big brother Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. This is a shame, because in its own right its full of wild-strawberry and cherry fruitiness a tad lighter in style than Shiraz but no less of a wine and great for drinking in warmer weather!

Usually considered the noblest of red grapes, probably due to its pride of place in the history of old world classics. In Australia, look for it in the medium to cool regions and the wines will be as powerfully flavoured, blackcurranty and full-bodies as youd expect from anywhere. Its at its minty best in Coonawarra and Margaret River the latter region coming up with wonderfully good blends with Merlot. The Yarra Valley in Victoria is another Cabernet Sauvignon producer, making wines that are pure-fruited and elegant. McLaren Vale in South Australia and Mudgee in New South Wales also generate wines with black currant and berry characters with a hint of chocolate. All of these wines are rich and well structured to benefit from further age in bottle, so its also well worth cellaring them for a year or two.

Another red grape variety from the Rhne, which is just as at home in Australia as Shiraz is. Like Shiraz it was taken for granted for a long while prized principally for its juicy ros and fiery fortified wines. Today, with the discovery of some of the original old vines, first planted over 150 years ago, growers now realise that this grape makes just about the most luscious cherry and raspberry-filled wines possible. Renowned for their sweet ripeness, these grapes (which grow best in Australias warmer regions) make wines which are high in alcohol and low in tannin. Theyll warm you to your toes!

Merlot is not a grape variety which youll often see on its own in Australia. When you do, however it will be full of attractive primary fruit flavours and velvety softness to make you wonder why. Merlot makes a perfect partner for Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot adds the suppleness to Cabernets stern, serious structure. Fine examples of Merlot blended wines are available from the warmer inland regions, such as Riverina, Riverland and Murray Darling. Unblended Merlot is also being increasingly seen from these areas, where like the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale it produces a soft dry red often described as plush plum like. In cooler climates such as the Yarra Valley or Margaret River, unblended Merlot tends to take on more savoury flavours with firmer tannins.

Mourvedre (or Mataro) was another grape used in Australias bulk wines during the1960s. Mourvedre has since been rediscovered for its fabulously rich, spicy old-vine/bush-vine wines. The Barossa Valley has some wonderful examples of this variety which should be treasured for their history and for their spice and liquorice concentration.

Ros style wines are made by pressing ripe, red grapes but leaving the juice in contact with the skins for just a short while so that the wines just acquire a pink blush. These wines are generally drunk young, while they are still fresh and vibrant. They tend to be drunk chilled, an increasingly popular option during warm Aussie days, particularly among red wine drinkers who just cant bear the transition to a true white wine despite the heat. As Australian winemakers are using their favourite grapes such as Shiraz and Grenache for the wine with their tendency to produce more complex flavours, Australian ross fall mid-way between whites and fuller bodied reds.

Whats a delicate, pernickety grape like this doing in a sun-drenched robust country like Australia, you might ask. Youd be asking a good question. Pinot Noir is a challenge to grow in any part of the world. Whats now emerged is a handful of Pinot Noir styles all Australias own and a proud group they are too. Being a cool climate variety, growers in the coolest regions are seeing great success. thats in regions like the Adelaide Hills, Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, the Yarra Valley and Great Southern. In these regions the wines tend to come out strawberry / raspberry- fruited when young, then get progressively more mushroomy and savoury with age. The best styles of all come from vines with a little age, which havent been harvested too heavily and from wines given a gentle maturation in oak barrels.

No other grape has such a uniquely Australian character. Try to copy they might but the rest of the worlds winemakers will never capture that mulberry, spicy, slightly wild flavour that can only be Australias own. Shiraz (the same grape as Syrah in Frances Rhne Valley) was one of the first vine varieties to arrive in Australia in 1832. So at home was it on its new turf that plantings prospered and it wasnt long before the local population began to take it for granted. However, by the 1980s people had begun to realise how versatile it could be, its character changed depending on the region in which it was grown. Every style emerged from elegant, peppery cool climate styles (Heathcote in Victoria) to more intensely flavoured spicy styles of Coonawarra and Margaret River to powerful and minty (Clare Valley), sweet and chocolaty (McLaren Vale), muscular, and ripe-fruited (Barossa), and leather and rich (Hunter Valley). Shiraz, which has traditionally been blended in both cool and warm climates with Cabernet Sauvignon is also blended with Grenache and Mourvedre in warm climates. In recent years, with the availability of increased plantings of Viognier in Australia, winemakers have increasingly blended Shiraz Viognier combinations. Typically, Shiraz Viognier blends have a perfumed aroma and softer tannins which make these wines suitable to enjoy while relatively young.

Zinfandel is a thin-skinned grape that performs best in warm, dry conditions. In Australia the Cape Mentelle winery in Western Australia's Margaret River region has played ambassador to the grape producing dense, high alcohol wines with intense flavours that have developed a cult status. However other Australians are now using the grape to produce lighter, spicy wines that can, in the Californian fashion, be savoured much younger.

Layton, Julia. "Can I eat anything I want as long as I drink red wine?." 03 November 2006. HowStuffWorks. com. 09 February 2009.

A study published in the online version of the journal Nature has been called the Holy Grail of aging research, and its results aren't even fully understood at this point. In the study, obese mice fed absurdly large amounts of red-wine extract developed none of the health problems normally associated with obesity.

The red-wine extract used in the study is called resveratrol. The lead researcher for the study, Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, who also owns a pharmaceutical company working to develop and market a drug based on these results, had been looking for a compound that activated the longevity gene SIRT-1. Science has known for decades that this gene responds to metabolic processes and seems to release a life-sustaining protein called sirtuin in response to a low-calorie diet. This effect is most likely an evolutionary development designed to keep people alive in times of famine so they could make it through the food shortage, start eating again, and reproduce. What Sinclair's group found was that resveratrol appears to activate SIRT-1, although some biochemists say the full chemical data to support that finding are absent from Sinclair's published article. What is pretty clear, however, is that resveratrol has dramatic effects when combined with a high-calorie diet.

­The test groups consisted of one set of mice fed a normal, healthy amount of food. one set of mice who were overfed. and one set of mice who were overfed and given resveratrol. The overfed mice who were also given high doses of resveratrol were fat, active and healthy, living as long as the mice in the healthy weight group and far longer than the mice in the overfed group who did not get the red-wine extract. Those mice developed insulin resistance (associated with diabetes in humans) and liver problems, were slow and inactive, and died young. In the overfed-plus-resveratrol group, the resveratrol appears to have negated all of the ill effects of overeating except for weight gain. But don't run out and start adding red wine to your diet because of this study. First of all, like other supplements, what is good for you in small doses may be bad for you in large doses, and resveratrol has not been proven safe for humans in high doses. Also, while the protein sirtuin is believed to increase lifespan, it also has been shown to decrease fertility when activated by a restricted-calorie diet. If resveratrol is indeed mimicking the chemical effects of a calorie-restricted diet in order to activate SIRT-1, fertility issues are a potential side effect, although Sinclair found no evidence of decreased fertility in his study. And there's one inescapable reason why you're going to have to wait a while before you can reap the benefits of this research. An adult would have to drink about 1,000 bottles of red wine a day to get the dose of resveratrol the mice got in the study. While small amounts of red wine have been shown to be good for the heart, it seems unlikely that humans could get the therapeutic effects of resveratrol observed in this study from drinking red wine. Sinclair's company, Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, is working to develop a chemical that mimics the effects of resveratrol but works in a lower dose. The company estimates about a five-year wait before this type of drug would be ready for FDA approval. For more information on obesity and resveratrol, as well as related topics, check out the links on the next page.

Brasato al Barolo There is a bit of a contradiction inherent in this homey dish. Barolo isn't exactly a cheap cooking wine. Not to worry. The.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325F. Heat oil in pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Meanwhile, pat meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown meat in hot oil on all sides, about 10 minutes total. (If bottom of pot begins to scorch, lower heat to moderate.) Transfer to a plate using a fork and tongs. Add pancetta to oil in pot and saut over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery and saut, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary and saut, stirring, until garlic begins to soften and turn golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a simmer, then return meat along with any juices accumulated on plate to pot. Cover pot with lid and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Transfer meat to a cutting board. Skim fat from surface of sauce and discard along with herb stems. Boil sauce until reduced by about one third, about 5 minutes, then season with salt. Cut meat across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices and return to sauce.

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WINE DRINKERS GENERALLY are healthier and often live longer than people who don't drink wine on a regular basis."(more)

Key Phrases. completenutrition, procyanidinlevels, protectivepolyphenols, TheRedWineDiet, CabernetSauvignon, YearsOld (more.)

Review "The meatiest book of this genre, written by the measured and thoroughly objective professor of experimental therapeutics . . . extremely useful and informative." -Financial Times "Quite possibly the most useful wine book published this year." -Decanter See all Editorial Reviews

First Sentence. WINE DRINKERS GENERALLY are healthier and often live longer than people who don't drink wine on a regular basis. Read the first page

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This interesting book might have been more accurately titled "The Procyanidin Diet", but that would probably not help sales. Furthermore, it is not a weight loss book, or just a book about red wine. Author and UK researcher Roger Corder makes a persuasive case in the book for the many health benefits of diet high in procyanidins, one of the phenols found in red wine, chocolate, apples, cinnamon and other plant sources. He gives specific recommendations for wines and foods, as well as recipes, that are high in procyanidins. It is possible to follow his recommendations without drinking any wine at all, but probably not as enjoyable. Oddly enough, procyanidins are produced by plants in their skins and seeds for protection from rot and insects, and not for human benefit. Corder makes a convincing case that wine procyanidins are the solution to the "French Paradox" rather than the highly touted resveratrol. and their benefits to the human circulatory system have also been identified in certain red wine drinking populations in Sardinia, Crete, and Sicily, as well as Southwestern France. Other confirming evidence comes from the Kuna natives of Panama who drink large quantities of cocoa containing a similar dose of procyanidins, and who achieve the similar beneficial health effects. Corder rates many red wines from * to ***** in order of their measured procyanidin content, with his highest ratings going to tannic and acidic wines such as tannat grape wines from the Madiran region of France. These wines tend to be the kind you want to drink with food. He suggests that two glasses of these highest rated wines give you us. milligrams(mg) of procyanidins, his recommended dose per day for optimum health benefits. Since the procyanidins come from the grape skin and seeds, and they deteriorate over time, the highest concentrations are found in younger wines fermented for weeks in contact with the skins and seeds. As a general rule he found higher levels in Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Corder also rates various foods in terms of his 4 oz glass of "good" procyanidin wine which contains about 60 mg. For instance. 2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder (non alkali processed) 1 Tsp. cinnamon powder 1 apple 1/2 cup raspberries 1/2 cup cranberries 1.5 oz walnuts All the above foods rate equivalent to Corder's "good" glass of red wine, so any four of them together would give you about 250 mg of procyanidins, his recommended minimum daily dose. Note that the estimate of the typical USA consumption of procyanidins is less than 100 mg per day, mainly from chocolate and apples. Corder argues that you should eat a diet with many sources of procyanidins because of the complexity of the chemistry and our incomplete knowledge of all the potential benefits. Corder's book made me rethink the way I select wine and many foods.

The cover and subtitle of this book suggest that it is a shallow treatment of the health benefits of red wine that encourages daily alcohol consumption. This is misleading and does a disservice to the content. It is in fact a careful examination of what constitutes the health-promoting ingredient of red wine compared to other alcoholic beverages (a class of chemicals called procyanidins, it turns out - not resveretrol). The author then takes pains to explain how these plant products can be obtained from other sources (e. g. chocolate, apples), and to put their role in a balanced diet in perspective. There is even a final section of sample recipes to put into practice the nutritional advice he presents. The author is a chemist by profession, and he writes like one. However, he makes his points in a clear, balanced way that avoids the self-promotional hype that so often taints popular books on health issues. He is obviously a wine lover himself, and the chapter comparing the procyanidin content of various red wine-producing countries and regions is exhaustive. A simple recommendation of the richest sources would have been more helpful to the non-connoisseur. he does eventually get around to this by focusing on the Madarin region of France. He decided to focus on this region because it contains the highest proportion of long-lived Frenchmen, and it is here that he seems to fall victim to the cardinal scientific sin of confusing an association with causality. The implicit conclusion is that it must be the procyanidin-rich wines of this region that result in the locals' longevity, but it may turn out to be some other, even non-dietary factor (maybe they live so long despite the wine!). However, the laboratory evidence he provides of procyanidins' beneficial effects on blood vessels is compelling and is at least a plausible mechanism for the effects he proposes. At the very least, this well-researched and thoughtfully written work will shed new light on the already widely-known virtues of the Mediterranean diet.

Roger Corder's new book provides solid laboratory evidence for the health benefits of red wine. The book is written in a readable style suited for the non-scientist interested in maintaining good health. The key product found in red wine which mediates this healthy effect particularly on the blood vessels of the heart is procyanidin. Dr. Corder has surveyed over 300 red wines from most of the world's wine regions and has awarded each a heart rating score from 1 to 5 hearts based on procyanidin levels. The book provides the reader with a list of foods and diets which are high in procyanidin as well. The book serves as a ready resource for anyone interested in locating wines and foods rich in procyanidin.

There's NO DIET in The Red Wine Diet. Go to. www. VinoDiet. com for the TRUE Wine Diet! I expected there to be an actual wine diet in this book, but there was none! I finally found what I was looking for at www. VinoDiet. com Now HERE'S a Wine Diet!

Wine and beyond wine By starting with red wine, then identifying the compounds in red wine that are responsible, and then showing that other foods containing the same compounds can have the same.

Great book for wine lovers! Great book for wine lovers and those who had their doubts about the benefits of including wine in their everyday diet.

A disappointment The author repeats himself alot. The information isn't all that deep. You will be searching out alot of wines. I just wanted a named red wine for raising HDL.

Red wine This book presents the evidence about red wine. that it is one of the healthiest things you can put in your body (in moderation, of course).

Ive probably sat many times in front of my computer carrying sleeping Lulu in a sling right now, she is snoring in the hope to be able to share with you recipes, like a few lovely homey desserts Ive managed to prepare (I wonder how!), and savory dishes to keep us healthily energized. The thing is, though, that Ive never managed to finish on the project of writing even a complete story. Yes, Lulu keeps us that busy. She is so little and needs so much, but she is our little doll. What was it like before again? So, in the hope to keep you waiting (pretty please!), I still have something for you today. A dessert recipe, poached pears in red wine, which I wrote for the Boston Globe Food Section I am so glad I did it a while ago, before the arrival of Lulu. Very simple to make. Lovely on your table. Flavorful, colorful, bound to turn most people into loving pears.

I love to read your posts, look at your photos, and salivate over your recipes. They are always inspiring. Enjoy your new little one, and dont worry about the blog readers. Well be here when youre ready for us, but those precious moments with your daughter are fleeting. Savor them!

My Beloved and I, when we are bordering on overwhelm, say to each other, We get the important stuff done. Youre getting the important stuff done, now, with Lulu. But, thanks for the poached pears while she naps!

Thanks for the great dessert. Little Lulu is such a cutie, you will have lots of time to cook, and blog, when she is a little older,, A new granddaughter came into our lives on 9th December, weighing in at 9lb 5oz, she is a cutie as well. I loved Lulus wrap you had her in for the first photo. just wondering where you got it from.

Of course. This was expected. I’m a mom for 2 kids and I know how it is, and understand completely. Family is number one! And kids are very demanding. But they fill you with energy and joy like no other thing on the planet. They are what keep us young and happy and so alive. I admire your work and your blog and it inspires me to learn and to make my life more beautiful. (Oh, I feel like crying). Life is never be the same after you become a parent and it might take some time to figure out the new routine for work-family and find a balance between the two. Lulu will be very proud of her very talented mom. Don’t worry if you can’t post as you used to. We will still be here waiting patiently.

Enjoy your days with Lilu, we will still be here when you have a bit more time! Love the recipe, will try it for our next dinner party! Merci!

The pears are gorgeous! I poached pears in white wine a while back and have been eager to try red because the colour is stunning.

Its fun to poach fruits in fuller-bodied red wine, too Cotes du Rhone, Zinfandel, something from Languedoc-Roussillon and add a few savory spices instead a few black peppercorns, a bay leaf. These flavors work particularly well for poaching dried Black Mission figs. And after the pears are poached, I sometimes core them with a melon-baller, and fill the resulting hollowed-out space with some fresh goat cheese that has been thinned with a bit of cream or crème fraiche.

Those pears look absolutely stunning. The image can be taken as is and used as the cover for a classic French cookbook. The first time I poached pears, I used Riesling, they came out delectably delicious. For your recipe, I would recommend to everybody to leave them in the refrigerator for 1-3 full days to allow the wines flavor to permeate deeply into the pears. Thanks for another great post.

Wow, I was just thinking how busy you must have been, sine we havent heard from you in a while Beautiful pears, enjoy every moment with Lulu, all parents say that babies grow up too fast!

Savour every minute you have with your precious lulu. you have the rest of your life to cook and write, but you will never have this time again!

Poached pears are one of my favorite things to look at. They are so beautiful and taste even more so. Congratulations on your new daughter and thank you for stopping by with a little treat for us.

Happy New Year, what an amazing January you must be having in the cold and snow with your new beautiful Lulu and those lovely pears. I really enjoy receiving your blog you are amazing. Lulu is amazing.

Hi Bea, You take the most beautiful pictures!! Your pictures inspire me to cook and really drills in me that life is too short to eat bad food. Lulu looks like an angel. Enjoy every minute with hertime is fleeting. shell be crawling before you know it.

Many many thanks everyone. Yes time is no longer the same, and I feel lucky to be able to appreciate such a joy with our little one, despite the new adjustments (that include short nights!) Anne, Lulus wrap is a swaddling blanket from JJ Cole.

Bea Many congratulations!!! I have checked in from time to time to get updates on the new one. I myself have 2, the first is 5 and the second is 1 (both blue eyed, blonds - I am in big trouble). I am glad you posted on the pears, I have been looking for a new recipe. How will this work with Asian pears?

I stepped by your blog regularily and thought for myself. hm, no new postshe must be busy with Lulu. Enjoy your time with llittle Lulu.

Vos photos sont vraiment très jolies. We just came upon your blog and are astounded by the gorgeous photography. And food too. We will be sure to keep checking in. This recipe by the way looks fantastique!

Alice Feiring Besotted Ramblings Brooklyn Guy's Wine Food Blog Dining Out Dr. Vino Fermentation Jancis Robinson Jeremy Parzen's Blog Joe Dressner. The Wine Importer Ken's Wine Guide Lenndevours On the Wine Trail in Italy The Pour VinoDuo Vinography Wine Anorak Wine Camp Wine Terroirs Wine Therapy

Is probably doing a Superbowl-tie-in story right now doesnt mean I shouldnt, too, right? Anyway, I was going to write about the following five wines regardless. theyd be dandy for a Superbowl get-together, but theyd be equally good if you were sitting on a sandy beach, or heading over to a friends for dinner, or making venison chili over a camp stove in a shed outside Durango, Colorado. Why youd want to do that last one, I have no idea, but at least youd be drinking good wine while you did.2007 Fournier Sauvignon Blanc ($12) This Loire Sauvignon Blanc, from vineyards in the Touraine and Anjou regions, comes across like a good Sancerre for about half the priceits grassy and zesty, with lemon and gooseberry flavors and a spicy finish. 2007 Ajello Majus Bianco ($14) A blend of the local Sicilian varieties Grillo and Cataratto. This is all midsummer Sicilian sun. smoky pineapple notes and full-bodied texture. The Ajellos have grown grapes in Sicily since 1860, and while they still sell the majority of what they grow, they reserve the best lots for their own wines.2006 Feudi di San Marzano Sud Negroamaro Puglia ($12) Sweet, rich blackberry fruit wrapped up in spicy tanninsthats pretty much the story with this easygoing Southern Italian red. It isnt exactly a brainy wine. more just lush and simple and inviting.2007 Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec ($13) Jean Bousquet started off making wine in southern France in the 1970s, but in 1997 he moved to Argentinas Tupungato Valley, evidently so he could make wines like this one. generous, black, full of ripe raspberry fruit. 2006 LiVeli Orion Salento Primitivo ($15) This is a Puglian wine produced by a Tuscan family (the owners of Avignonesi). Powerful and earthy, it seems as though it might have been siphoned out of the ground rather than fermented in a tank, which in my book is a good thing.

Theres no particular theme to this last-minute grab bag of good, inexpensive wines, though I was flipping through my notes and I did come across this comment from wine importer Bart Broadbent. Wines are like people. If they please everyone, theyre bland. This was said in the context of a tasting of Chateau Musars unquestionably

Bland wines, but its good food for thought regardless. Anyway. I dont think that the 2006 Feudi di San Marzano Sud Negroamaro ($12) from Puglia would necessarily please everyoneits too luscious and dark-fruited for folks who like their reds lean and angularbut it would certainly please a lot of people with its cassis and blackberry fruit. And no, it isnt bland. Even less bland is the impressive 2006 Domaine de la Petite Cassagne Rouge ($15) a juicy, lightly funky red with black plum fruit and prickly tannins that wake up your tongue. Its a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignane from the Costires-de-Nimes, and its a steal. Once your tongue is awake, you could keep it that way by drinking some 2007 Rocky Gully Shiraz-Viognier ($14), which proves that not all inexpensive Aussie Shiraz tastes like blackberry jam. This one is lighter than the usual run, with bright fruit and evocative peppery notes in both the aroma and the taste. Stunning with seared kangaroo kidneys, or what have you. If youre after roswhich, yes, can still be drunk without hesitation despite the seasonthe 2007 Jean-Luc Colombo Ros de Cte Bleue ($13) has a pretty raspberry-strawberry character and good texture. Its still drinking just fine. And if you put it outside for twenty minutes, itll be exactly the right temperature.

Related Categories. White Wine, Holidays, Red Wine, Wines Above $40, Wines $20 to $40, Sparkling Wine

I know that I definitely havent finished my shopping, so Im figuring I must have company out there in the rest of the world, too. Here are some terrific wines and other items (books, chocolates, etc.) that caught my eye recently.I tasted a plethora of New Zealand Pinots on my recent trip there, but many of them are upcoming releases. Ill blog about those later. in the meantime, the 2006 Peregrine Pinot Noir (about $40, find this wine) is classic Central Otago Pinot, with a sort of blue floral scent (oh, you know what I mean.right?), juicy raspberry fruit, and a brambly, smoky finish. Its big enough to pour with some nice New Zealand grass-fed lamb. For the crazy funkmeister wine fanatics in your acquaintance, a bottle of the 2000 Chateau Musar Red (about $40, too. find this wine) is just the ticket. Its got that classic Musar aroma of bicycle tire and sweet red cherry, with the same sweet red cherry fruit continuing in the flavor, along with wild strawberries and lightly twiggy tannins (by which I mean not-unpleasantly prickly in a dry twig sort of way). Its a big, dark Musar, representative of the vintage, which Serge Hochar says was a year of Cabernet. Hochar also says, If my wines had no V. A., I would stop making Chateau Musar. End of story. So be warned! Since toasts are inevitable this time of year, Champagne is inevitable as well, and given its inevitability, you might as well pour something really good. Lately Im liking the Ruinart Brut Rose NV ($75, find this wine). Not cheap, but its a terrific ros, dense with flavor even as its graceful structure gives it a kind of Grace Kelly beauty, in a wine way. In a non-wine vein, chocolate-genius Drew Shotts of Garrison Chocolates has a nifty and very tasty six-piece box of chocolates ($10) with fillings infused with Pama Pomegranate Liqueur. Too late, most likely, for Christmas, but not too late to order a box for yourself. You deserve one, since youre probably exhausted with all this present-buying craziness. Lastly, I left one book off of my post about wine-book gifts, which is Ben Wallaces compelling page-turner dissection of one of the bigger wine scandals to happen in, oh, the past century or so. The Billionaires Vinegar. The Mystery of the Worlds Most Expensive Bottle of Wine rolls scads of money, super-valuable (or not so!) counterfeit wines, some very high-profile collectors, shady business dealings, and a few read-it-to-believe-it debaucheries involving bottle after bottle of ultra-rare wine together into one big juicy narrative. Ive never read a wine book that was as much of a page-turner. its also smart and well written, which doesnt hurt. And thats it. Im out of here until after New Years.

Related Categories. White Wine, Holidays, Red Wine, Wines Under $20, Wines $20 to $40, Sparkling Wine

I was on CBSs The Early Show this past Saturday, with some affordable wine recommendations for Thanksgiving (and every other upcoming holiday), and I keep receiving emails from friends wondering about wines that go with turkey, so evidently not everyone has their holiday grocery shopping done. To that end, here are a few of my favorite wines for Thanksgiving. These are just bottles I happen to like, that I think go well with a wide range of flavorswhich is the key to a good Thanksgiving wine. [More]

Well, here in NYC its a rainy fall day, which always brings to mind (my mind, at least) dishes like the venison chili I made the other night, and wines like the 2005 Hendry Block 28 Zinfandel ($30, click to find it) that I opened to go along with it. The Hendry is a big, boisterous red, with lots of rich berry fruit, but a firm framework of tannins to support it. Not a small wine, but not a monster, either. I dont know how much of the 2006 Chateau Blanc Un Autre Rouge Ctes de Ventoux (price a mystery) makes it to the US, since wine-searcher seems never to have heard of it, but if you like lively Rhne reds and you spot a bottle, go for it. Purple berries, a scent of violets, prickly tannins, rustic spicecouldnt be more Rhnish in nature. I suspect its affordable, and write this in hopes that a wave of the stuff will soon appear on wine store shelves. Another good wet weather wine, ideal with something like my ex-colleague Nick Fauchalds Beef and Lamb Burgers with Cheddar and Caper Remoulademighty tasty burgers that he concocted this summer for a story on wine vs. beer pairingwould be the 2005 Vallado Tinto ($25, click to find it) from Portugals Douro river valley. A blend of various local grapes, its deep garnet in color, dark, rich and dense with lightly baked Douro black cherry fruitanother red very evocative of the place it comes from.

Sometimes you need a wine that can take a steak and just plain whomp it into submission. And if thats the sort of wine youre looking for, Aglianico isnt a bad grape to consider.

Piero Mastroberardino of Mastroberardino, one of Campanias most lauded wineries, stopped by the FW tasting room the other day with some of his latest red wines, all of which are made from the Aglianico grape (red wines used looselythese were really more black-red in hue).Aglianicos notoriously fierce, musclebound with tannins and broodingly aggressive. but its a heavyweight boxer with a good heart. Its a tough variety, Prof. Mastroberardino admitted, but Im fond of it for its personality. For sure, its a variety you have to pair with the right food, too. Baby goat, which we put on the table at Easter, and of course game, which is what we put on the table in the Taurasi DOC. Id add to that any kind of massive, well marbled steak. Or short ribs. Or.Anyway, look for the 2006 Mastroberardino Aglianico Campania (about $20, click here to find it) for a relativelythats

Gentle intro to this variety, with smooth dark cherry and smoke notes ending on grippy tannins. The 2004 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici (about $50, click here to find it) has a touch more wood, with spicy dark cherry fruit held in place by taut, intense tannins and an almost searing end (it would be much better with food). In my opinion, 2004 has great potential, Prof. M. said. It will better the 1999. it has superb concentration. Finally, the 1999 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici Riserva (about $65, click here to find it) is just lovelythe added age and mellowness it brings underscores the more generous side of the grape. Smoky tea leaf aromas, luscious, slightly wild

As the French would saysavory notes, pure cherry fruit, a finish that descends into resinous tannins. Terrific wine, and just as good the second day when I tasted it again.

The other day my colleague Kristin Donnelly blogged about an upcoming auction at Christies as a likely source for good values. At itthanks to the rough economic timesI know she scored some very intriguing sounding wines for the comical price of $50 a case. Anyway, it somehow struck a chord in my mind with the result that last night for dinner I opened up a half-bottle of 1989 Chteau Citran that Id recently found in an old shoebox in the back of my closet (really). It was tobacco-y and very distinguished, still holding onto a reasonable amount of cool blueberry fruit, and aromatic in a filigreed kind of waymusically, it would be a Chopin etude rather than the Beethoven symphony that first growth Bordeaux tends to suggest. (Or The National rather than My Morning Jacket, if youd rather get more contemporary.) Anyway, it was pretty darn impressive, especially given that Ive been carting the thing around the country with me for about fourteen years now (I bought it in 1994). So if you can find any of the 89 at an auctionwhether for $50 a case or notsnap it up! And, what

Brings to mind is the 2005 Chteau Citran (about $25, click here to find). Its from an equally good vintage89 was pretty off-the-charts, but so is 05is polished and firm, and should have an equally long life ahead of it. Whether it will age perfectly in a shoebox, I dont know. But I wouldnt be surprised if it did.

I had the opportunity to sit down recently with Sandro Boscaini of the Veneto producer Masi to taste the winerys new Tuscan wine, the 2005 Poderi del Bello Ovile ($20, click to find it). This is produced in partnership with Count Pieralvise, owner of the Serego Alighieri estate in Gargagnago (from which Masi produces some of its best Amarones) and a direct descendent of Dante Alighieriwho was, of course, exiled from Florence in the 1300s. You shall leave everything you love most dearly. this is the arrow that the bow of exile shoots first, Dante wrote in his Divine Comedy. In other words, take away a mans Sangiovese, and he gets testy about it. Well, hm, time heals all wounds? I guess after nearly 700 years, sure. Bello Ovile is in the south of Tuscany, across the river Orcia from Banfis Brunello di Montalcino vineyards (and thus not located in Brunello di Montalcino, which is why its $20 instead of $70). Medium-bodied, with sweet cherry and crisp tanninsthat sort of dried-leaf texture that Sangiovese often suggestsits an appealing red for a fair price. Sandro Boscaini, in his typically graceful way, observed, Its a very cordial wine, adding that he feels the wines cherry intensity comes from five percent Ciliegiolo in the blenda grape aptly named, as the varietys name comes from the Italian word for cherry.

The other night for dinner I opened up a bottle of the 2004 Scherrer Winery Russian River Pinot Noir ($36, click here to find it) and was struck all over again by what a terrific winemaker Fred Scherrer is. I have no idea why his wines continue to fly under the media-buzz radar, since to my palate theyre as distinctive and expressive as any of the more hyped Pinots floating around these days, if not moreso. The 04 is drinking wonderfully right now, with a deep well of dark cherry fruit at its core, svelte tannins, and a lightly citrusy/orangey edge to its acidity that I vaguely recall Scherrer saying was, for him, characteristic of RRV Pinot grown on Goldridge soil (I cant pin down when I heard him say that. a phone interview I think, but quite a while ago). The wines impeccably balanced, and it went really well with the very simple Italian chickpea soup Id cooked up (rosemary, garlic, chickpeas, tomatoes, chicken stock, a drizzle of Capezzana olive oil, plus some stellar olive bread from Caputo, a local Brooklyn bakeryyum. Great Autumn evening sustenance). Im sure it would also go well with a long list of less unlikely dinner choices (on a similar soup note, for instance, it would also make a great partner for Peter Pastans fresh shell bean soup, from our October issue). I think for the price it would be nearly impossible to find a comparable RRV Pinot. Seriously.

Ive had a flurry of flying around the US in the past couple of weeks, which is going to have to serve as my excuse for not posting much on this blog. But this past weekend, instead, I took the train up to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut for the Foxwoods Food Wine Festival (which we sponsor). A casino might not seem like the most congenial place for a food and wine extravaganza, but when you look at the restaurant and wine boom in Vegas, sort of extrapolate it out into the rest of the country, and sit back, then it seems like a natural. Its a little odd, admittedly, to get to a casino and find it overrun with 10-year-old girls, but thats what happens when youre sharing the bill with a Miley Cyrus concert. Nevertheless, amidst dodging Hannah Montana-crazed tots, I tasted some very good wines at the grand tasting and at a few dinners I attended. Here were my highlights.2006 Kaesler Viognier ($32, click to find it) Barossa Viognier has always struck me as an odd idea, but I like this wine despite my philosophical bemusement at its existence. Nectarine and honeysuckle on the nose, full-bodied, honeyed, peach-nectar flavors and enough acidity to keep it elevated rather than sunk in a pool of Viognier-fat (unappealing image, sorry about that). 2005 Jacobs Creek Steingarten Riesling ($41) A benchmark Aussie Riesling, Steingarten shows beautifully in the 06 vintage, with elegant lime peel and stone notes, brisk acidity, and a long, seductive finish. It should age very well, too.2005 Lynmar Quail Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir ($50, click to find it) Sort of a ringer, as I used this in my Pinot Noir seminar, but I was impressed with it all over again. Its a textbook Russian River pinot, with that silky, mouthfilling, seductive texture the appellation has at its peak, luscious dark cherry fruit, and a stealthy backbone of tannin.2004 Chteau La Lagune ($50, click to find it) La Lagune is the southernmost classified-growth Chteau in Bordeaux, and it put out a terrific wine in 04 (a vintage which is practically invisible next to the spotlight of attention on the 05s, and consequently a source for some good values). Lots of tobacco here, deep black currant fruit, refined structure. It drinks well right from the bottle, would drink even better after a couple of hours in a decanter, and in ten years should be just stunning. 2005 OShaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($75, click to find it) Every time I taste this wine, I like it even more. OShaughnessy is up on the plateau that caps the Howell Mountain AVA, and the quality of its site is fully expressed in this Cab, thanks to Sean Capiauxs deft winemaking hand. Lots of deep black cherry, some coffee and black pepper grace notes, and a hint of spicy oak.

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From John Coles Balloon Juice (via Delong). I really don’t understand how bipartisanship is ever going to work when one of the parties is insane. Imagine trying to negotiate an agreement on dinner plans with your date, and you suggest Italian and she states her preference would be a meal of tire rims and anthrax. If you can figure out a way to split the difference there and find a meal you will both enjoy, you can probably figure out how bipartisanship is going to work the next few years.

So let me get this straight, after eight years of creating the biggest budget deficits in US history, the Republican Party is offended because the stimulus package is too big, at least in part due to the fact they (the Republicans) insisted on tacking on $30 billion in tax cuts. As a result, they are going to force the Democrats to knock out $110 billion in education, infrastructure and budget relief to the states. BUDGET RELIEF TO THE STATES! This money would be guaranteed to be spent immediately due to massive state budget shortfalls. It seems the Republicans, despite rhetoric to the contrary prefer a big federally-mandated tax cuts (which incidentally generally forces states to do the same) to allowing the states to determine how best to spend the money on their own. Of course, the Republican Governors are pissed. They are facing massive budget short falls largely through no fault of their own. $600 billion went to find WMDs that everyone pretty well knew werent there. $700 billion went to bail out wreckless and greedy financial institutions. Saving the states from budgetary disasters and rebuilding schools doesnt seem like it should be controversal at this point. I think the Republican Governors should start their own party. To quote Brad Delong. Raze the Republican Party to the ground. Plough it under. Scatter salt in the furrows so it can never grow back. We need another, very different opposition party to face the Democrats. We need it now. The time for bi-partisan outreach is past. If the party wont play, they have to pay.

Yesterday, I came back from Dallas, Oregon with 300+ lbs of beef in the back of my Mini Cooper S. We had ordered a half-cow (heretofore named Bessie) from McK Ranch which we split with a co-worker of mine. Tonight we had our first cut. It was a round steak. I marinated it in Lea Perrins for 30 minutes and broiled it. On the side we had brussel sprouts from our CSA and cheddar mashed potatoes from a local farm. Other than the 2004 Switchback Merlot from Napa, it was a very, very local meal. How was it? Good. Needs work. I have, in the past, hovered between a very small number of specific cuts of beef that I know how to deal with. NY strip, tenderloin, sirloin, petite sirloin and skirt mainly. This one was new to me and, in future I think I would marinate longer with more acid, perhaps some lime. break down that muscle tissue a bit. Nice flavor though. The Switchback is massive. Not a food wine. At 15.5% alcohol and, I think, a tiny bit of residual sugar, this is almost a dessert wine. Not generally my style, but fun in a hedonistic kind of way (to borrow from Parker). A rich chocolatey nose with a touch of rose (EA?), massive and mocha-like, no, more like mocha mousse in the mid-palate and coffee-flavored sandpaper on the finish. So, thank you Bessie for giving your life for our sustenance and enjoyment. I will endeavor to do a better job with your delicious meaty flesh next time. And hopefully choose a wine that complements your subtle and delicious flavors a little better. Amen.

I dont drink much wine that costs $6. I drink a lot of Pinot Noir. For $6, the Pinot Noir you get is probably not very good. Well, actually, the bottle is empty and the cork missing. $6 Pinot Noir doesnt really exists from what I have seen. Anyway, I tasted the Campo do Borja Vina Borgia, a 100% Grenache wine that was selling at our local Roths grocery store for slightly under six bucks. I figured it would be amusing. Nope. It was very impressive. It would have been impressive for twice that. Or three times. Plum, cherry and spice on the nose and bright red fruit, white pepper and black current in the palate. Impressive acid and barely a hint of the stewed quality I so often find in hot-weather wines. Nice clean red fruit on the finish. Really, really nice. Its simple and straightforward and went great with the wok-fried lamb, chard and baked rice dish I made. Recommended at twice the price. A steal for the actual price.

It is official. Willamette Shakespeare is now an Oregon non-profit. This summer will be our inaugural season. The production will be

Performance dates and venues TBA. We have a new site up (very much in process), a Facebook group and a mailing list for people interested in keeping up with the company. If you would like to join the mailing list, just e-mail us . See you this summer!

I know Hal Medici prefers his 2002, but at least as of right now, I would rather be drinking this one. Light to medium in body, with pretty red and black fruit and nice clove-like spiciness, this paired quite nicely with the roast leg of lamb. Aroma of dried strawberry with a hint of toast and vanilla and that funky smell that my friend Rob likes to call Pinot Stink. Nice bright food and a sweet raspberry finish. It is drinking really, really well and I expect it is pretty close to its peak. 2001 is a funny vintage that a lot of the locals, my boss included, dont like. It was cool and damp and most of the wines are light in color and extraction. I cant rightly say I remember what they were like when released, but I find I like the vintage a great deal, particularly for food-friendliness. I think I just might try to find a little more of this wine.

People who know me would say I am a cynic. In fact, the only thing that prevents me from being a conspiracy theorist is my lack of faith in humans ability to organize themselves in concert and keep their mouths shut. I certainly dont know what is going to happen. It is hard to imagine that in many critical ways Obama will disappoint. Despite the Democratic majority, and in spite of promises to the contrary, politics will still exist in Washington. Times are hard and I deeply believe that no-one really knows what we need to do to fix the failing economy. That said, I have more hope for change than I have had in a long time. The people are calling for a real healthcare system and now, finally, we have someone who wants to give him one. Obamas proposed tax package is very progressive and he has as mandate to pass it. I just heard on NPR that Obama actually managed to get a majority of the votes from people with incomes exceeding $250,000, the very same group he is planning to tax so the rest of us can get social services and tax relief. Pretty amazing. And, of course, something has changed in the US when an African-American can get elected President. Yes, he is a man of priviledge and education, but the fact remains that a black man with the name Barack Hussein Obama is going to be President. I didnt think I would see it in my lifetime. I dont know where I am heading with these thoughts, but that there is room for optimism for the first time in a long time, despite the dark clouds that still hang above us.

Its starting to look like it. Check out this Times article. Do you think without being force to that banks like JP Morgan will loan out the money we gave them? Not if they have a better options, economy be damned. From a JP Morgan exec. “Twenty-five billion dollars is obviously going to help the folks who are struggling more than Chase,” he began. “What we do think it will help us do is perhaps be a little bit more active on the acquisition side or opportunistic side for some banks who are still struggling. So, rather than inject this money into the sagging economy, these predators would prefer to scoop up struggling banks, regardless of the consequence. People, we have been duped. I hope this article is embarrassing enough to them to do the right thing and embarrassing enough to the government to force them to do the right thing. I am not optimistic. We gave these banks a big fat carrot. Now its time to use the stick.

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In 1991, the CBS show 60 Minutes ran an influential segment of possible health benefits of red wine. Entitled The French Paradox, correspondent Morley Safer looked at how on earth the French could eat high fat food, such as cheese, and have low rates of heart failure. Research concluded the key variable was not only the type of fat but also red wine. The resulting demand for red wine, the New York Times wrote a few years later, was seen as potentially the biggest boon to the wine industry since the repeal of Prohibition. Morely Safer was at it again earlier this evening, talking about red wine and lab rats. The subject of the piece tonight was about resveratrol (its everywhere!), a component found naturally in red wine that may hold the key to a longer, more slothful life in concentrated pill form, not necessarily wine. So great is the potential for the company making the pills, Sirtris, that Glaxo Smith Kline acquired them for $720 million last year. The pills are five years from being on the market they say in the piece. Anyway, Ill leave you to explore tonights 12 minute segment over on CBS. Here instead is a flashback to see the original four-minute segment from 1991. How naive we were then, back before certain types of fats were taxed! And how funny that the story features the French paradox and they show bottles of Lopez de Heredia from Rioja!

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 25th, 2009 at 9.30 pm and is filed under wine and health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

On January 27th, 2009 at 8.44 pm,Tish wrote. I recently read that some very serious, controlled studies are currently being conducted at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. OK, so my mom sent me the clipping, but it is indeed supposed to be the most comprehensive current ongoing research. Research which, no doubt, will pick up the pace again after the Steelers dispense of the Cardinals.

On January 29th, 2009 at 10.23 pm,Uzi Cohen wrote. I saw the segment last week and wrote about in my blog, unfortunately, I did not have this reference segment, so thank you for this video treat. As I am sure you are well aware, It is well known, that this original segment was the catalyst for the steady increase of wine consumption in USA. Similarly to Dylans comment on boredom for calorie restriction, I am afraid a Wine Pill, despite apparent health benefits, will do the same for me, boredom. Ill stick to wine.

On February 1st, 2009 at 2.00 am,Tom wrote. Im an avid wine drinker, and this piece made me think about the longevity of winemakers. This isnt scientific, but check out the ages at death for some of the well known winemakers. (BV Beaulieu Vineyards)Andre Tchelistcheff. 92 Robert Mondavi. 95 Ernest Gallo. 99 Julio Gallo. 83 Peter Mondavi (still alive) in his 90s They all died old and drank a lot of red wine.

See my op-eds in the NYT"Drink Outside the Box""Red, White, and Green"Hot posts.Blogs rule! Or not. Piza & wine. forbidden?!

One of the “fresh voices taking wine journalism in new and important directions.” -World of Fine Wine

It is no coincidence that certain style and shapes of glass are used with different types of wine, for example a flute shape for Champagne and sparkling wines, a medium shaped bowl for whites and a glass with a larger bowl for reds. Pioneering word from Professor Claus J. Riedel in the 1950s brought about a remarkable turn about in wine stemware production because he understood that the bouquet, the flavor and the body of a wine can be greatly enhanced by the glass from which it is drunk. [click to continue…]

For many it years it seemed as though New Zealand had always sneaked under the radar in terms of momentous contributions to the rest of the World but perhaps its biggest secret, as the likes of film director Peter Jackson went on to prove, was that this magnificent country has an immense landscape with a [.]

The reputation of the German wine industry has suffered due to its past emphasis on making fairly cheap sweet wines. However, this has changed in recent years. The focus has moved from mass production to high quality produce. As a result, domestic wine consumption has increased in Germany coinciding with a slow decrease in sales [.]

Not that many people tend to know much about the history of South African wines, in fact, whilst most amateurs could probably name a famous brand of Australian or American wine, very few seem to be able to name a significant South African brand. However, thats not to say that they arent there. in fact, [.]

Earlier today I enjoyed taking part in my first experience of Twitter Taste Live the event was called Beyond The Trade and was organised by Robert McIntosh at Wine Conversation and Christian Payne aka Documentally. We worked our way through three wines Laurenz V Friendly Gruner Veltliner 2007 Delicato Family Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel 2006 Dinastia Vivanco Rioja Crianza [.]

Third Wine in the Twitter Taste Live. Produced by Bodegas Dinastia Vivanco. 100% Tempranillo. I thought. The bottle was fantastic! Very fruity, earthy, smoky - not much experience of red wine personally but I could get a taste after trying this one. Others said. deep, mellow, cherry, rich, fruity Available from Bibendum

Second wine in the Twitter Taste Live event. 80% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah, 3% various red varietals. From Delicato Family Vineyards. I thought. Its a fantastic colour. Warm and Spicy. Cant make up my mind on this one overall though. Maybe better to eat something with it. Others said. cinnamon, light, berries, warm Available [.]

Italy contains some of the oldest wine producing regions in the world and currently has over a million vineyards. Italy has a diverse range of wines reflecting the diversity of the country. It boasts over 1000 varieties of wine using 300 varieties of grape. This is good news for a world where wine is becoming [.]

Introduction The earliest production of red wine using the fermentation process seems to have occurred around 6000BC, principally in Georgia (in the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia) and in Iran. Red wine has a chequered history principally since red wine itself can be divided into 6 main types of red grape varieties that contribute to [.]

Although it is now the fourth largest wine producing country in the world, Australia is still considered by many to be a new world wine maker – with less than three hundred years of wine making experience (compared to the wealth of experience most European countries can boast) it has undoubtedly created a loud rumble [.]

Spain has the most hectares of wine plantations in the world, however, it is only the third largest wine producer after France and Italy. This is due to the low yields resulting from fairly infertile soil in many parts of Spain. However, Spain is well known for its red wines due to their high quality, [.]

When I was a newbie, someone in the cookbook biz once told me that if a cookbook has one great recipe in it, it's totally worth it. And I agree with that. I have a mountain of cookbooks, and most have plenty of tempting recipes but I've only made one thing from many of them. But those that do make the cut become standardsor what we call "go to" recipes. One such cookbook was the Joy of Cooking, which was re-published with great fanfare (and some undeserved derision) in 1997. I remember a blurb on the book jacket from a previous edition, by a bride who swore she toted the book along when she moved abroad. Which I didn't, although I was hardly a blushing bride. So at least I have an excuse.

My "go to" recipe from that book was the Feta Dressing. I think it was promoted as 'healthy', which certainly has some appeal. But what I liked most about it was that it had lots and lots of feta in it, one of my very favorite cheeses, and one of the most versatile. Feta is the cheese I go to when I want to crumble something over hot pasta, since the strong flavor holds up really well and as it warms up, the cheese turns into soft, salty cubes that play off whole wheat pasta particularly well. I like the pasta with stewed greens, garlic, and a heavy hand of chopped olives tossed in. Or even crumbled over pasta with pesto. Try it!

Fan of winter greens, like frisée, Belgian endive, and escarole. And this dressing is thick enough to stand up to those tougher, slightly-bitter salads that I crave when the temperature drops. I didn't jot down this recipe when I did my transatlantic split, but it was pretty easy to re-create. The original had oregano in it, but I used thyme, since oregano and marjoram aren't easily found, but fresh thyme always is. (Maybe it's all going into that marjoram-flavored diet water?) The dressing includes a good dose of red wine vinegar, but resist the temptation to use another one. the abrupt acidity of red wine vinegar gives the dressing its kick. Creamy Feta-Red Wine Vinegar Dressing Makes 3/4 cup (200ml) Inspired by the Joy of Cooking Feta is now protected and must be from Greece, and is made from sheep or goat's milk. I pluck my feta out of the watery bins in Arab markets in France, and sometimes buy the real-deal or I choose a milder, similarly-crumbly, salted cheese, depending on what strikes my fancy at the moment. Other varieties, which can no longer be called feta, are made elsewhere and you can use what's available. I've made this dressing with dried oregano, too. If using dried, use half the amount called for. Be generous with the dressing when tossing the salad. I leave it chunky, because I like the texture (and it's one less thing to wash), but it can also be pureed in a blender or food processor. 4 ounces (115g) feta cheese 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon finely-chopped fresh thyme or oregano 2 tablespoons flavorful olive oil 5 tablespoons water salt and freshly-ground black pepper 1. Mash the feta with the vinegar and herbs with a fork until fairly smooth. 2. Mix in the olive oil and water, until smooth. Because feta cheese can vary in moisture, add more oil, vinegar, or water, if desired. 3. Season with pepper and salt, to taste. Storage. This dressing will keep for four days in the refrigerator. Other suggestions for this dressing.

Mashed with tinned tuna fish and chopped capers or green olives and scallions, for a twist on tuna salad.

As a dip, with toasted pita chips, radishes, or raw vegetables. Related Links and Recipes. Marinated Feta Real Tabbouleh (Desert Candy) Cherry Tomato and Feta Tart (Café Fernando) Watermelon and Feta Salad (Simply Recipes) 10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Cooking Roasted Mushrooms with Feta, Spinach & Bacon (Smitten Kitchen) Oven-Baked Chicken with Feta (Nami-Nami) Roasted Feta (Matt Bites) Lamb Kabobs with Mango Chutney and Whipped Feta (Steamy Kitchen) Joanne Weir's Cucumber and Feta Salad 8 Tips For Choosing and Using Olive Oil Mushroom and Feta Casserole (Kalyn's Kitchen)

Yum - that looks great. Think I'll be trying that really soon - I have some winter greens in the garden that I can try it with - can't wait!

In 1951 my mother did take the Joy of Cooking with her overseas. She was moving to Rio de Janerio with 3 children ages 12, 6 and 9 months. It was as the time a glamorous city that in some sections still had hollowed out logs as pipes for the intermittent water system. She's 96 now and still swears by her original copy and all the newer editions. She happily points out that her first copy includes recipes for crow in case of hard times. She says she would have substituted parrot if the need had arisen. We children were just grateful for the homemade catsup recipe.

Elizabeth. I must've been channeling your mother. I did bring a copy of the Joy of Cooking on CD-Rom with me to Paris, but it was in Mac OS9, and when Mac introduced OSX, the world changed and it was too problematic to use. (I see I'm not the only one to have beaucoup de problems with it.) Oddly, I have a French cookbook, for cooking by

I brought my Joy of Cooking with me to Paris. It's the first place I go when I need to check on the basics (like for example the other day when I wanted to make orzo and the package did not indicate how long to cook it!) or get an answer to a question about food chemistry. It's a keeper. (And that dressing looks darn good.)

I have my copy of JOC here in Paris with me, too -- it's dog-eared, stained, a few pages are stuck together, and pages are falling out because I've broken the binding. But I can't bear the thought of buying a new one -- I have all my notes scribbled in the margins of this one! I'm a very good and very experienced cook -- and I can't imagine life without it -- tips about cooking vegetables I'm unfamiliar with (my husband LOVES mashed celeriac -- a new veggie for us, and major victory for me!) soups, stews, and making some of our old favorites from scratch.

Funny, I agree with the "one recipe making a book worth it" theory. I haven't done much with my Joy of Cooking (my mother insisted I have the old version that she is familiar with), but I do love my Doubleday cookbook.not too dissimilar to JOC. The bread and butter pickles are my guilty pleasure.

I acquired my first copy of JOC 35 years ago. It has provided basic information on how long to cook a rib roast and to what temp the meat should be along with ideas on birds, fungi, and things that I had only heard about. I updated to a ten year old copy recently. It is the one book that I always used as a "go-to" reference before Google and the the inter-webs. I can probably blame my sustained interest in cooking on this great book. Whenever Julia or Graham had an idea that interested me, I would look it up to see if it was possible for me to duplicate and change.

I agree completely about the "one great recipe" rule for cookbooks. This one sounds wonderful. I love feta. any dish that contains it is going to be a hit with me.

When I first got married and received my Joy Of Cooking I used to stay up late reading it. Now it is my standby for so many recipes and always my starting point when creating my own recipes. I love it to death! This dressing looks delicious. Having grown up in Spain I seem to think the only way to eat salad is with olive oil and vinegar. My husband might welcome this as an overdue change! Thanks!

Ooh, yes, yes! A great salad dressing recipe makes a good home cook a great one, don't you agree? And this one surely fits the bill--I can almost taste it on a simple salad with cucumbers, grilled tomatoes and cubes of middle-eastern-marinated grilled pork. Yum!

I'm glad to see you make reference to JOC. It's been my "Funk and Wagnal" of cookbooks for so many years. The internet is great for all the info I need most of the time, but I still have trust issues with unknow persons or institutions instructing a classic technique or recipe that I haven't tried, so I go to my 'Joy' to compare. It is so comprehensive and does have many outstanding old and new recipes. And.. when a new recipe makes it into the Joy, it's like a new word making it into Webster's..( in my mind, anyway!) This dressing looks good. I like the pear and walnut idea with the bitter greens.

The Joy of Cooking has been my favorite cookbook since I was a youngster. I inherited my mother's WWII edition, and my go-to recipe there was for sugar-saving chocolate mousse (since sugar was rationed back then). It is simple and elegant and is the best chocolate mousse recipe I've ever used. My next copy of Joy was given to me in 1983, and I have so many go-to recipes in there I couldn't list them all. Many of the recipes include wry descriptions or anecdotes that make the book even more valuable, if possible. The narrative for a poppy seed pastry notes that, when assembled, it resembles the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes or a crocodile. (That's one of my go-to recipes, by the way.)

This is exactly what I put on my Greek salads, except I have never mixed it up as a dressing! Admittedly though, about half the time I use lemon juice instead of red wine vinegar - I love the brightness of the lemon. I love the idea of using this dressing for pastas! The Joy of Cooking was among the first 5 cookbooks I grew up on. I was a latch-key kid, like so many, and started cooking at age 5-6. Fortunately, I never burned down the house, and I still have a copy today. In fact, I think I still have 4 of the 5 books. JOC, The Moosewood Cookbook, Julia Child. The Art of Cooking French Food, and The Love of Eating, by Renny Darling) The Good Housekeeping Cookbook was the 5th. Honestly, I don't think I have ever had a failed recipe from any of them. Thanks for the great post, David! Cheers, ~ Paula

Rosalind. I'm not sure if there's anyone who teaches crêpe-making on a griddle, unless you find someone on the street that will let you pitch in! But you can take a look at my list of Paris Cooking Classes & Schools and perhaps one of them offers what you're looking for. Good luck~

Fétaaaaaaahhhg ! ♥ be still my heart...) I never tried hot feta, I was afraid about the result being too salty, but I love it at room temperature with pasta, green olives and red onions finely chopped. maybe hot is just a step away, i'll try !

Hey! I thought I invented adding raw escarole and frisee to salads. I was thwarted in my efforts today at Berkeley Bowl because the bin of "braising greens" was picked clean of all but kale, chard and radicchio. No frisee or escarole to be found. I was forced to actually purchase a whole fresee and escarole! Of all the nerve! Anyway, it's great to get validation for my fall/winter salad choices.

I must confess. I tried feta a few years ago and found it too salty and the brine it was packed in was a turn-off for me. If I recall, I used it in a Greek yogurt salad. I will have to give it another try, especially with a dose of red wine vinegar and a pairing to some collard or mustard greens. I NEVER would have thought to pair this cheese with a bitter green, thanks for the tip! Oh.and another, tuna, capers and feta. You are as resourceful as, JOC.

For all the over-loaded shelves of cook books I have, (my brother says I'm trying to put the first storey of the house into the basement), I have owned a Joy of Cooking for only two years. Now I refer to it often. Before Joy of Cooking I used the really old two-volume Gourmet Cookbooks when I wanted to find the last word on any recipe. Those are falling apart now and can be retired. The feta dressing looks like just what is needed to liven up this dreary winter. Thanks.

Rachel H. Glad you liked it. It's so easy to make, isn't it? i. They're using terms like '100% brebis' on the packaging, like Salakis is doing here in Europe. Next time you're in a grocer where you live check out what they're calling it~pretty interesting. oakjoan. I love Monterey Market! I just bought a huge head of escarole, which I love, but there's enough for twelve giant salads in that head. Have you tried it lightly-sauteed or wilted in a bit of warm olive oil, salt, a touch of vinegar, and some garlic? It's great.

Feta is the cheese I go to when I want to crumble something over hot pasta, since the strong flavor holds up really well and as it warms up, the cheese turns into soft, salty cubes that play off whole wheat pasta particularly well." Yeah!!!.but I'll have to think of a way to make this work because I have this 'fear' of vinegar (any kind). Often I just eliminate the vinegar from the recipe but since you say it's the red wine vinegar that gives it this 'kick'..hmmm

Sounds like it would be a delicious spread for an addition to BLT sandwich. I have the joy of cooking and occasionally turn to it for traditional recipes.but, I prefer the with beautiful pictures. For me, especially in savory, cookbooks inspire, but rarely do I ever follow a recipe.

When I moved over in 1984, I brought Fannie Farmer in hardcover and JOC in paperback! They are my go to books, and then Silver Palate's first cookbook. What would we do without them?

I think that the 1997 Joy of Cooking cookbook was the second cookbook in my collection, it's dog-eared and besplattered, a sure sign of a well-loved cookbook. I use it as a reference book, as much as for its recipes and it's never failed me once. I look forward to trying your version of their Feta salad dressing, it's sure to be a winner.

This recipe is right on time for me. I love feta. I eat it in my salads but now I can use it in a dressing. This will more than a "go to" for me. It will be one of my standards! Merci.

My mom and I both have the same edition of Joy - 1972. She wore her first copy out, so we found one the same year as mine - so that we have the same page numbers. ) My fav Joy recipe? The quick wheat flake cookies. I always make them with oatmeal and the zest of one orange - simple but spectacular. Really. And the about ingredients/substitutions sections? Worth their weight in gold. Do I use every recipe in the book? Nope. But it's a great reference book and now I have one more recipe to try - the feta dressing!

David, we made this last night for dinner, and I just couldn't get enough! We ate pizza with our salads and I dipped the puffy crusts in the remaining dressing. Good god, man.

Hi david. i enjoy reading your entries so much! i was wondering whether could i substitute the red wine vinegar with another kind of vinegar?

At the risk of hijacking David's blog for a moment -- here's another turn.for those of you cooking in France (or formerly cooking in France), what is your favorite "go-to" recipe book here? I've wandered the librairies, and I haven't seen anything that appears to be an equivalent to our beloved JoC, Fanny Farmer, Better Homes & Gardens, or any of the other American culinary bibles. With apologies to the vegetarians, pescetarians, and vegans amongst us -- in particular, I'm fairly flummoxed by the cuts of meat at the boucherie.anybody found a good guide to French cuts of beef and pork and what to do with them? There are two butchers in my town, and their shops are mindbogglingly gorgeous.but so are their prices, so I'm a bit stuck with buying animal-based protein at Carrefour or Auchan.and while they say "a braiser", "a bouiller", etc., it would be nice to have a little better guidance. So what say you, fellow kitchen hounds? What's your favourite? Thanks to all -- and thanks to David for allowing my tangent.

I'm so glad to see your praise for the 1997 "new" Joy of Cooking! My copy has fallen apart I use it so much! and I never understood the derision it received. Of course, right next to it I also have my mother's copy of the "classic" JOC. I'm one of those who rarely follows a recipe to the letter, and I often find myself reaching for one or the other for the bare bones of a recipe (proportions, temperature, time) on which I can hang the ingredients and limitations I'm working with (older one for more traditional American recipes, the newer one for more "world cuisine").

I think the derision was because people aren't used to folks messing with 'classics.' But the recipes in the edition of Joy of Cooking that I referenced worked, which some of them from previous editions weren't well-tested. Although to be fair, the previous editions were aimed at a different generation, and perhaps depended more on "cooks intuition." -dl

By the way, I've found that feta can be challenging for the "good enough cook" who tends to improvise in the kitchen. Things learned the hard way. however delicious my combination of ingredients, if there's one too many, the addition of feta will make it taste like vomit. So if I'm using feta I try to stick to no more than three other ingredients--or I strictly follow a recipe from a trusted source! That dressing sounds like just the thing for the tired lettuce of a midwestern winter.

Hey David, Long time readr, first time poster. You've talked about that whole wheat pasta recipe before (farro?). Perhaps you should create a post with the recipe and pics?.) I am interested. ciao ashwin

I saw this post/recipe while I was on vacation and am now getting around to writing it down - even tho I DID bring my copy of "Joy of Cooking" with me when I moved to Italy. I guess this particular recipe never jumped out at me, but since I love feta, this will certainly be on my go-to list from now on. Thanks for sharing!

He leading wine research bodies of Chile and California - will be working together researching wine subjects.

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Enjoyment of the fermented grape has long been celebrated in song. There's Dean Martin's "Little Ole Wine Drinker, Me," Neil Diamond's "Red, Red Wine" and "Wine, Women and Song" by Loretta Lynn. But wine -- red wine, specifically -- is no longer merely the stuff of Dionysian revelries, according to Dr. Joseph Maroon, the author "The Longevity Factor. How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Life" (Atria, $27). Resveratrol, a property found in red wine, is one of the keys to a longer and healthier life via the new science of epigenetics. "Many people think your genes are your destiny," says Maroon, vice chairman of the department of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers. "But in actuality. epigenetics refers to those environmental factors that impact genes, and through various transduction factors, more or less tell genes what to do."

Resveratrol works by activating animal-cell genetic pathways, producing benefits such as enhanced muscle strength, boosted energy, reduced fat cells and improved energy and endurance. Memory can be improved. And resveratrol might be a key element in fighting Alzheimer's disease. But it is wrong to think of resveratrol as a miracle drug. Maroon considers it an untapped resource that has been available, but unused, for thousands of years. "These are natural polyphenol compounds that have co-evolved for millennia that help activate our genes for us to live longer, just like the same compounds do in plants that are stressed but live longer," Maroon says. It was at a neurosurgical conference in Boston in 2005 that Maroon became aware of new efforts in longevity research that highlighted ways to isolate resveratrol. A triathlete who says he admires the work ethic of Steelers, Maroon decided to immerse himself in the study of beneficial natural compounds that exist in foods such as red wine, green tea and blueberries. With Jeffrey Bost, a physician assistant at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Dr. James Smoliga, an assistant professor of exercise physiology at Marywood University in Scranton, Maroon conducted a study using 90 sedentary people between the ages of 25 and 60. After using a red wine extract over three months (some of the study subjects were given a placebo), they took an impact test given to NFL players, including the Steelers. Those who took the red wine extract increased their reaction time and endurance despite their sedentary nature. "This was one of the first studies done with humans using resveratrol," Maroon says. Maroon is quick to note that resveratrol alone will not provide a healthier life. It is also important to avoid foods that have hydrogenated oils -- including hot dogs and doughnuts -- that contain cancer-causing agents, and to maintain a low-calorie diet. Diet, however is only one of the three factors in determining better health. "Everything in life requires balance and homeostasis," Maroon says. "It's the ABC's. It's not a secret. You need healthy food, you need exercise, and you need a balanced mental state, whether that comes from saying the rosary, Zen Buddhism, or meditation. "You need something in the spiritual side of your existence to help you maintain a mental balance, as well as a physical balance."

Red wine is one of the best sources of resveratrol, according to Dr. Joseph Maroon, author of "The Longevity Factor. How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Life." Abundant in red wine, resveratrol, a polyphenol, might increase longevity, endurance and energy, and could be a factor in fighting Alzheimer's disease. Other foods containing resveratrol include. • White wine • Port and sherry • Grapes • Red grape juice • White grape juice • Raw cranberry juice • Blueberries • Lingonberries • Peanuts (roasted, boiled) • Peanut butter and 100 percent natural peanut butter • Pistachios • Hops • Giant knotweed • Dry rhubarb root • Pomegranate juice • Dark chocolate

Red Red Wine is a song originally written and recorded by Neil Diamond that was then covered by Tony Tribe and more famously by UB40. In the song, the singer finds drinking red wine is the only way to forget a lost love. UB40 made their rendition for their cover versions album Labour of Love. According to the band, they were only familiar with Tony Tribes version, and their version featured a lighter, reggae-style flavor compared to Diamonds somber, acoustic ballad. This version reached number one in the UK charts in August 1983, and number thirty-four in the U.

Red wine is good for you, antoxidants{not to much} its so strange to see some people react when you have a picture with a glass of wine on it. View Profile | Leave Marjo47 a shout

Freakin' sweet song. I will NOT drink Merlot us. (anyone catch the reference) View Profile | Leave retroguy a shout

Potiman youtube poti1972 white smoke the Revolution Vote Edition With 1. LIVE SO SWEET 2. FEEL IT 3. HUNGRY 4.SMILE AGAIN 5. BABYLON 6. LIKE TO PLAY 7. EARTH PEOPLE 8. POTI LOVE 9. JAH 10. TELL ME poti@live. nl nice christmas and all the best for the new live in 2009 View Profile | Leave potiman a shout

Red Red Wine is a song originally written and recorded by Neil Diamond that was then covered by Tony Tribe and more famously by UB40. In the song, the singer finds drinking red wine is the only way to forget a lost love. UB40 made their rendition for their cover versions album Labour of Love. According to the band, they were only familiar with Tony Tribes version, and their version featured a lighter, reggae-style flavor compared to Diamonds somber, acoustic ballad. This version reached number one in the UK charts in August 1983, and number thirty-four in the U.

Red wine is good for you, antoxidants{not to much} its so strange to see some people react when you have a picture with a glass of wine on it. View Profile | Leave Marjo47 a shout

Freakin' sweet song. I will NOT drink Merlot us. (anyone catch the reference) View Profile | Leave retroguy a shout

Potiman youtube poti1972 white smoke the Revolution Vote Edition With 1. LIVE SO SWEET 2. FEEL IT 3. HUNGRY 4.SMILE AGAIN 5. BABYLON 6. LIKE TO PLAY 7. EARTH PEOPLE 8. POTI LOVE 9. JAH 10. TELL ME poti@live. nl nice christmas and all the best for the new live in 2009 View Profile | Leave potiman a shout

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This article first appeared on Miller-McCune. com. Two new studies suggest that substances usually associated with dulling the mind -- marijuana and red wine -- may help ward off Alzheimer's disease and other forms of age-related memory loss. Their addition comes as another studydethrones folk remedy ginkgo biloba as proof against the disease. At a November meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Washington, D. C., researchers from Ohio State University reportedthat THC, the main psychoactive substance in the cannabis plant, may reduce inflammation in the brain and even stimulate the formation of new brain cells. Meanwhile, in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, neurologist David Teplowof the University of California, Los Angeles reportedthat polyphenols -- naturally occurring components of red wine -- block the formation of proteins that build the toxic plaques thought to destroy brain cells. In addition, these substances can reduce the toxicity of existing plaques, thus reducing cognitive deterioration. Together, the studies suggest scientists are gaining a clearer understanding of the mechanics of memory deterioration and discovering some promising approaches to prevention. Previous research has suggested that polyphenols -- which are found in high concentrations in tea, nuts and berries, as well as cabernets and merlots -- may inhibit or prevent the buildup of toxic fibers in the brain. These fibers, which are primarily composed of two specific proteins, form the plaques that have long been associated with Alzheimer's disease. UCLA's Teplow and his colleagues monitored how these proteins folded up and stuck to each other to produce aggregates that killed nerve cells in mice. They then treated the proteins with a polyphenol compound extracted from grape seeds. They discovered the polyphenols blocked the formation of the toxic aggregates. What we found is pretty straightforward, Teplow declared. If the amyloid beta proteins can't assemble, toxic aggregates can't form, and, thus, there is no toxicity. If this also proves true in human brains, it means administration of the compound to Alzheimer's patients could prevent disease development and also ameliorate existing disease, he said. Human clinical trials are upcoming. At Ohio State, researchers led by psychologist Gary Wenkare studying the protective effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC. They found that administering a THC-like synthetic drug to older rats performed better at a memory test than a control group of non-medicated elderly rodents. In some of the rats, the drug apparently lowered inflammation in the hippocampus -- the region of the brain responsible for short-term memory. It also seems to have stimulated the generation of new brain cells. When we're young, we reproduce neurons and our memory works fine, said co-author Yannick Marchalant, another Ohio State psychologist. When we age, the process slows down, so we have a decrease in new cell formation in normal aging. You need those cells to come back and help form new memories, and we found that this THC-like agent can influence creation of those cells. Wenk added two cautionary notes to his report. First, to be effective, any such treatment along these lines would have to take place before memory loss is obvious. Second, the researchers still have much work to do. We need to find exactly which receptors are most crucial to the generation of new brain cells, he said. This discovery would ideally lead to the development of drugs that specifically activate those receptors. In the meantime, should aging baby boomers who are worried about old-age mental impairment light up a joint? Wenk was cautious in his answer, no doubt because marijuana is suspected to be harmful to health in other ways. Could people smoke marijuana to prevent Alzheimer's disease if the disease is in the family? We're not saying that, but it might actually work, he said. What we are saying is it appears that a safe, legal substance the mimics those important properties of marijuana can work on receptors in the brain to prevent memory impairments in aging. So that's really hopeful.

See more stories tagged with. marijuana, alzheimers, red wine Tom Jacobs is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years experience at daily newspapers. He has served as a staff writer for the Los Angeles Daily News and the Santa Barbara News-Press. His work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Ventura County Star.

I clearly remember my grandfather, who died from alzheimers, losing it at the care center home by yelling over and over "I want red wine, I want red wine!" Wine was prohibited once he was put on meds. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Cannabinoid receptors are shown to be very important in neurological disease, and marijuana was able to reduce many of the adverse neuronal changes seen in the brain. For instance, it reduces the accumulation of amyloid-beta in the brain, which becomes toxic in excess and is believed by researchers to be the causative protein of Alzheimer's Disease. However, red wine and other wines from Europe were recently tested, and a large number of heavy metals were highly elevated in these wines. Many of the metals have been associated with the disease, so they may actually worsen it. Make sure your wine is free of toxins and neurotoxins! [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Forgot to mention that marijuana is one of the most powerful antioxidants around, and may help stop or repair the cell damage seen in the brain. It is also a powerful anti-inflammatory, and in recent years inflammation has been shown to be very important in regards with chronic disease, including neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Excellent info, minmotstand. Let me question you further on the issue of toxicity and European wines. My impression, as an enthusiastic drinker (& toker), is that French, Spanish, Italian wines (in that order) are best, at least for reds. For white, I would include New Zealand, and have tasted an excellent Argentinian white. In my dismissal of anything from Australia, and to a lesser extent, from USA, I am responding to the synthetic tastes of those wines, owing more to the industrial chemist than to the farmer. "However, red wine and other wines from Europe were recently tested, and a large number of heavy metals were highly elevated in these wines. Many of the metals have been associated with the disease, so they may actually worsen it. Make sure your wine is free of toxins and neurotoxins!" Please, can you provide more information on heavy metal contamination, and its route into that food chain? My experience includes that the response of one's system to toxicity (a brutal hangover) is more obvious with these synthetic 'beefed up' tasting Australians. The better the wine quality (not precisely guided by cost), the less the hangover [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

I've been putting this fervent wish into the cosmos for twenty years. ~pleaseletpotcurecancerpleaseletpotcurecancer pleaseletpotcurecancer~ So we got Alzheimer's! I love it! And red wine! Well, it does not get better than this! *clink* [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

I used to be a regular toker (many years ago) and i'm pretty sure i won't be going back there. i can't handle the paranoia it entails (and i feel somewhat certain that it isn't purely the illegality that causes this - i think it is a side effect). i do take a resveratrol cap every day, and i'd be glad to add a thc cap to that. the second scariest thing to me about aging (after fear of ending up under an overpass with a cardboard sign) is losing my mental faculties. if red wine and pot will help, i guess i'll have to resign myself to a slower lifestyle (wow- look at my hands.) [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

If smoking weed and drinking red wine will keep me from losing my memory, why is it I can never remember where I left my wallet? [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Alcohol destroys brain cells and both pot and booze destroy short term memory, that's the whole idea, to shut out the day's oppressive events! Then each abuser wants to believe every day their "medicine" will make them "well". Self-deception is part of the chemical addiction or emotional dependency. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

While I am thrilled to hear that marijuana may ward off the dreaded A disease, I am dumbfounded the writer would classify the weed with wine as substances that "dull the mind." Alcohol does that, I agree, but not pot. Marijuana is stimulating. Marijuana does not dull the mind, it opens it. You make it out to be a depressant, which of course alcohol is, but not marijuana. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

My grandmother always said 'Red wine is good for your blood'.although she was Young when Pot got put on the Illegal substance list, she never mentioned having tried it or what curative effects it could ahve.maybe she knew but dared not mention it. I gotta ask How much money did we spend on a Question we could have answered for free, had we just asked an old Italian about red wine? Of course that has been the result of male domination in science.disregard the Old Wives Tales and proceed to spend millions to utlimately prove their right. I'm chalking this Scientific Acheivement up to Another for the Ladies, along with the 'revelation' Chicken soup is good for you when suffering a cold. Next will come the Billion dollar Research finding that Hot tea with Honey and a splash of whiskey is good for a sore throat too. Waht is most Ridiculous about these 'research' Grants and findings is the Fact that even if you use these Old Traditional methods, they can not make matters worse. it's not as if a Glass of wine will kill You, nor chicken soup, nor a splash of whiskey as needed. What I wonder is Why bother to investigate these ancient claims, unless to debunk them (and make money doing it). If you know anything about the Evolution of the Meidcal professsion, You will know it has had a Long standing hatred of Female 'wisedoms'. Probably why we are popping pills instead of taking herbs - they refuse to relinquish any control over medicine to either Females or Ancient remedies (ie Acupuncture),because they would lose money and be revealed as Snake Oil Dealers. 'Modern 'Medicine has been killing Us with their 'potions' for centuries. Seems better to cause a catastophic illness to mask a minor ailment. 'You may have a heart attack from this med, but your toenails will look great in the Coffin", "You may have a stoke, but that Boner will last for hours" . No doubt our ancestors have been vindicated, but I'm still pissed by the long standing malignment and disrespect they have shown to those who have Always Known these things to be true.Not to mention the Taxpayer dollars Wasted on such BS research. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

No way! Drink cranberry, pomegranate, grape or berry juice for that dose of good health. Skip the wine, it is loaded with sulfites. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Dude, don't drink any kind of alcohol right before bed -- it disrupts REM sleep in a major way. Have a glass after work or with a meal. If you need a late night wind-down take a toke and consider occasional use of the herb Valerian which helps induce deep REM sleep -- the most restful kind. (I mean I know you're joking, but still.) [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

I just wish it were so simple. Studies like this should not be publicized unless there is real powerful data. Every week there is some 'new' finding that could lead to cures to all the illnesses that STILL plague us. Nonsense like this only feeds the hunger for drinking and smoking dope. Many studies today are mickey mouse as they are carried out by people who were allowed into PhD programs, medical schools, etc but were less than qualified to be there to begin with. Thank you affirmative action for today's mediocrity! [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

The only thing that has helped my traumatic brain injury is pot. none of my neurologists have had a problem with my using it either. now i don't know if it's actually building my brain up, but it sure helps with the extremely unpleasant symptoms when the brain gets overloaded and goes haywire. and i have improved immensely in the ten years since my accident. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

This was a good article on the health benefits of red wine and marijuana. However, left unquestioned is the implication that medical progress can be made by experimenting on other animals. "In some of the rats, the drug apparently lowered inflammation in the hippocampus -- the region of the brain responsible for short-term memory. It also seems to have stimulated the generation of new brain cells." According to America's leading animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), over 1.6 million strong. "We know animal tests are poor science. Official figures show that an astonishing 92 percent of drugs tested on animals prove to be ineffective or unsafe for humans." As renowned pathologist Dr Bruno Fedi points out. "The abolition of vivisection would in no way halt medical progress, just the opposite is the case... No surgeon can gain the least knowledge from experiments on animals, and all the great surgeons of the past and of the present day are in agreement on that". [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

The fed pigs will put even more pressure on the lie of "reefer madness" because they are frightened of those with the ability to think. And, how deeply is the alcohol industry behind keeping pot illegal for the financial benefit of keeping their booze legal? [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Marchalant Y, Brothers HM, Wenk GL. (2008). Inflammation and aging. can endocannabinoids help? Biomed Pharmacother. 62(4).212-7. Epub 2008 Mar 14. I'm a neurobiologist. my area of specialization is the hippocampus. I have to say that there is a difference between harnessing the endocannabinoid system to counter excitotoxic and inflammatory effects of amyloid plaque buildup and telling your confused grandmother to take a bong hit. I talked a little bit about how endocannabinoids normally work HERE. The anioxidant thing is similar. Small amount of red wine, great. But large amounts of alcohol are neurotoxic- especially to the hippocampus- and alcoholics actually can get a disease that is very similar to Alzheimer's, called Korsakoff's Syndrome. And even just enough to get drunk will cause swelling of the brain (that's what makes you have a headache the next day), and so small amounts are what the scientists are talking about. It's actually come out fairly recently that a spice called circumin has some of these same beneficial effects. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

As an old hippie, I can attest to the fact that red wine and marijuana are two of God's most sublime creations and it is good to know they may still have a legitimate role to play in the twilight of our lives. However, both of these items cause definite memory loss when used to excess so it seems counter-intuitive that they should help ward off Alzheimer's. I guess I'll believe it when I see it. I hope it's true. my family knows this disease first hand. In the meantime I'll tell my wife that I am getting shit-faced on doctors' orders. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Smoking was once thought non-carcinogenic because smoking-related cancer is hard to reproduce in lab animals. Many continued to smoke and to die from cancer. Benzene was not withdrawn from use as an industrial chemical despite clinical and epidemiological evidence that exposure caused leukemia in humans, because manufacturer-supported tests failed to reproduce leukemia in mice. Animal experiments on rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, monkeys, and baboons revealed no link between glass fibers and cancer. Not until 1991, due to human studies, did the government label it carcinogenic. Though arsenic was a known human carcinogen for decades, scientists still found little evidence in animals to support the conclusion as late as 1977. This was the accepted view until it was produced in lab animals. Many continued to be exposed to asbestos and die because scientists could not reproduce the cancer in lab animals. Pacemakers and heart valves were delayed in development because of physiological differences between animals they were designed on and humans. Animal models of heart disease failed to show that a high cholesterol and high fat diet increases the risk of coronary artery disease. Instead of switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet to prevent the disease, people continued their lifestyles with a false sense of security. Patients received medications that were harmful and/or ineffective due to animal models of stroke. Animal studies predicted that beta-blockers would not lower blood pressure. This withheld their development. Even animal experimenters admitted the failure of animal models of hypertension in this regard, but in the meantime, there were thousands more stroke victims. Over half of the 198 new medications released between 1976 and 1985 were either withdrawn or relabeled secondary to severe unpredicted side effects. These side effects included complications like lethal dysrhythmias, heart attacks, kidney failure, seizures, respiratory arrest, liver failure, and stroke, among others. Flosint, an arthritis medication, was tested on rats, monkeys and dogs. all tolerated the medication well. In humans, however, it caused deaths. Clioquinol, an antidiarrheal, passed tests in rats, cats, dogs and rabbits. It was pulled off the shelves all over the world in 1982 after it was found to cause blindness and paralysis in humans. Eraldin, a medication for heart disease, caused 23 deaths despite the fact that no harmful effects could be shown in animals. When introduced, scientists said it noted for the thoroughness of the toxicity studies on animals. It caused blindness and deaths in humans. Afterwards, scientists were unable to reproduce these results in animals. Zomax, another arthritis drug, killed 14 people and caused many more to suffer. The dose of isoproterenol, a medication used to treat asthma, was worked out in animals. Unfortunately, it was much too toxic for humans. Thirty five hundred asthmatics died in Great Britain alone due to overdose. It is still difficult to reproduce these results in animals. Suprofen, an arthritis drug, was withdrawn from the market when patients suffered kidney toxicity. Prior to its release researchers had this to say about the animal tests. “.excellent safety profile. No.cardiac, renal, or CNS [central nervous system] effects in any species.” Cylert (pemoline), a medication used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, caused liver failure in 13 children. Eleven either died or needed a liver transplant. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

The diet drug combination of fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine was linked to heart valve abnormalities and taken off the market although animal studies “had never revealed heart abnormalities.” The diabetes medication troglitazone, better known as Rezulin, was tested on animals without significant problems, but caused liver damage in humans. The company admitted that at least one patient had died and another had to undergo a liver transplant as a result. Despite the ineffectiveness of penicillin in his rabbits, Alexander Fleming used the antibiotic on a very sick patient since he had nothing else to try. Luckily, Fleming’s initial tests were not on guinea pigs or hamsters—it kills them. Howard Florey, the Nobel Prize winner credited with co-discovering and manufacturing penicillin, stated. “How fortunate we didn’t have these animal tests in the 1940s, for penicillin would probably never been granted a license, and possibly the whole field of antibiotics might never have been realized.” The notoriously dangerous drugs thalidomide and DES were tested in animals and released. Tens of thousands suffered and died as a result. Animal experiments misinformed researchers about how rapidly HIV replicates. Based on this false information, patients did not receive prompt therapies and their lives were shortened. Animal-based research delayed the development of the polio vaccine, according to Dr. Albert Sabin, its inventor. The first rabies and polio vaccines worked well on animals but crippled or killed the people who tried them. Researchers who work with animals have succumbed to illness and death due to exposure to diseases that though harmless to the animal host (such as Hepatitis-B), kill humans. Time, funding, and resources devoted to animal experiments could have gone to human-based research. Clinical studies, in vitro research, autopsies, post-marketing drug surveillance, computer modeling, epidemiology, and genetic research pose no hazard to humans and provide accurate results. Importantly, animal experiments have exhausted resources that could have been dedicated to educating the public about health hazards and health maintenance, therein diminishing the incidence of diseases that require treatment. Vivisection is scientific fraud. Animal experimentation does not make sense. Human-based science prevents disease and creates valid therapies. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

The test of whether or not a drug is legal is not now, has never been, and more importantly, should not be, whether or not it is good for you. Aspirin causes deaths. Ibuprofen use can have negative outcomes for some people. Too much alcohol can kill you. But all of these drugs are legal. If marijuana is legalized, its legalization should not be justified by its health benefits. Rather, it should be made legal because we respect responsible adults' rights to do what they want with their bodies and lives. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Quite a number of participants in this discussion are missing the point, ALL THINGS IN MODERATION! Just because some scientific studies make a very good point, doesn't mean that more is better. I don't drink, but I have a hit every night, I have no ill effects the following morning, and sleep quite well, thank you. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

This only works because after all the booze and pot, you won't have any memories to forget by the time you reach the average age when Alzheimer's begins. This is nothing but wishful thinking. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

What we are saying is it appears that a safe, legal substance the mimics those important properties of marijuana can work on receptors in the brain to prevent memory impairments in aging. So that's really hopeful. They just had to go there, didn't they? I always get excited when I read articles that seem to be objective and realistic in their approach to "drugs" like marijuana, but then they have to ruin it all by perpetuating the myth that weed is bad for you in some way. There was another quote someone in there about using this research to develop new, synthetic drugs instead of sticking with what Mother Nature provided us! It blows my mind! But hey, Big Pharma's gotta make that money somehow, how better than to exploit the sick? Oh, and notice how they sneak in that marijuana is illegal, so they need to synthesize TCH for it to be useful on a large scale. I've got an idea!! Legalize it!! (Legalize It.Don't Criticize It.Legal It, Yeah.yeah.and I, man, will advertise it!) Interesting article, none the less, I'm so tired of hearing people speculate on marijuana's dangerous effects, considering no one can come up with any real evidence to back their assertions up! [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Times like this I wish I had a subscription to scientific journals (they're not cheap). After reading the abstract the substance in question they were testing was grape seed polyphenolic extract, MegaNatural-AZ. I'm not even too sure what that is, yet alone how it differs from red wine in its chemical composition. The only thing that we can rationally take away from this paper is that both red wine and this extract both have polyphenols (concentrations not reported). This chemical inhibits the formation of certain protein complexes found in Alzheimer patients. Even if this extract is as effective as the paper claims, it still needs to be delivered to patients effectively in order to be a potent therapy. Brain injections? Still it's something to follow. We need some medicinal chemists out there working on neuron targeting small molecule anti-oxidants. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

UCLA's Teplow and his colleagues monitored how these proteins folded up and stuck to each other to produce aggregates that killed nerve cells in mice. They then treated the proteins with a polyphenol compound extracted from grape seeds. They discovered the polyphenols blocked the formation of the toxic aggregates. "What we found is pretty straightforward," Teplow declared. "If the amyloid beta proteins can't assemble, toxic aggregates can't form, and, thus, there is no toxicity." If this also proves true in human brains, it means administration of the compound to Alzheimer's patients could "prevent disease development and also ameliorate existing disease," he said. Human clinical trials are upcoming. How were these tests done? In vitro (test tubes), on rats, on "higher" mammals? How was the polyphenol administered? Does it cross the blood/ brain barrier? How many samples were tested, and how? What was the p-value? So many questions. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

At Ohio State, researchers led by psychologist Gary Wenk are studying the protective effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC. They found that administering a THC-like synthetic drug to older rats performed better at a memory test than a control group of non-medicated elderly rodents. In some of the rats, the drug apparently lowered inflammation in the hippocampus -- the region of the brain responsible for short-term memory. It also seems to have stimulated the generation of new brain cells. "When we're young, we reproduce neurons and our memory works fine," said co-author Yannick Marchalant, another Ohio State psychologist. "When we age, the process slows down, so we have a decrease in new cell formation in normal aging. You need those cells to come back and help form new memories, and we found that this THC-like agent can influence creation of those cells." A synthetic THC-like compound was administered - how? Injected? Mixed with the food? Vaporized and mixed with the air? What was the control? How many samples were tested? And how applicapble is this to humans? Rats and humans are very different. Do rats get Alzheimers'? What kind of memory was tested, systemic, perceptual? Again, how does this apply to humans? I agree, marijuana has some good uses and should be legalized. But junk science doesn't help. it only muddies the issues and discredits the authentic. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

I think the red wine and the marijuana are for the caregivers. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

A pamphlet entitled "10 Things Every Parent, Teenager and Teacher Should Know About Marijuana" produced by the Family Council on Drug Awareness tells us marijuana is not physically addictive. The 1980 Costa Rican study, the 1975 Jamaican study and the 1972 Nixon Blue Ribbon Report all concluded that marijuana use does not lead to physical dependency. The FBI reports that 65 to 75 percent of criminal violence is alcohol-related. On the other hand, Federal Bureau of Narcotics director Harry Anslinger testified before Congress in 1948 that marijuana leads to nonviolence and pacifism. In a message to Congress on August 2, 1977, President Jimmy Carter insisted. "Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself." Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Law Judge Francis L. Young wrote on September 8, 1988. "Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects. But marijuana is not such a substance. There is no record in the extensive medical literature describing a proven, documented cannabis-induced fatality Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man." After years of suppression by the government, the truth about medical marijuana is finally coming out. Dr. Tod Mikuriya, former director of marijuana research for the entire federal government, wrote in 1996. "I was hired by the government to provide scientific evidence that marijuana was harmful. As I studied the subject, I began to realize that marijuana was once widely used as a safe and effective medicine. But the government had a different agenda, and I had to resign." Of all the reasons to legalize marijuana, the most compelling is its medical usage. Marijuana has a wide variety of therapeutic applications, and is frequently helpful in treating the following conditions. AIDS. Marijuana reduces the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by both the ailment itself and as a side effect of treatment with AZT and other medicines. Arthritis and Other Autoimmune Diseases. In addition to its effectiveness in controlling the pain associated with arthritis, new evidence shows that marijuana is an autoimmune modulator. Cancer. Marijuana stimulates the appetite and alleviates nausea and vomiting, common side effects of chemotherapy treatment. People undergoing chemotherapy find that smoking marijuana is an anti-nauseant often more effective than mainstream medications. Epilepsy. Marijuana is used as an adjunctive medicine to prevent epileptic seizures. Some patients find that they can reduce dosage of other seizure-control medications while using cannabis. Glaucoma. Marijuana can reduce intraocular pressure, alleviating pain and slowing (and sometimes stopping) the progress of the condition. Tobacco kills about 430,700 each year. Alcohol and alcohol-related diseases and injuries kill about 110,000 per year. Secondhand tobacco smoke kills about 50,000 every year. Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs kill 7,600 each year. Cocaine kills about 500 yearly alone, and another 2,500 in combination with another drug. Heroin kills about 400 yearly alone, and another 2,500 in combination with another drug. Adverse reactions to prescription drugs total 32,000 per year, while marijuana kills no one. A November 4, 2002 Time/CNN Poll found 80 percent of those polled felt marijuana should be legal only for medicinal purposes. 72 percent felt recreational users should get fines rather than jail time, which is essentially decriminalization. The complete legalization of marijuana was favored only by 34 percent of respondents, but this figure is twice as large as it was in 1986. Marijuana is safer than alcohol and tobacco, and our drug laws should reflect this reality. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Place in the world? Statistically we usually link up with some third world country. Its not from red wine and cannabis. The wine drinkers in Europe all out live us. Italian women are often heavy. They still outlive us. Much of Asia has used cannabis for 100s of years. It hasn't been traced to their death. There is still an awful lot of myth in all of this. But, the state of longevity in the United States is not in question. If you would live longer, simply move to Canada. There is a reason why we are being rejected among the civilized nations. We aren't civilized. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

I, too, had a serious brain injury in my early twenties and I have smoked pot for relief from migranes and stress. I have always enjoyed the effects and felt that of all the things to take for pain and discomfort pot would be the least damaging in terms of cost and addiction. I have never had serious withdrawal from marijuana even when I stopped smoking for months at a time. I admit that it can be habitual though and the effects of smoking anything in great amounts will eventually take a toll on the lungs. Regardless of my choice I am surrounded by people who feel that my use of this substance lies more in my inability to grow up or deal with the world. Yet I go to work, pay my bills on time, read constantly, rarely play video games and lead a normal life. I know of many people who have sought standard western medications for illness (for problems with appetite, depression, stress, worry, fatigue, sleeplessness, etc.) and they often end up spending a fortune on highly addictive substances that are prescribed to them legally by a physician. When will the stigma surrounding marijuana die off? How many people die each year from abuse or overdose of pain medications? Thousands. An estimated 32,000 people each year from adverse reactions to prescription drugs. In 1998 an extensive study published in the reputable Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that 106,000 people die each year in American hospitals from medication side effects. 46% of Americans take at least one prescription drug daily. The drug companies claim that they need large earnings - 125,835,595,000 in 1999 - to conduct their research and development. They have a point - only up to a degree. Aggressive research is indeed needed. The medications produced by the pharmaceutical industry have improved the quality and length of life of many people. But this justification loses credibility when. 1. Just 1 out of every 5 dollars the drug industry collects goes to drug research. 2. Some drug companies spend almost twice as much money for advertising and marketing as they spend for research. 3. Drug industry profits are so large they outstrip every other industry's profits by far. Drug companies are the most profitable industry. In 2001, a year which saw a drop in employment rates, a plunge in the stock market and symbols of America's economy literally come crashing down, the drug companies continued their reign as the most profitable industry in the annual Fortune 500 list. While the overall profits of Fortune 500 companies declined by 53%, which was the 2nd biggest dive in profits the Fortune 500 has taken in its 47 years, the top 10 U. S. drug companies increased their profits by 33%. Collectively, the 10 drug companies in the Fortune 500 topped all 3 of the Fortune magazine's measures of company profitability for 2001, according to the magazine's annual analysis of America's most important companies. These drug companies had the greatest return on revenues, reporting a profit of 18.5 cents for every $1 of sales, which was 8 times higher than the median for all Fortune 500 industries, easily surpassing the next most profitable industry, which was commercial banking with a 13.5% return on revenue). I wonder how the stress of our present financial crisis will affect drug sales? By the way, how many people have died from a marijuana overdose in all of history? ZERO. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

More evidence but grass is still illegal. as there are more professional papers coming out showing the medicinal necessity of Marijuana, the demand is not increasing nor decreasing but the criminal penalties placed on its consumption by people who still hope to have a say on what they can do to their own bodies. is on the rise. still! more people are arrested and incarcerated now for pot then at anytime in history! The politcals JUST DON'T GET IT!. they will obfuscate this reality by telling us that economic times are bad. Is long past time for some serious legal challenges on religious and medicinal grounds [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

I have my two glasses of red wine a night and often feel indulgent and not disciplined, now I think I'll just enjoy and not listen to reports that say if you drink every night you might have a problem. In my hay days, I smoked pot daily and loved it, but as I got older and feeling that it took up too much of my time, because all I can do with it is listen to music and just hang around. For me it really did enlighten me personally, I was very, very shy and it mostly cured me from that. I found it very creative too, that was probably from the stimulation of the brain cells and creating new neurons. I had to come up with new designs and art work and I used it to unwind and the ideas would just flow like water, but could never execute the work while still under the affect, only after. I mostly got paranoid from the thought of getting busted. I think marijuana has to be used judiciously and I did. Never if you have a test, drive, and never to be with people that have not smoked and not if I want to read. NEVER FOR MINORS whose brains have to have no hallucinagens or impairment. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

.. I have noticed that I seem to forget that critical word that I need to convey an idea during conversations. If a little THC might correct that problem, I would be willing to give it a try, if it were legal. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

The resveratrol found in red wine raises VEGF in small doses which is neuroprotective, however in large doses it lowers VEGF which is associated with AD (though lowering VEGF can be helpful to treat or prevent certain cancers). Cannabidinol certainly has some positive studies behind it backing claims of its neuroprotective properties. Nevertheless, if one really wants to protect against Alzheimer's disease, most of the research points towards HUPERZINE A, CURCUMIN, GREEN TEA, and yes GINKGO BILOBA (despite the recent study which found no effect on AD ~ there are still many other studies that show positive effects) as the most effective natural means of protection against the dreaded disease. Ken, N. D. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

Bullshit. As much as I would like to believe that we've found the "fountains of youth," the fact remains that with most diseases the pathology is extremely complicated and not "amenable" to simple cures. One would think mankind had cured heart disease and cancer from reading grant proposals and articles in lay journals. [ Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment ]

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For dedicated couch potatoes, it sounds almost too good to be true. A drug inspired by red wine could allow them to eat as much junk food as they like without putting on a pound. It could also provide the benefits of exercise without moving a muscle. And if that were not enough, the pill - which mimics the action of resveratrol, the 'wonder ingredient' in red wine - may also prevent diabetes. The man-made drug, which is known only as SRT1720, fools the body into thinking food is scarce and it has to burn off fat to survive. The brainchild of scientists at

Firm Sirtris, the drug exploits the healthy qualities of resveratrol, a chemical found in grape skins. Previous studies have endowed resveratrol with the ability to ward off a host of ills, from old age to heart disease, cancer, obesity and Alzheimer's disease. Sirtris has already developed a concentrated form of resveratrol in a pill. However, the new drug could be even more powerful and have fewer side-effects. David Sinclair, co-founder of Sirtris, which is now owned by Glaxo-SmithKline, said recently. 'The excitement here is that we are not talking about red wine any more. We are talking about real drugs.' In experiments, mice given SRT1720 didn't gain an ounce, despite being fed fatty foods. Blood tests suggested they were also protected against diabetes. The treated animals also had more stamina and were able to run twice as far. However, they had to be forced to exercise. Left to their own devices, they would move around less than normal, the journal Cell Metabolism reports. The drug is made up of chemicals that affect the body in a similar way to resveratrol. Both resveratrol and the new drug trigger a protein called SIRT1 that plays a key role in regulating the body's supply of energy. The result is that the body burns off its fat stores, even when food is plentiful. Researcher Professor Johan Auwerx, of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in

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It's About Time. Great Recipes for Everyday Life," the first book from award-winning Boston chef Michael Schlow, is filled with sophisticated recipes that are surprisingly easy for cooks at home to pull off.

This brisket is good home cooking at its finest. It is one of those ultimate comfort foods -- everyone around the table will feel safe and secure when they taste it. All is good in the world tonight. The recipe can be prepared several days ahead, and the brisket freezes beautifully. It's nice to have things like this tucked away for those days when you really don't feel like cooking. Serve it with just about anything. potato puree, buttered noodles, more vegetables. When slicing meats, always try to cut across the grain of the meat, and remember to let the meat rest a few minutes (or more) before you slice into it. Why? As meats finish roasting, their juices are rolling around like boiling water in a pot. After the meat rests briefly, the juices cool and settle into place, attached to the strands of protein in the meat. If you let meats rest after cooking, the juices will not leak out onto the counter when the meat is sliced. They will stay put, making the meat more flavorful, juicy and tender. Note. Choose a pan with high sides for this recipe. It must be deep enough to hold the brisket, the vegetables, and the sauce. You also have to remember where you stashed the lid to the pan, or you can cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Ingredients.

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil 1 large brisket (3 to 4 pounds) trimmed of excess fat Salt and pepper ½ clove garlic, thinly sliced 1 onion, cut into medium dice 1 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced ¼ inch thick 1 stalk celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 3 tablespoons butter ½ cup flour 2 cups red wine 28 ounces canned Italian peeled tomatoes 2 cups chicken stock 1 cup quartered large button mushrooms Directions. Preheat oven to 300° F. Put the olive oil in a roasting pan or a large, ovenproof sauté pan and place over high heat. Season brisket generously with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, gently sear the meat on all sides until good and golden brown. Remove meat from the pan and set aside on serving platter. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, and celery to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, still on high heat. Add the rosemary and a bit more salt and pepper. Add the butter and cook until melted. Lower the heat to medium and sprinkle in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the red wine, raise the heat to high, and cook for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan so the ingredients do not stick. Add the tomatoes, crushing them a bit with your hands -- yes your hands -- as you put them into the pan. Add the chicken stock and the quartered button mushrooms, and stir everything around the pan. Return the brisket to the pan and cover with the lid or aluminum foil. Place in the oven and braise gently for 2 to 3 hours, checking occasionally to make sure the liquid is not boiling. The meat should be very tender, almost "falling off the bone," and the sauce will have thickened slightly. Turn off the heat, but leave the pan undisturbed inside the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the meat to a cutting board, slice across the grain into thin slices, and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with the sauce and vegetables from the pan and serve.

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drinking red wine, but not white wine, may reduce lung cancer risk, especially among current and ex-smokers, new research indicates.

People who had ever smoked and who drank at least a glass of red wine daily were 60 percent less like to develop lung cancer than ever-smokers who didn't drink alcohol, Dr. Chun Chao of Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena and colleagues found.

But white wine didn't reduce risk, suggesting it could be compounds contained in red wine, such as resveratrol and flavonoids, rather than the healthier lifestyle associated with wine drinking, that may be protective, the researchers say.

After accounting for the influence of age, education, income, exposure to second-hand smoke, body weight, and other relevant factors, the researchers found that lung cancer risk steadily decreased with red wine drinking, with a 2 percent drop seen with each additional glass of red wine a man drank per month. No other type of alcoholic beverage, including white wine, was associated with lung cancer risk.

For men who were heavy smokers, the reduction in risk was greater, with a 4 percent lower likelihood of developing lung cancer seen for each glass of red wine consumed per month.

Research has shown that wine drinkers may have healthier lifestyles and tend to have more education and higher income than non-wine drinkers, the researchers note. But the fact that reduced lung cancer risk was seen only with red wine, not white, "lends support to a causal association for red wine and suggests that compounds that are present at high concentrations in red wine but not in white wine, beer or liquors may be protective against lung carcinogenesis," Chao and her team say.

I've been drinking wine for more than 30% of my life at this point, taking notes on wine for ten years, and writing this blog for five, but despite that fact, it's not exactly common for me to be able to say with certainty that I've tasted every vintage of a particular wine made by any one winery. Even those wineries whose inaugural vintages debuted since Vinography became a going concern I am generally not able to taste their wines with regularity every single year. But there are a few wineries whose wines I have been buying and tasting since. continue reading

One of the great pleasures of wine appreciation will always be the process of tasting the wine of a single winery over a very long span of time. Tracking the products of a winery's labor over the years can be remarkably rewarding regardless of whether the experience is one of consistency, or of progress and change. I've only had the pleasure of tasting the last two vintages of wine from a little family winery in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Despite my recent introduction to Cooper Mountain Vineyards, I can almost taste the twenty years that came before this, their 20th vintage.. continue reading

The best known and highest quality wines of the world continue to get more expensive over time. This is a function of the increasing value of their brands, the increasing recognition of the regions they are grown in, and the rising demand for top tier wines. These price and popularity gains filter down from the most well known wines to those that are slightly less well known, producing the aggregate effect of price increases in most of the world's famous wine regions, at least for the wines that represent the upper end of the regions production. As a result, regions. continue reading

There are more legends, stories, fairytales, and fables than anyone could count which all involve some guy up on a mountainside somewhere. Sometimes a hermit, sometimes a wizard, sometimes a troll -- sometimes just an old man who went to sleep under a tree for a long, long time. No matter what the story, there's always something a little different about the guy on the mountain, something that is both scary and alluring at the same time. Stu Smith might be living out yet another version of one of these tales. The fact that Stu sports a big gray and. continue reading

One of the things I love about the wine world is the way in which it rewards people with vision, initiative, talent, and above all, passion. I find it magical that someone can fall in love with wine, and decide that the most important thing for them to do for the rest of their lives is to make wine, and then actually make a living following that passion. Maybe the same thing happens in a lot of industries, but you just don't hear such stories about accounting. Or maybe we only ever hear about the success stories in the wine. continue reading

I'm not entirely sure why some of the best wines in the world are made by people who are more than a little crazy, but there are enough wacko winemakers out there to make it clear that the connection between great wine and reclusive eccentrics is more than mere coincidence. Even more telling are the number of these "eno savants" (to perhaps coin a phrase) that live in Friuli, in northeast Italy. Once upon a time, there was no Italy, there was only the river Isonzo, winding its way down out of the Alps towards the Adriatic sea. From the. continue reading

To paraphrase Shakespeare, there are wineries that are born great, those that achieve greatness, and those that have greatness thrust upon them. To explain. some fantastic wineries are started by people who are superstars already, and it hardly seems to matter what they do -- these properties are destined for success. Some top wineries seem to come from nowhere, and indeed have greatness thrust upon them, when out of the blue, their wine scores highly somewhere and they are vaulted from obscurity to fame. The majority of the best wineries in the world, however, fall into Malvolio's second category through. continue reading

The wine industry spends a lot of time and energy fighting for the attention of global consumers. In particular, they've tried hard to market seasonally to consumers, but they just can't quite compete with the likes of Oktoberfest for beer drinkers. The best that the wine industry has been able to come up with sends even the most tolerant wine lovers running for cover every November, as the rollout of Beaujolais Nouveau reaches ever more spectacular heights of commercial bling. It would be one thing if the wine was even somewhat drinkable. But these days, what passes for Beaujolais Nouveau. continue reading

We don't have a Cru classification in California (we just have mailing lists and release prices) but there are a few vineyards in the state that would most certainly be at the top of the list. Their names are well known to those wine lovers who can afford the generally expensive wines they produce, and one of them is unquestionably the Hirsch Vineyard. First planted in 1980 by farmer David Hirsch, the Hirsch Vineyard is located on the mountain ridges above the northern California town of Fort Ross at 1500 feet above the ocean surface and 3.5 miles as the. continue reading

One of the greatest experiences that a wine lover can encounter is a wine that stops them in their tracks. I'll admit that I'm excitable in general, but there's nothing that gets me quite so giddy as a schoolboy as when I stumble across a wine that truly bowls me over. Such wines are the closest I get anymore to the emotions of that first passionate kiss in a new relationship -- they electrify me. While the world slows down to a crawl around me, all I want to do is stick my nose in the glass and inhale slowly.. continue reading

As you likely know, I make it my business to keep my eye on new California wineries, especially in Napa and Sonoma, as much as I can given the fact that I do a lot of other things besides write about wine. Whenever possible, I like to taste the first releases from these wineries. They are not always fantastic - some are good, some show potential, and some simply need to be written off as first efforts and retried again later. That's the thing about wines, just because they're not good now, that doesn't mean they won't be later, and,. continue reading

Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa! I've come down to the Cape Winelands to dive deep into South African wine in a way that isn't possible in the United States. In most wine stores I'm lucky to find a handful of South African wines at most, and forget about restaurants, which often just have a single representative wine on their list, if anything at all. So I'm here under the imposing shadow of Table Mountain to attend Cape Wine 08, the biannual South African wine convention -- their equivalent of VinItaly or VinExpo. I'll be visiting a few wine producers,. continue reading

One of the greatest, though imminently forgivable, crimes perpetrated by a large number of even the most knowledgeable wine lovers consists of the tendency to consume great wines before they have had the opportunity to fully develop. Sometimes referred to as "infanticide," this practice varies in its levels of extremity depending on the category of wine. In my opinion, perhaps the most slighted of all categories in this respect is California Pinot Noir. While it may not have the aging potential of Burgundy (though we don't really know for sure -- no one has been making really serious Pinot Noir. continue reading

There's something really cool about seeing a young winery start to hit its stride. I've only seen a few newborn calves and foals in their first moments after birth as they learn to use their spindly legs, but it's hard not to feel a sense of pride when after a few minutes, they go galloping around in circles. I was first introduced to Gargiulo Vineyards at a wine bar in San Francisco a couple of years ago. I just happened to stop by for a drink, and April Gargiulo was on hand, pouring what was then her family's second release. continue reading

From the late 1800's to the first half of the twentieth century California represented a land of opportunity for many. In Northern California, this potential seems to have been realized in particular by Italian immigrants who settled North of San Francisco in great numbers, founding small towns up the coast and in the inland valleys. Drive Highway 1, Highway 12, Highway 116, and the Bohemian Highway North of the city and you'll pass old barns and homesteads, country stores, and several Italian restaurants that have been operating continuously since at least the Thirties. That these fiercely determined immigrants met with. continue reading

In the Silicon Valley, business incubation is quite common -- larger companies often provide financial, operations, and moral support to smaller companies that they themselves have started, or outside start-ups that they believe have a good potential for success. This practice has become so normal that some companies have established entire business models based on incubation. Incubation has also become common in the wine industry, where the costs of all the equipment and supplies required to make wine can be an extreme barrier to entry, and a source of extremely high overhead for those who do take the plunge. Just. continue reading

Heritage plays out in many ways in the Napa Valley. There are only a few remaining families that have been farming in the valley since Prohibition, and even those that have tenures lasting more than three decades are increasingly being supplanted by new blood or corporate interests. Some of those families that have left the valley after decades often move on to other enterprises after cashing out on their vineyard investments. However, it's tough to abandon Napa Valley once you've lived and loved there for so long. Winemaker Justin Meyer moved his family to the Anderson Valley in 1999 after. continue reading

Good wine is rarely made by accident. So much can go wrong in the winemaking process that to get something that isn't complete dreck is a triumph, and those who are capable of creating fantastic wines are, despite their modesty and common protestations of "just letting nature take her course," truly talented artisans. While wines, and great wines in particular, are made with incredible forethought and planning, sometimes wine labels can spring up overnight as the result of an opportune conversation or new friendship. Such is the case with this wine, which may be the first and only vintage under. continue reading

Formulaic is an adjective that is often leveled at some of California's top boutique wines and their winemaking. As if when you finally manage to afford all the components required to make a high-end wine, that somehow you just throw them together and, "poof" you've got yourself a $300, 94 point superstar. This stereotype is especially convenient for those who can't afford to drink such wines. I should know. I still can't afford to drink such wines, and while I've learned better now, about 10 years ago I believed that the only thing special about big name wines was how. continue reading

Some people seem to get into the wine business through sheer determination. After years of saving, scraping, dreaming and planning, vineyard or winery ownership is the fulfillment of many people's long held (if not hard earned) fantasies. And then there are those people who somehow seem destined for it -- people whose stories you hear and you think, how on Earth did you manage not to do this earlier? If Stephen Singer was going to fall into one of these categories it would most certainly be the latter. In 2003 he became the proprietor of a small winery called Baker. continue reading

It's hard to believe that in the early 1990's less than 100 acres of vineyards were planted in Chile's Casablanca valley. In little more than two decades, this region of Chile has surged in growth and popularity, and is currently producing excellent wines that generally represent fantastic values on the world market. The region is currently home to more than 10,000 acres of vineyards. Back when the grape acreage was still in the triple digits Agustin Huneeus decided that the Casablanca valley was one of Chile's most promising wine regions, and that he needed to start making wine there. Not. continue reading

There are those in the wine world who seek out (and often pay for) the best possible advice they can get. Winemaking and winegrowing are sciences as much as they are arts, and these days, there are plenty of experts to be had in both arenas. And then there are those in the wine world that no matter what the scientists, experts, and even their friends say, choose to follow their instincts. Call them pig-headed, call them eccentric, call them iconoclasts, there are certain people that will always walk their own paths when it comes to wine. Jim Dierberg seems. continue reading

I make it my business to keep my eye on new California wineries, especially in Napa and Sonoma, as much as I can given the fact that I do a lot of other things besides write about wine. Whenever possible, I like to taste the first releases from these wineries. They are not always fantastic - some are good, some show potential, and some simply need to be written off as first efforts and retried again later. That's the thing about wines, just because they're not good now, that doesn't mean they won't be later, and, of course, vice versa.. continue reading

Barry Schuler may know a thing or two about running multi-billion dollar technology companies, but what he really wants to talk about, given the chance, is food and wine. The former CEO of AOL, Schuler often gets credited along with Steve Case (who preceded Schuler as CEO) for the company's success in the late Nineties. But while his colleagues and most of America's top technology executives were returning home at the end of their long days to comfortable suburbs near major metropolitan areas, at the end of the week Schuler was making his way back to Napa, California. Schuler may. continue reading

While often referred to as a single "place" when it comes to wine, Napa is hardly a single monolithic growing region. Each of its 14 established AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) lays claim to a separate identity, characterized by geology, microclimate, and different histories of production. The Oakville AVA has one of the most storied of such histories. It is home to the famed To Kalon Vineyard, purchased by H. W. Crabb in 1868, shortly after the installation of a railroad stop made the tiny village of Oakville spring to life. In 1876 Crabb's neighbor John Benson bottled his inaugural vintage of. continue reading

If one were to speculate on the wine market as a savvy investor might in the small-cap stock market, the game would be the same. follow people you know with good track records. In the wine world, we'd also have to include a corollary about betting on great vineyard sites, but leaving aside the raw materials, it's clear that most good wines don't happen by accident. They're made by talented people. Finding talented people in Napa isn't hard at first. There are a lot of them, many of whom have big brand names. When they start working for a winery,. continue reading

Three years ago this week I was making my way around the top restaurants of Buenos Aires, ordering too much food, too much wine, and having a grand old time. I had come to Argentina, in addition to simply relax, to find out whether or not there was anything worth drinking made out of a grape called Malbec. The answer, of course, was a resounding "yes!" I managed to figure out why some serious wine lovers (and critics alike) had begun to quietly suggest that Argentinean Malbec was going to be the Next Big Thing. This wine was NOT one. continue reading

In some ways, if Mark Neal and his small winery, Neal Family Vineyards, didn't make fantastic wines, it would be cause for extreme concern. Neal has been working in the vineyards since the age of eight, and his family business, which was responsible for his early employment among the vines, has been managing many of Napa's finest vineyards for more than four decades. At this point, Jack Neal and Sons, which still carries the name of Mark's father, who passed away in 1994, is the single largest vineyard management company in Napa according to Neal. They manage well over us. continue reading

The Loire Valley is perhaps one of the most underrated and unexplored (by most Americans) wine producing regions in France. So often eclipsed by the bombast of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone, if it is known at all, the Loire tends to be known for its famous Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre. Yet the region, which is the largest white wine producing region in France, and the third largest winegrowing appellation (AOC) in the country, also produces many excellent red wines, chiefly from Cabernet Franc. The most dominating feature of the Loire Valley must be the river itself, France's longest and. continue reading

As Paul Draper was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame a couple of weeks ago in a ceremony at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, his acceptance speech offered a simple exhortation to members of the wine industry in attendance. make great wines for yourself and for no one else. His suggestion that winemakers follow their own vision instead of chasing the critics or the appeal of the masses (though he did acknowledge that selling wine is important, too) was backed up by the quite confidence of a man who has been doing that for more than. continue reading

Do you want to know a little secret? I'm probably going to catch hell for telling you, especially from my friend Jack who served this wine to me, and who let me in on the secret in the first place. But he should know better than to tell a blogger anything. So here goes. Pre-1980 California Cabernets are some of the best buys in the wine world right now. Sure, some of them, especially pristine bottlings of reserve Beringer, BV, Heitz, or Stags' Leap wines are going for hundreds of dollars per bottle, but with a little effort you can. continue reading

Napa has a way of turning modest dreams into major productions. Lou Kapcsándy and his wife Bobbie decided to retire to Napa mostly out of nostalgia for the picnics and wine tasting they used to do as a young married couple living in Sausalito. Forty years after the first of these romantic escapes, their retirement dream included only a little cottage with at most an acre or so of vines, so Lou could putter in the garage and make a barrel or two of wine from his backyard fruit. Three years after the family, including their son Louis, made the. continue reading

People travel all sorts of roads to get to Napa Valley. Napa is a refuge for those who can afford to pay for their dreams (with both time and money), and is therefore a place that many choose to reincarnate themselves as winemakers or winery owners after quite storied careers elsewhere. It is also a place that some families begin new legacies for their younger generations. The Swanson family comes to wine, rather uniquely, through what some might consider the antithesis of Napa's California cuisine. frozen TV dinners. Yes, Swanson Frozen TV Dinners. If that four word phrase doesn't ring. continue reading

I never cease to be amazed at the power of Zinfandel. At the last major Pinot Tasting in San Francisco, I thought to myself that maybe, just maybe, Pinot Noir had unseated Zinfandel as the most exciting grape for the Bay Area wine drinking public. But who was I kidding. I simply just didn't remember the extent of the reveling hordes that descend on San Francisco's Fort Mason Center for the event known as ZAP. When I emerged for a breath of fresh air from the trade and media portion of the tasting, the line to get in to the. continue reading

I wish I knew how many wineries in Napa started as "just a guy who decided he wanted to make wine one day." There must be dozens of them. Maybe hundreds. These numbers shouldn't be allowed to devalue the effort and vision it takes to create a successful winery, but sometimes I scratch my head in bemusement at the audacity of so many people who simply decide to throw their lives into the wine business. While we don't really hear about the ones that don't make it, there are enough of them that have become wildly successful that "the guy. continue reading

The phrase "wine country" generally evokes a wide variety of mental images, largely derived from each person's individual experience in such landscapes. My mental image is most certainly the golden hills of Sonoma County from my summers spent as a child in Northern California, followed closely by the lush green hills of Tuscany in the springtime. I'd venture to say one of the least common pictures of wine country would be a tiny volcanic island, growing grapes within a stone's throw of the Mediterranean and interspersed with geysers and mud baths. Leaving aside the coincidence that Napa valley has its. continue reading

I don't know who said it, but in the last few years I've heard it uttered that the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is quite possibly the most underrated wine growing region in California. I'm not sure if I'm confident or encyclopedic enough in my knowledge of California wine to affirm that statement, but in my experience there's definitely something to that claim. The winegrowers and winemakers of the Santa Cruz mountains suffer from the same obscurity that a lot of winemakers in other AVAs do throughout the state, simply by virtue of not being in Napa or Sonoma. I also. continue reading

The generosity and collegiality of wine lovers remains one of the tiny miracles of wine for me. I am constantly impressed by the willingness to share their treasures that bonds so many lovers of wine together. Some people seem to get a particular joy from providing others the opportunity to try wines that they would not normally be able to enjoy. In my experience, one should always have a policy of providing friends with the chance to share their best bottles with someone who appreciates them. It's an important service, and one that I'm proud to perform. I happen to. continue reading

To say some wines need no introduction is both a truism and also a disservice. There are indeed some wines, that through hard-won success, have built themselves into a globally recognized brands. These wines have names so well known that they can become synonymous with luxury, greatness, or even a type of grape. Yet the power of a brand also means that many people only know it superficially, sometimes even second hand. Caymus Vineyards may need no introduction, because the phrase "Caymus Cabernet" is legendary at this point. Like Silver Oak, Caymus is a name that will be instantly recognized. continue reading

There are some California appellations that need no introduction, others that will ring a bell for experienced wine lovers, and only a select few that nine out of ten people will likely never have heard of. Up until a few years ago, the Yorkville Highlands was one such appellation. These days, it's hard to tell whether it still languishes in obscurity or is gradually making its name known to lovers of California wine. Every time I meet a winemaker or winery marketing person from the area, however, after telling me where their grapes are grown, they always briefly pause,. continue reading

There are several tiers of wines that can legitimately and confidently wear the name tag. HELLO MY NAME IS. Cult Napa Cabernet at any party they happen to attend. The top tier is populated by Screaming Eagle, a single wine that practically invented the phrase "cult Cabernet." Below the hysterically unattainable pricing and scarcity of the Eagle, however, there are several wines which clearly deserve the moniker, and which tend to get consumed a bit more often, if only because in doing so, a wine lover isn't drinking a the equivalent of a San Francisco monthly mortgage payment. That's not. continue reading

The Northern California wine scene is like a giant spreading metropolis. I think I read a few days ago that a building over 20 stories is completed in Shanghai every 12 days or something crazy like that. Northern California wine country is experiencing its own boom of expansion, and wineries big and small are popping up all over. One of my greatest joys is looking through the nooks, crannies, and back-alleyways of this boomtown for brand new wines that have a great future ahead of them. While the search is fun, finding them can be exhilarating -- an adjective that. continue reading

Like many wine lovers, I enjoy exploring the wine regions of the world from the comfort of my own kitchen table. Night after night I open a bottle or two and experience little bits and pieces of the world -- snapshots of places and times captured in flavors and colors and aromas. Some of these explorations don't offer much return on the investment. There's a lot of wine out there, and much of it is below ordinary in quality, especially from wine regions that often carry labels such as "up and coming." I take extra care and effort to try. continue reading

Lots of people I know have a "house wine" -- some bottle that they buy in much larger quantities than any other wine and also consume in much larger quantities. A house wine is the inexpensive, drink-with-anything, because-I'd-just-like-a-glass, it-doesn't-matter-if-I-don't-finish-the-bottle, what-goes-with-day-old-pizza wine. In my opinion, every wine loving household should have one. For a lot of people this is clearly the place that Two Buck Chuck holds in their kitchen. I personally prefer to spend between ten and fifteen dollars on my house wine, and I'm constantly picking up random bottles at that price point just to see when I'm going. continue reading

It shows a particular breed of idiocy that the American public has turned its nose up at a grape as the result of a flippant line in a clever but unremarkable movie. While we have thousands of Americans who now hate Merlot, there are still thousands more who think nothing of throwing down a couple of thousand dollars for a bottle of Petrus after a winning streak in Vegas. I'm also willing to bet that there's a good portion of that latter crowd who don't even know that they're drinking Merlot. Those of us whose wine tastes aren't easily swayed. continue reading

Once upon a time, I went to Argentina looking for the good wine. Frankly I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about when it came to Malbec. Most of the ones I had tasted here in the US were mediocre. Only a select few rose to the level of excellent, and none to the level of amazing. Yet there was a long stream of proclamations from various people (you know, the ones whose opinions "count" when it comes to such things) that Argentinean Malbec was the next greatest thing. Scratching my head, I traipsed off to Argentina looking for. continue reading

You can often tell just how much someone loves Napa wine from their familiarity with the sub-appellations or American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) that divide the larger Napa Valley into select, smaller sections. Many consumers have heard of the Stag's Leap District, and possible Rutherford or Oakville, but there are more than ten other AVAs in the Napa Valley. AVAs are not enough for some people, however, especially those that pursue the most expensive and difficult to acquire wines of Napa. Discussions of the finer points of these wines rarely begin with appellations or AVAs. Instead they invoke individual vineyards. continue reading

When I think of Italy as a wine producing country, I tend to think to think of it as ancient. It is the home of thousands of indigenous varieties of grapes, and people have been making wine for centuries, sometimes in the very same spot for dozens of generations. This is certainly true in many of the most established and famous of Italy's wine regions. What I tend to forget is that there are other wine regions which are relatively new, in which the standards for what is good and what is not are still being defined by every new. continue reading

All of us wine lovers inevitably discover, in the course of our explorations, our own secret wineries. These are the wines that we hold close to our chest, revealing them to those with whom we share only our choicest of morsels, which often include such things as parking spaces, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and great movies and books. As I'm in the business of sharing great wine with readers all the time, I can't really afford to hold much back. But I'd be lying if I told you I had reviewed or written about all my most favorite wineries around the world.. continue reading

I'm a sucker for curmudgeons and iconoclasts in the world of wine. Perhaps these eccentric winemakers play into my romantic notions of the mystery of wine, which I pray never to lose despite my increasingly rational and commercial view of the wine industry. There's just something seductive about a winemaker who does things his own way no matter what anyone says. Joseph Roty's family has been making wine in roughly the same spot in Burgundy for 11 generations, which means that they've had plenty of time to settle into their own ways of doing things. While some winemaking families can. continue reading

Napa is increasingly the province of large established wineries with pedigrees that are as long as either their mailing lists or the lines at their tasting rooms on summer weekends. This, of course, is not exactly a fantastic thing, especially when it is accompanied by rising prices for wines bearing the appellation designation. Luckily, as in many other places around the country, Napa is also seeing a resurgence of small, family-run vineyards. The rise of such vineyards alongside the consolidation and increasing corporatization of the wine industry may at first be counterintuitive. How is it that both can be happening. continue reading

I'm ashamed of the city I live in. Really. I'm normally so proud at the wine sophistication of San Franciscans. Collectively we support dozens of great wine stores that carry an amazing range of wines, hundreds of restaurants with corkage policies, and we provide a home base for some of the best wine tasting events in the country. So imagine my surprise when I walked into a very large and very prominent wine store (which shall remain nameless) today looking for a bottle of Washington State Cabernet, and there were only two extremely inexpensive ones on offer. That's not what. continue reading

Winemaking is often a family affair, especially in Europe where the wine often simply carries the family name and where it is made, sometimes for centuries. The winemaking family tradition is alive and well in the United States as well, and just as in Europe it is not at all unusual for the reigns of the winery to be passed from father to son, generation to generation. Of course, that transition between generations is not like a passing a volleyball, or handing off a relay baton. Sure there's a point at which the older generation steps back into "retirement" but. continue reading

It's not every day that I get to tell the majority of the wine world that they're dead wrong, so forgive me if I savor this a little. There is a widespread belief in critical circles that California Pinot Noir does not age well. Like all blanket stereotypes there is some truth to this, especially among those wines that are made in the lush fruit-driven style that is popular these days. And furthermore it may be true that California Pinot Noir can't age as long as Burgundy can (though we're about a decade away from even being able to put. continue reading

So let's say you're a winemaker. You have a winery in Napa. You've been making Cabernet for maybe 50 years. You've made a lot of it. You've won a lot of awards. You made more Cabernet. You've made so much Cabernet, in fact, for so many years that your name is nearly synonymous with Napa Cabernet. What happens, then, when one day you decide that you want to make Pinot Noir? In 2001 Chuck Wagner, proprietor of Caymus Vineyards faced this precise problem. Caymus Pinot just doesn't quite roll off the tongue like Caymus Cab, now does it? To be. continue reading

It seems to me that as people get older, especially those who we might consider accomplished and successful, they might feel a bit more license to lighten up or to stir the pot, having already proven themselves a bit to the world. I certainly plan on being a bit more frivolous, eccentric, and quirky if I can afford to in my old age. Napa is filled with a generation of winemakers that could easily rest on their laurels. Over the past thirty years, this group of men and women have created an industry, and most have made their own fortunes.. continue reading

I find out about the wines I review here on Vinography in a lot of different ways. Most common are the large tastings that I attend regularly. I also try to go tasting in wine country whenever I can, making special efforts to stop by new wineries or those to which I've never been. Of course, I also get sent a lot of wine in the mail, from people known and unknown, and I do my share of reading wine magazines. This particular wine, however, I discovered long before it was even harvested and bottled for the first time.. continue reading

Some wineries are small because they are new. Some wineries are small because they simply can't be successful enough to get any bigger. And then there are some wineries that are small by choice. Small because that is the only size that makes sense to them. Such wineries are some of my favorites because they are usually the product of interesting people with interesting stories, strong feelings and philosophies, and a commitment to some specific vision for what wine is. Oh yeah. Sometimes they also make great wines. Dover Canyon Winery in Paso Robles is the deliberately small creation of. continue reading

Visitors to Napa Valley, even those on their first trip, have a hard time missing the Grgich Hills winery, which sits prominently on the west side of Highway 29, its flower beds almost pushed right up against the edge of the blacktop. Of course, when the winery was established in the late 1970s there was a lot less traffic on that same highway, and founder Miljenko "Mike" Grgich was a young man. But despite his youth, this Croatian-born immigrant did not lack for experience or acclaim. Indeed, it was partly based on his success as the winemaker for the us. continue reading

There's a whole new generation of winemakers in California that is only just now starting to become visible to the general public. This group of talented young vintners and their small labels have remained well below most people's radar for two primary reasons. they generally only make a very small amount of wine and many are only winemakers at night and on the weekends -- the rest of the time they have day jobs. That's right, you may be sitting one cube away from a boutique winemaker and not even know it. McPrice Myers didn't get his start as a. continue reading

Some people seem to get into the wine business through sheer determination. After years of saving, scraping, dreaming and planning, vineyard or winery ownership is the fulfillment of many people's long held (if not hard earned) fantasies. And then there are those people who somehow seem destined for it -- people whose stories you hear and you think, how on Earth did you manage not to do this earlier? If Stephen Singer was going to fall into one of these categories it would most certainly be the latter. In 2003 he became the proprietor of a small winery called Baker. continue reading

Who wouldn't want to shop around at this bake sale, especially if there were free samples of everything? I joined nearly 1000 winemakers, restaurateurs, and retailers this past weekend at Premiere Napa Valley, the event which the Napa Valley Vintners Association affectionately refers to as their bake sale. As opposed to Auction Napa Valley, an event whose sole purpose is to raise money for charity, Premiere is a combination of celebration and fundraiser for the Vintners Association. Premiere also happens to be the ultimate Napa insider event -- a place where winemakers and some of their best customers get to. continue reading

I can't tell you how many times I've heard friends say "I can't really afford French wine." Even after I suggest that there are plenty of French wines under twenty bucks, they're still liable to complain that they can't really afford "good French wine." Whenever I have that conversation I find myself wishing I had a backpack full of wines from the Languedoc handy. I'd whip out a bottle and a corkscrew like a gunslinger from the wild west and set them straight once and for all. The Languedoc has been the historical home to most of France's low-end table. continue reading

There are only a few people who wake up one morning after a long professional career and decide that they want to become cabinetmakers. In fact there may be less than a few. But there's something about the pull and the passion of wine that inspires people every day to quit their jobs, or come out of retirement, and become winemakers. It used to be that most of these people had been harboring lifelong dreams of making wine, and after a lot of hard work and savings, they bought an estate in Napa or Sonoma and set about living a. continue reading

You wouldn't believe the sort of stuff I get in the mail. Consumers are blissfully ignorant of the incredible amount of marketing dollars spent to push wines, not at everyday people, but specifically at journalists. In the last couple of years I've gained a certain amount of visibility in the wine world, and as a result, I receive a pretty steady stream of heavy boxes with "Adult Signature Required. 21 Years or older" stickers on them. Many of these simply contain a few bottles of wine and a letter from a winemaker urging me to try them. But many of. continue reading

There's Napa and then there's Napa. For a lot of wine consumers, this four letter word is just synonymous with high quality California wine. For the slightly better informed the word might conjure up images of the broad valley alongside of Highway 29. Those who truly know Napa, however, will tell you that unless you're talking about the Town of Napa, Napa is not one place it is many different places. This phenomenon is not uncommon amongst the world's bigger appellations, and here in the US we've got some of the biggest. Napa is a name that is draped over. continue reading

Alsace, the oft-contested and much-coveted skinny strip of land between northeastern France and its neighbor Germany is an odd and unique place. Like several other such zones around the world, it has been a part of so many different countries and empires that it enjoys a sort of twilight zone atmosphere, where place names reflect one language, spoken words another, and family histories often both or none of the above. Alsace is also a unique landscape sculpted by both rivers and volcanic events, but bearing the unmistakable and essential traces of a more ancient geological past as the bottom of. continue reading

People have asked me many times if I ever think about making wine. Its something that I would love to do eventually, if only for the opportunity to learn a lot of things about wine that just can't be learned from books or purchased bottles. I'm sure I'd also appreciate good wine even more after struggling to make something passably mediocre in my first attempt. Eventually I know I will need to make wine because, honestly, how can I sit here and criticize the efforts of winemakers without knowing what they go through? This lack of hands-on knowledge must. continue reading

I will never be able to taste all the wines out there, no matter how hard I try, just as I'll never be able to travel to all the places I want to go in the world. Wine offers a landscape of exploration seemingly as varied as the world around us, and just as likely to offer up surprises and treasures to those who are intent enough, or lucky enough, to find them. Great wines sometimes just sneak up on you. They are like precious gems, or veins of gold. Many of the main sources are well known and consistently. continue reading

Most of the wine that arrives on my doorstep does so predictably. I get a call or an e-mail from some PR or marketing person who wants to know if I take samples, I explain my policy, and then a week later I get a box with some bottles and some technical datasheets and depending on the quality of the wine, maybe a refrigerator magnet or two (if you know what I mean. This bottle of wine, however, arrived most unexpectedly, and mysteriously. As opposed to the usual UPS delivery, it arrived via a special international courier service, with no. continue reading

We all have those special bottles. These are bottles of fluid that is somehow more than wine -- a miraculous mix of wine and memory that are created in some of life's most fantastic moments. This is one of those bottles. Early on in my relationship with Ruth -- the Spring of 2003 -- we took a trip to Tuscany. It was one of those perfect vacations that most people dream about. Perfect weather, fantastic food, gorgeous scenery, you name it. It was an early test of our relationship, and the beginning of her love affair with wine. At that. continue reading

Wine, when at its most triumphant and expressive, nearly defies description. Some people speak of "perfect wines" which is always a problematic moniker, because the appreciation of wine is always contextual and always subjective. But there are some wines that have a magic to them -- from the instant they touch your lips to the residual memories that linger for days after their consumption. These wines bafflingly seem to be more than the sum of their parts, as if someone added two and three and got six -- they shine brighter and deeper than it seems possible for a simple. continue reading

As many of you know, one of my favorite things about the way the wine world works today is how anyone can get their hands on excellent fruit and make great wines without even having a winery or vineyard of their own. These boutique estateless wineries are now quite common, and some of them are making some pretty incredible wine. I've been hearing about Eric Sussman for quite some time. His winery, Radio Coteau is not only a perfect example of this sort of winemaking operation, it seems to be founded precisely to capitalize on the potential that exists for. continue reading

I first learned about Arista Winery late last year when I had the opportunity to taste what the winery called it's "first commercial release." They had made some wines before, under different ownership and with different fruit, but the winery had recently been revamped, and its owners were aiming for a fresh start. And quite a start they got. Their initial wines were excellent across the board, and their new tasting room, set back among the oaks and rock outcroppings in the rolling hills near Healdsburg, was stunning. The winery has just released its "second" vintage under the new ownership. continue reading

There are endless stories of winemakers (and those who dream of becoming winemakers) spending their careers and lives waiting for the chance to finally buy a piece of land in Napa and start their own label. Markus and Liz Bokisch did just the opposite. It wasn't necessarily that they wanted to flee Napa. Markus was having a fine time as a viticulturalist working for Joseph Phelps, and in particular in his role on what Phelps called the "Le Mistral" program. Markus' job was to scour Northern California for out of the way growing areas planted with old vines bearing Grenache,. continue reading

Every good wine has a story behind it. I've never found one that doesn't. Sometimes it takes some work to find the story, but it's always there. In addition to loving to drink wine, these stories are what keep me coming back to favorite bottles and seeking out new ones. Once upon a time, there was a guy named Mark Carter. He liked to build stuff and to drink wine. We'll come back to the wine in a minute, but as far as building things goes, Mark, in particular, liked old Victorian homes. He grew up in one, and spent. continue reading

There's something really cool about seeing a young winery start to hit its stride. I've only seen a few newborn calves and foals in their first moments after birth as they learn to use their spindly legs, but it's hard not to feel a sense of pride when after a few minutes, they go galloping around in circles. I feel the same way after my recent tasting of current releases from Gargiulo vineyards. They're starting to make some very good stuff. I was first introduced to Gargiulo at a wine bar in San Francisco a couple of years ago. I. continue reading

Ask anyone in the wine business, or any serious wine snob what the top five most salient "issues" are in the world of wine and chances are good that somewhere in those top five will be some variation on rising alcohol levels. That wines are getting more potent worldwide is an unassailable fact. Since the 1970s (a time when alcohol levels remained pretty much unchanged from their historical values for the past century) the average potency of wines has risen several percentage points. That doesn't sound like much, but when you look at it in relative terms for some wines,. continue reading

I learn things drinking wine all the time, and some of what I learn is even the sort of stuff that I missed in history class. For instance, I had no idea that at one time Sicily was a part of the Islamic empire of that ruled north Africa for a few centuries. But here we have a wine, and a lovely one at that, whose name "Furat" speaks volumes of history. Asad ibn al Furat was a Mesopotamian, but emigrated to what is now Tunisia in the beginning of the 9th century. He distinguished himself as a religious scholar. continue reading

Why people still argue about global warming is beyond me. The only proof I need are folks like the Inuit, whose boots are now squelching mud where permafrost used to be, and the grape growers of France's Southern Rhone whose weather is getting much less volatile and quite a bit warmer. Most American wine drinkers, even those who consider themselves wine aficionados can't be bothered to keep track of the historically variable weather and subsequent harvest quality in the winegrowing regions of France. Heck, I read all about it, but I can't always remember half the time whether it was. continue reading

On our recent trip to Mendoza, Argentina, we visited and tasted wines at a number of wineries that the locals referred to as "renovated." I've forgotten the specific term in Spanish, but they were referring to the increasingly common practice of new owners re-opening long shuttered wineries in the area. New owners (occasionally descendents of the original founders) were reviving old vineyards, remodeling or rebuilding old winery facilities, and generally building on the shoulders of a huge, vibrant wine industry that dried up around the same time that Prohibition was putting the final nail in the coffin of a similarly. continue reading

Today is Wine Blogging Wednesday. What's that you say? It's actually Friday? Listen, don't ask me why, all of a sudden, we're being asked to blog about wine together at the end of the week. I just work here. Today represents a collision of two blogging phenomena on the web. The original food blogging collaborative Is My Blog Burning, and the wine tasting event which was inspired by this event, Wine Blogging Wednesday. Jointly celebrating Wine Blogging Wednesday #21 and Is My Blog Burning #26 as the Fabulous Favorites Festival today, wine bloggers are being asked to cook and blog,. continue reading

I love the experience of gradually getting to know an new wine region. The more wines I have from Long Island, the more intrigued I am. Many of them are not great, which is typical of emerging wine regions, but every once in a while, you get a wine that shows the promise of a place, and the dedication and hard work of the folks who believe in it. New York has played host to vineyards for about as long as European's have tried to live there. At first, European vine varieties were planted on the island of Manhattan itself,. continue reading

I've been wanting to try Chinese wine for a year or so, as I've followed the increasing growth of the Chinese wine industry and the growing popularity of wine in China. On a business trip to LA a couple of weeks ago, I happened to eat a rushed meal at the bar in a restaurant with an extensive by-the-glass list, and what should appear on one of the pages but this little gem. When I placed my order, the bartender raised his eyebrow, and said "Oh, adventurous, aren't you?" I don't normally take that as an encouraging sign, but I. continue reading

Anyone who has ever visited the far Northeast of Italy knows that things get a little wonky up there when it comes to languages, geography, and political affiliations. One town will speak perfect Italian, and you'll find risotto on every table and then a few kilometers away, another town will speak German and serve you knockwurst. Such diversity is actually quite entertaining and makes for a really interesting variety of food and, as luck would have it, wine, too. At the broadest level, the winemaking region of Northeast Italy is known as Friuli, which along with the Trentino Alto-Adige is. continue reading

Wine is so gorgeously shareable. Bottles just beg to be drunk not by a single pair of lips but by many, and one of my favorite things to do is pop a cork when friends come over. Many of my friends are not wine collectors in any sense, and I have most of them trained to bring flowers or dessert so I can have an opportunity to share a nice bottle with them. Some of my friends who also happen to be winemakers on the other hand, tend to bring special bottles themselves, and should we ever take the time. continue reading

The Sierra foothills is one of California's most under explored, and perhaps, underappreciated winegrowing regions. The Sierra Foothills AVA (American Viticultural Area) is the third largest appellation in California after the Central Coast, and the North Coast. It encompasses entirely the AVAs of Shenandoah Valley, El Dorado, Fair Play, Fiddletown, and North Yuba, and overlaps with Amador and Lodi. In other countries in the world, the foothills of major mountain ranges are often the primary and most famous winegrowing regions, but in California they take a back seat to some of the valleys. Certainly Napa and Sonoma are more consistent. continue reading

There is a whole class of wines in Napa and Sonoma that represent dreams in the process of being realized. These small efforts are usually what I like to call "estateless" wineries. Such wineries are the work usually of one or two individuals (surprisingly often a husband and wife team) who have made tentative but substantial steps towards a goal of becoming winemakers. Often, these people are doing this work in addition to their day jobs -- sourcing fruit after hours and on the weekends, taking classes in winemaking in the evenings, requesting a couple of extra days off work. continue reading

One of the things I love about being a wine lover is the connection that can be made between more academic and intellectual learnings about wine (names of varietals, appellations, winemakers, techniques) and personal sensory experiences. We wine lovers, with enough practice and attention, can literally taste what we have learned over time. One of the things that most interests me is the transformation and expression of a place over time. I won't get into a deep contemplation of terroir here, but leave the discussion at a simpler place. it's delightful to taste the evolution of a wine region --. continue reading

I like underdogs -- the scrappy runts of the litter that have to struggle to survive, the desperately pitiful teams that make up in spunk what they lack in talent. I also have a soft spot in my heart for those folks who are stubbornly persistent in the face of lousy odds and prevailing common sense stacked against them. This may be part of the reason that, despite never really having one that I've enjoyed, I keep trying Pinotage whenever I get the chance. Pinotage is the sort of red-headed stepchild of the wine grape world, brought into the world. continue reading

I'll just get this off my chest right away. Most California Sangiovese is crap. I'm convinced that this is a really difficult climate to grow it in -- while California may be a Mediterranean climate we just don't really cut it when it comes to Tuscan varietals. The few places that I think it might be reasonably to grow Sangiovese -- Amador County or Lodi -- have a history with other Italian varietals such as Barbera, but very few people, it seems, have tried to grow Sangiovese. All of this by way of saying that anyone who tries to do. continue reading

I remember a time not too long ago when I wasn't really convinced that New Zealand could grow good Pinot Noir. This wasn't because the Kiwis weren't making some stunning examples of this varietal, it was because most of what I had encountered up until that point was fairly crap -- green, woody, simplistic Pinots that didn't have the depth or complexity that I was looking for. But I continued to hear from People Who Know that there was some good stuff out there, so I kept looking. Then one day I had some wines from Central Otago, and. continue reading

Even though it's the middle of January, and the rest of the country, and much of the Northern Hemisphere is still coated with snow (the ski season is probably at its peak right now) it is Spring in Northern California. The hills are greening, some species of Magnolia are blossoming, and mushrooms are popping up on the forest floors as the rains become more intermittent and we start to get days of sunshine. Mushrooms aren't the only things popping up, seemingly out of nowhere. So are new wine labels. Many are new ventures by new people, but occasionally a label. continue reading

It's always exciting for me to try new wines from brand new wineries, and its doubly exciting when the wines are actually good. Lots of people spend an awful lot of time and money creating wineries in Napa or Sonoma and end up with wines that are barely noticeable in the sea of average wines available from the region. If the inaugural release of wines from Arista Winery weren't noticed, it certainly wasn't because they were average. I guarantee that while you might not have heard of this Sonoma winery, if you enjoy Pinot Noir you will hear about them. continue reading

Like the rest of the world, at least those who venture beyond the section of the wine shelves marked "California" with any regularity, most of what I drink and have tried from New Zealand is Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. They are unquestionably the two varietals that have had the most success. I have also had some excellent Pinot Gris and Riesling from that area of the world, and have tried a Zinfandel, which was not that great, and a Syrah, which was decent and spoke of some potential, and a fair number of Merlots, which almost without exception were. continue reading

It's not often that I come across Hungarian wines at all, especially given my very low tolerance for dessert wines. Hungary is, of course, famous for its Tokaji dessert wines, whose sugar levels are measured in puttonyos or "buckets" of sugar. My last occasion to review a Hungarian wine turned Vinography into an instant destination for wine-loving Hungarians, who arrived in droves with suggestions, praise, and travel tips after a Hungarian internet news site picked up my review. I may be potentially opening the floodgates again with this review, but I can hardly help myself from reviewing this stunning wine. continue reading

I'm not convinced entirely that Australia is a great place for Cabernet. I've had some pretty solid Cabernet/Shiraz blends from Down Under, but it is rare that I find a pure Cabernet wine that I think stands on its own. Much of the time they have a green, vegetal characteristic and very bitter tannins which, though they might mellow with ten years in the cellar, make them downright unpleasant to drink on release. How surprised I was, then, to come across this little gem of a wine, which was not only decent, but also a steal. Jim Barry is. continue reading

There are some people that are popular. Then there are some people that are celebrities. And then there are people that hold such a legendary status in culture that it is sometimes hard to describe what they have become. Not being someone prone to follow cults of personality, these people and those who worship them are a mystery to me. I've never understood, for instance, the Princess Diana following. Likewise, it is also hard for me to understand how Marilyn Monroe continues to capture the imagination of our culture. Perhaps this will fade over time, as fewer and fewer people. continue reading

Better late than never, isn't that what they say? I attended the Pinot on The River event over a month ago (October 20-30, 2005), but my schedule has prevented me from writing anything up about it until now. If only I didn't have to work for a living. In any case, here's my report from what continues to be one of California's best wine tasting events. Last year's event, the debut of this weekend festival of Pinot Noir held in the sleepy town of Guerneville on the Russian River, was a joy to attend. Fabulous weather, a low key atmosphere,. continue reading

We all occasionally buy wine by the label. While I imagine that there are a few complete wine snobs out there who only drink four or five different wines whose names everyone knows, pretty much anyone who is curious about wine has at one time or another shrugged their shoulders and reached for that strange bottle on the shelf just because, well, it looked interesting. What would happen if scores of people all over the world went out to their local grocery stores and wine shops to buy a bottle, with the only criteria being that they had to select. continue reading

The continued evolution of the global wine marketplace has made many things possible for many people. Small regional wineries that couldn't survive, let alone exist twenty years ago are now thriving because there are folks out there like me and you that are looking for just the type of wines they are producing. Likewise, the proliferation of estateless wineries (bonded, licensed wineries that own no land and may even rent their winemaking facilities) has exploded in California in particular. Finally, a relatively recent phenomenon for California and the US (though old news to the negociants in France) has surfaced in. continue reading

I've been of the opinion for a while that Malbec, while a noble grape, and a valuable contributor (albeit in smaller and smaller amounts these days) to the great wines of Bordeaux is really not a grape that makes exceptional wine on its own. I've voiced that opinion here on Vinography several times, to a raft of criticism from my readers and suggestions left and right of different Malbecs to try. I have diligently tried many of them, and I'm sorry folks, I still wasn't impressed. However, I don't lightly dismiss wines on a categorical basis, and certainly not before. continue reading

The more young winery owners I meet, the more I keep hearing the line "If you had asked me six years ago if I were going to be making wine right now, I would have laughed in your face." It's amazing how many people seem to accidentally fall into making wine. And I say that without any trace of sarcasm. I really do keep meeting people who tell me stories that make it clear that they've just sort of found their way there. The journeys that they relay seem to to have an aspect in common, that I have a. continue reading

Something special, in my opinion is going on in the hills to the east of Salinas. Calera Wine Company sits atop Mount Harlan on the east side of Highway 101 about halfway between Salinas and Soledad in the Central Coast appellation of California. Formerly the site of an ancient limestone quarry (hence the name Calera, which means "lime kiln" in Spanish) the winery was established in 1974 by Josh Jensen with the intent to make primarily Pinot Noir in the classic Burgundian style. Having worked more than a few harvests for producers like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domain Dujac,. continue reading

I've said more than once how energized I am by the new wineries that seem to be popping up every month or so throughout the state. Like mushrooms on the forest floor after a nice rain, they seem to appear out of nowhere. Many of them are small family operations or even estateless wineries, but regardless of the form, they are usually the result of someone's dream, and so I'm always excited to hear about them. It's hard to get any more brand new than Baldassari Family Vineyards and this Syrah. They are a brand new winery, this is their. continue reading

Grenache has basically been disregarded for the last century," said Robert M. Parker, Jr. on his recent visit to Napa where he conducted a tasting of 14 examples of the varietal with several dozen wine lovers at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena. The second annual guided tasting hosted by Parker to benefit a scholarship fund in his name to the recently opened Rudd Center for Wine Studies at the CIA, the event was an opportunity for Parker to talk about and taste some of the finest examples he knows of a varietal that he counts among his. continue reading

It seems like my friends who are serious wine drinkers and even winemakers are strictly divided on Grenache. Some think it's the next big thing, while others could really take it or leave it. Sure, they'll drink a nice Gigondas every once in a while, or a good crisp rose, but they don't understand what all the fuss is about. If I had to fall into one of those camps, I'm probably in the former, rather than the latter. I happen to like the tart acidity and berry flavors of Grenache, and I especially like it when it's not turned. continue reading

I think I've really started to fall in love with the wines of Vacqueyras, in the Southern Rhone. I haven't quite gotten to the point where I can spell the name of the appellation without carefully checking twice to make sure I've got my "q" and "y" in the right places, but the more of it I drink the more I want to drink. If you catch my meaning. Perhaps the crown jewel of this tiny appellation that sits nestled against it's much larger and more famous (though not much easier to spell) neighbor Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux. continue reading

So let's say you're a winemaker. You have a winery. You've been making Cabernet for maybe 50 years. You've made a lot of it. You've won a lot of awards. You made more Cabernet. You've made so much Cabernet, for so many years that your name is nearly synonymous with Napa Cabernet. What happens, then, when one day you want to make Pinot Noir? In 2001 Chuck Wagner faced this precise problem. Caymus Pinot just doesn't quite roll off the tongue like Caymus Cab, now does it? In reality the owner and winemaker for Caymus Vineyards has always had a. continue reading

If you you take all the Pinot Noir winegrowing regions of the world and you subtract out all that are in Europe, and likewise all that are on the west coast of the United States, what are you left with? Quite a few places, really, but all of them might be lumped together in a flight of fancy under the name "New New World." Call them up-and-coming, call them fringe, call them frontiers of winemaking -- it was from these regions that bloggers around the Internet were instructed to select a wine for Wine Blogging Wednesday 14, hosted by Jens. continue reading

There still are bits of authentic Napa valley tucked into the side valleys and nooks and crannies of a valley that is increasingly dominated by grand architecture, big companies, and industrial size wine facilities. Invariably these last bastions of down-to-earth winemaking and hospitality are hold outs -- families that have been there for decades and who still cling to their family land, working it as they always have done, refusing to sell out to the suits that come knocking. It's odd that St. Helena, arguably the yuppie epicenter of the valley should play host to more than a few of. continue reading

I always admire winemakers who have a singular dedication to a particular varietal and I'm always excited to try their wines whenever I come across them. If, after decades of drinking and making wine, a winemaker forswears all other types of grapes but one, you've got to believe there's something special about that relationship. Larry Brooks is one of those winemakers, and his Campion Vineyards Pinot Noirs are some of the more exciting and original wines in California right now in my opinion. When I hosted a "Small is Beautiful" wine dinner at Manresa recently and needed a small production. continue reading

This wine review is my entry for this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday, the global online wine tasting event where bloggers all over the world drink and review a wine based on a theme chosen by the host. This month, which I predict will be the most popular month in the event's history, is hosted by the charming Clotilde of Chocolate Zucchini For this month's theme, she has chosen Like Wine For Chocolate, encouraging us all to select wines to drink with chocolate cake. Look at that guy over there on the right. Doesn't he look like he could use. continue reading

The Languedoc wine region of southeast France that straddles the bottom of a the better known region of Provence produces more wine than any other area of France by volume. Most of it never makes it to the USA, and much of it never even makes it to the table of French wine drinkers, at least the discerning ones. Most of the production goes to what we would call "jug wine" here in the US, and what generally passes here at Vinography for "crap wine." To dismiss the Languedoc on that basis, however, would be a grave mistake, as it. continue reading

Brian Loring has shot to prominence in the last 4 years as one of the hottest young winemakers in California. His down to earth approach to wine, access to some of the most revered Pinot Noir fruit in California, casual humor, and some very high scores from the critics have propelled his wines to remarkable popularity in a very short period of time. The wine world discovered Brian Loring only a short time after he discovered his own identity as a closeted winemaker. Brian worked in the retail end of the wine business during and after college and there discovered. continue reading

Most of us are guilty of taking wine too seriously. I know I am at times. Certainly when talking about it and writing about it here. The drinking part is easy, but when it comes to discussing wine, marketing wine, and pouring wine for the public, so many wineries are deadly earnest and often formal. It's hard to remember sometimes that wine should most of all be fun. The folks at Papapietro Perry don't ever seem to forget that. I've tasted their wines at probably 10 different public tastings, and the folks at their table (usually the Perrys or the. continue reading

It's easy for to dismiss big corporate wine producers as makers of industrial products far inferior to what small artisans can make. For the most part, that's true, but some large corporate wineries got that big just because they were successful and were able to grow to meet the demand for their products in the marketplace. Don't get me wrong, I'm no apologist for the corporatization of wine, but I do think sometimes we forget that some big guys started small, and still care about making great wine. Kendall-Jackson, the 9th largest wine producer by sales volume in the USA,. continue reading

Hand-crafted is a term that has been abused by wine marketers and copywriters for a long time, but it still means something, and there are still winemakers who live up to its humble promise. There are a lot of small wineries that could qualify for the use of this descriptor, all at varying sizes, but you don't get much closer to hand crafted than a man, his wife, a friend, 5 barrels and 2186 pounds of Pinot Noir. Nicolette Christopher is a tiny winery started in 2001 by Chris and Nicolette Demetre. Like many small wineries, it represents the realization. continue reading

There's something remarkable about the generosity of wine lovers and collectors. Their willingness to share a bottle, even the most expensive bottle that they have cared for and stored sometimes for decades, often with complete strangers never ceases to fill me with wonder, admiration, and pride. I have the same tendency. We're good folk, us wine lovers. Even the biggest snobs I've met, ones that I can barely stand to be in a room with are perfectly willing, and even excited to pop open a dusty bottle and share it with people they know will appreciate it. I got invited,. continue reading

I drink rosé all year round, but it's awfully nice in the summer (as nearly every wine magazine and newspaper has been telling you for the past three months). And where better to get your rosé than the one appellation that is practically dedicated to it. Coteaux d'Aix en Provence. This area of southern France produces 1.7 million cases of wine each year, a full fifty percent of which are rosé. I don't know any other place in the world that produces that high a percentage of pink wine in their overall output. Perhaps it's because they've always been making. continue reading

If there is one "hot young" wine region in California, it would have to be Paso Robles. For the last few years, wines from this area of the Central Coast have been popping up everywhere, and many of them are meeting with critical acclaim. One of the reasons that new wines keep showing up is that new wineries are starting all over the place. One of the recent additions to scattershot colonization of the vine friendly landscape of Paso Robles is Summerwood Winery. The Summerwood operation is a reincarnation of an existing property and winery that were both completely. continue reading

There's something mysterious about a good Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Not just because the blend of the 13 varietals (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsault, Muscardin, Vaccarese, Picardin, Picpoul, Bourboulenc, Terret Noir, Counoise, Clairette, and Roussanne) is always unknown, but because the flavors are a perfect marriage for me of elegance and rusticity. I've rarely had any California wine that comes close to duplicating the leathery, earthy, and herbal components that integrate with the fruit flavors of these wines. They're among my favorite wines to drink with food because of their soft tannins and good acidity. One can hardly find a better example of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. continue reading

The more Nero d'Avola I have, the more I like it. This earthy old world varietal, native to the island of Sicily, seems to produce wines that are capable of calling one back to an earlier time and atmosphere, filtered with afternoon sunlight and redolent with the smells of fresh coffee, dirt from the fields, and someone's mother's cooking from down the cobblestone streets. True connoisseurs of the varietal will tell you it's pretty hard to get wines that really do that, as they are made by small families in small quantities, even smaller bits of which seem to make. continue reading

As far as Spanish appellations go, Montsant is a bit of a baby -- small and young. Only established in 2001, after being pulled out as a distinct D. O. (Denominacion de Origen) from the larger Tarragona region that surrounds the famous Priorat, Montsant now rings the Priorat, a concentric circle around its famous forbearer, roughly 100 miles south of Barcelona, Spain. The Montsant region is marked by old volcanic slopes of nutrient poor, mineral rich soils covering granite and slate, and little rainfall. The primarily Grenache vines (along with Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Carignan) in the area must. continue reading

During the Gold Rush, when the Italian immigrants came west across the plains and through the rugged mountainous section of the Sierras they named the Desolation Wilderness, their arrival on the gently sloping foothills of Amador County must have seemed a bit like coming home to the old country. Green in the winter, and shining golden in the summer, this section of California is not unlike areas of Northern Tuscany or Piedmont. It's no wonder then, that in addition to settling down to prospect for gold, open up restaurants and stores, and set up family farms that some of. continue reading

I'm sure I'm going to end up on some Homeland Security watch list, or at least on the Republican National Committee blacklist for this but who cares. I'm reviewing a French wine on Independence Day. Consider it an homage to the philosophical underpinnings of our own revolution, a tip-of-the-hat to the ideological impetus behind our eventual independence. In a further obfuscatory and untraditional manner, I've reviewing a Loire wine, but not one of the famous Sauvignon Blanc based wines of the region. Instead I'm reviewing this lovely Cabernet Franc based wine from Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, a small appellation smack-dab in the middle. continue reading

Don't think you'd ever get tired of drinking Pinot Noir? Try tasting 200 of them on a single day. I attended the First Annual Pinot Days Festival in San Francisco last Saturday and I'm still recovering. This festival is actually a long time in coming. Several varietals have had their own trade organizations and tasting events for years (Zinfandel - ZAP, Petite Sirah - P. S. I Love You, Cabernet - The Cabernet Society, Rhone Varietals - Rhone Rangers and Hospice du Rhone, etc.) but Pinot has languished with inattention from a big budget tasting event perspective. No longer. The. continue reading

The only way to start a story about Beringer Winery is. Once Upon A Time, there were two brothers, Frederick and Jacob Beringer. They grew up in Mainz in the Rhine Valley of Germany, and both emigrated to the United States in the late 1800's. Within a few years they had explored as far west as they could get, and recognized the terrain of Napa as being suited for grape growing. In 1876 they founded the Beringer Brothers Winery, which is now the oldest operating winery in Napa Valley. Jacob had worked in the cellars in Germany, and Frederick. continue reading

Burgundy is a confounding place to everyone save its most intense devotees. Broken into hundreds of small village appellations which produce red and white wines of widely varying characteristics and qualities, it can be daunting to find a wine that suits your taste, let alone wines of real distinction. I, like most people, have taken a haphazard path to understanding and appreciating in particular the red Pinot Noir based wines of Burgundy. There are clear benchmarks and icons, some of which I've sampled, like the grand crus of Chambertin or Echezeaux or Romanee Conti, but there are far more stabs. continue reading

What can one say about Gaja? Among wine collectors and wine lovers it is one of the most sought after and prestigious wine labels across Italy and around the world. It is so instantly recognizable as such, that more often than not Gaja is the wine that I see fancy restaurants putting in the front of their wine cases or windows. Charlie Trotters in Chicago, for instance has several jeroboam sized bottles front and center in his restaurant's private dining room. One reason for this celebrity status is that as opposed to the great Chateaux of Bordeaux which produce tens. continue reading

While it's rare to find a winery dedicated to producing wines from a single varietal, it's even more rare to find one that produces a single varietal that ISN'T Pinot Noir. For some reason that grape seems to inspire the cultish, obsessive compulsive instinct in winemakers like none other. How refreshing, then, to encounter the little known wines of Strata Vineyards. Strata is one of those small projects that is becoming more and more common in the Napa valley. a labor of love by highly experienced, talented wine professionals who decided that retirement was boring and there's nothing better. continue reading

If one were to speculate on the wine market as a savvy investor might in the small-cap stock market, the game would be the same. follow people you know with good track records. In the wine world, we'd also have to include a corollary about betting on great vineyard sites, but that's beside my point. What I'm getting at is that good wines don't happen by accident. They're made by talented people, great vineyards sites or a combination of both. So my theory is that most of the time it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to stumble across. continue reading

Like in Egypt, winemaking in Lebanon has a long history, stretching back well before 1000 B. C. Lacking Egypt's well preserved historical records, Lebanon cannot be sure when winemaking began, but records elsewhere show that at least as early as the Phoenician times, Lebanon was a world famous winegrowing region. Slightly more recently the famous temple of Bacchus in the heart of the Bekka valley is a testament to the Greek worship of the wine god in about 200 BC. The Bekka Valley is the heart of Lebanon's winegrowing region. It sits at about 3000 feet above sea level between two. continue reading

From the late 1800's to the first half of the twentieth century California represented a land of opportunity for many. In Northern California, this potential seems to have been realized in particular by Italian immigrants who settled North of San Francisco in great numbers, founding small towns up the coast and in the inland valleys. Drive Highway 1, Highway 12, Highway 116, and the Bohemian Highway North of the city and you'll pass old barns and homesteads, country stores, and several Italian restaurants that have been operating continuously since at least the Thirties. That these fiercely determined immigrants met with. continue reading

As regular readers know, I am very interested in small, family-run wineries. These come in several flavors in the industry, and one of the most interesting to me is the estate-less label -- those wineries who have no permanent physical presence. These types of operations have no vineyards, own no buildings, and sometimes don't even own any equipment. Such wineries are most often the result of someone taking small steps towards their personal dream of being in the wine business, and are often sources for great wines at reasonable prices. Olson Ogden winery is a perfect example of such. continue reading

Mr. Cult Cabernet I presume? Surely you've heard of Screaming Eagle. I tend to use it here at Vinography as more of a metaphor than actually a real wine. It's the us. case production Napa Cabernet made by Heidi Peterson Barrett that sells for $1400 and change at retail. I think I've only ever seen one bottle in my life, and that was a mistake because I don't make enough money to be allowed to see the bottle (they check your tax returns before opening the box at the 3 wine stores in the world that get it). Well someone. continue reading

Old cobblestone streets, waves crashing at the base of limestone cliffs, old women in black shawls sipping espresso in the morning. Ah yes. Sicily. This month's virtual wine tasting event, Wine Blogging Wednesday is all about Sicilian red wine. The Curto family is judged by some to be newcomers in the winemaking trade in Sicily. It's easy to understand why. After all, they've only been making wine since 1670, quite a few hundred years less than some of their neighbors. Just around the time that the town of Charleston (in what would be South Carolina about 100 years later) was. continue reading

I rarely take recommendations from readers, and even then, only from readers that have been regularly e-mailing and commenting on the site for some time. I get a lot of wine suggestions, and I can't spend my time chasing down all of them. In this case though, the person was so insistent and sincere, and on top of that, was able to compare the wine to several that I had reviewed already, that I decided to give it a shot, and I'm glad I did. Located very close to the heart of the Ribero Del Duero region of Spain, Pago. continue reading

As you know, I have a soft spot in my heart for struggling family wineries, those that have grown up in fits and starts powered by the passion, ingenuity, sweat, and tears of normal folks who decide to follow their dream. Mike Officer and his wife Kendall Carlisle, who lends her last name to their Carlisle Winery Vineyards, have lived that story. It's a story that has become almost a cliché over time. young man has his first sip of real wine, falls in love, dreams of making wine, starts making it in his kitchen, then the garage, then. continue reading

I've actually had a number of people tell me something approximating, "I just don't understand what all the fuss is about Bordeaux." I'll admit that early in my wine drinking career I felt much the same. I occasionally went to wine stores and spent twenty or thirty dollars to buy a wine that said Bordeaux on the label and enjoyed it, but without the heavens opening or the ground shaking beneath my feet. What was the big deal? In the last 7 or 8 years as my experience with wine has grown in depth and breath, and my ability to. continue reading

There comes a point in everyone's wine appreciation when they start paying attention to names. Not the names on the bottle, but the names of the winemaker. Just like those foodies who begin sentences with things like, "Did you hear what Alain Ducasse is doing." there are a certain class of wine drinkers (yes, I'm guilty) who closely follow the movements of the men and women behind the wine. Heidi Peterson Barrett has been one of those winemakers with her own special cult following for years. Barrett is perhaps most well known for being the guiding hand behind Screaming Eagle,. continue reading

I have a hard spot in my heart for peacocks. Spending summers with my father in Sonoma County as a kid, we had a neighbor with a bunch of peacocks that would wander over towards our house and hang out in the trees nearby. Beautiful birds? Yes. But they also have an incredibly loud, piercing call that at 5.00 AM makes you wonder what peacock stew tastes like. I recently learned what Peacock wine, er, rather Peacock Family wine tastes like, and we won't hold the bird's reputation against Christopher and Betsy Peacock, because the wine they're making from their. continue reading

I must have driven past Luna Vineyards about a hundred times. As it is right at the start of the Silverado Trail, I've been reluctant to stop on my way to places farther up the valley. Recently, though, I had the opportunity to try this wine and I'm realizing that I may have been missing out on some good wines. Luna Vineyards might be the answer to the proverbial question, "How many high-powered wine industry executives does it take to.er.start a winery?" Luna, started in 1995, is the brain child of George Vare, Mike Moone, and John Kongsgaard, all big-time. continue reading

You know how some wines are so much better because of the memories you have attached to them? Whether it's drinking from the bottle on a beach with your buddies, or the wine that you had on your first date, you tend to remember them, and having them again is like visiting with an old friend. This is definitely one of those wines for me. The story behind it involves a trip I took with Ruth to Italy about 2 years ago, ostensibly for a wedding we were attending, but we squeezed in a couple of weeks in Tuscany beforehand.. continue reading

Not simply content to enjoy standard wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, there are those who seek out the elusive, the exotic, and the backwoods wine varietals. While it is not the driving force in my wine exploration, I always jump at the chance to taste wines made from unheard of grape varieties. I was mighty pleased, then, to participate in this month's Wine Blogging Wednesday, our monthly Internet tasting party that has this month taken the theme of "Obscure Red Varietals." Thanks to Andy over at Spittoon. Biz I've been forced to hunt down something I've never tried. continue reading

Occasionally you come across great wines that clearly show the potential of a region, of a grape, or more likely, the combination of the two. Any number of the wines produced by Torbreck owner and winemaker David Powell could easily set the bar for what Australian Shiraz can do. Powell, originally trained as an accountant, started Torbreck in 1994 after more than 20 years of working in the Australian wine industry. Inspired by his success at nursing ancient Shiraz vines back to life, and convinced of the potential of the Barossa region based on his work in Australia and other. continue reading

In 1950, just after the war, a bushel of peaches was worth more than a case of local wine from Cornas. That didn't stop Alain Voge from making it, though. His family had already been at it for three generations, and Voge, who was just taking over the management of the estate from his father, wasn't about to change things. Indeed, not much ever changes at Domaine Alain Voge, and according to Voge and his wife, along with countless devotees, that is not a bad thing. Voge has been farming the same 14 acres of 50+ year old vines for. continue reading

Domaine du Galet des Papes takes its name from the large galet stones (literally "roller" or large round stones) which lie in piles over the extent of the twenty-some-odd acres farmed by Jean-Luc Mayard and first established before the turn of the century. From the cellars built by his father in 1929, he produces only 3,500 cases of wine. Mayard farms a bunch of small parcels in the Chateauneuf appellation, the youngest of which contains vines with an average age of 50 years. He produces two wines only " the first a traditional Chateauneuf-du-Pape that is about 80% Grenache and. continue reading

If you're a Napa wine drinker, even if you've never heard of Steltzner Vineyards, you have almost assuredly had a wine that in some way has been touched by Dick Steltzner. A third generation Californian, from a farming family, Steltzner originally wanted to leave all that behind and become an artist, and in the early Sixties he was living in St. Helena following his dream. By 1964 though, he was having second thoughts about his chosen path, and in what would be a fateful decision, bought some land in the Stag's Leap district and started growing grapes. Having been acquainted. continue reading

One of the first pieces of news that I related here at Vinography was the announcement by the Wine Spectator that they were rating the 2000 vintage in Piemonte, Italy a perfect 100 points. As I've done my wine shopping over the last year, I've selectively grabbed some 2000 vintage wines and stuck them downstairs to pull out as occasion warrants and try them out. Tonight was just such an occasion. Most of these are not the $150 bottles that one should lay down for a decade, they're more in the $20 to $50 range and are probably best drunk. continue reading

Petite Sirah is a grape that is under the radar of most consumers, and confusing to many more. It is, of course, confused with Syrah to which it is related (being a cross between Syrah and a varietal called Peloursin), and most people have never had a wine made entirely of Petite Syrah (though many have tasted it unknowingly in small amounts in some California red wines). Petite Sirah, it was recently discovered is in fact the same grape known as Durif in the rest of the world. Us crazy Californians decided to plant some of it in the late. continue reading

Sometimes I hesitate to write about wines that are so small in production that they are virtually impossible to get. In this case, however, it is possible to purchase the wine online, so I'm going to go ahead. A mere 100 cases of this wine is extracted from 18 acres of prime Pinot Noir vineyard located at the mouth of the Anderson valley as it opens up to the Mendocino Coast. Known as the Oppenlander Vineyard, it is named after homesteaders with the name Oppenlander, who eked out a living on this property in the 1860's and were so isolated. continue reading

I'm a big fan of progress, and of technology, but I have a soft spot in my heart for winemakers who eschew both and simply say, "Dammit, we're gonna do it the way we've always done it." That is, of course, as long as they make decent wine. Bodegas Muga has been making wine in Rioja since 1932. Kept in the family and built into one of the largest producers in the region, the winery makes its wines in exactly the same way it did in its first year. Muga prides itself on the use of primarily homemade wooden casks. continue reading

This wine is a family project ten years in the making, from the planting of the vineyards to the naming of the first estate produced wine. In 1990 Dan and Gloria Schaefer started planting vines on some heavily terraced land at 1800 feet above sea level in the Mayacamas Mountains, overlooking the Sonoma Valley. They selected the site for its ideal southwestern exposure, and for its soil potential, deemed to be promising, especially considering its famous neighbor, the Monte Rosso vineyard which lies downhill just to the south. Starting with the first vintage, the grapes have been sold to wineries. continue reading

OK. So I bought another wine because of the label. And because I'm into Languedoc wines these days. And because it was imported by Kermit Lynch. But really? I bought it because of the name and the label. You see, I have a thing for Lascaux, the gorgeous cave site that hosts a massive mural of 18,000 year old prehistoric art beautifully preserved into modern times. I've never been there, but some of the figures from the wall, including the small horse which adorns the label of this wine are indelibly etched in my mind. Some day I will make. continue reading

Why should wine lovers constantly be tasting wines, even from wineries that don't make great wines? Because they can, and sometimes do get better. Now I'm not saying you should be going out and buying cases of stuff from wineries whose wines you don't like. But what I am saying is don't write anyone off completely. Case in point. this wine from X Winery up in Napa. Their 2001 Cabernet was one of the first wines I tasted and wrote about after starting Vinography, and frankly I hated it. It was vegetal and tannic and really closed. I was probably. continue reading

Yesterday in San Francisco, thousands of wine drinkers converged on the Fort Mason pavilions in celebration of Zinfandel. Hosted by the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers trade group, the Annual ZAP Festival takes place over several days and culminates in this public tasting which is attended by over 300 winemakers and nearly 100 times that many wine drinkers, journalists, and members of the trade. I go to do one thing and one thing only. find out who's making the best Zinfandel in California so that I (and you, dear reader) can stock the cellar or at least keep watch on. continue reading

It's Wine Blogging Wednesday again, and this month's theme is Wacky Wine Names, hosted and invented by Chez Pim. I toyed with many options for a potential entry to this event, but ultimately, I was strolling through a deli up in Sonoma county when this wine's label caught my eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again. The idea of big ass Cabernet is distinctly Californian, and frankly it's about time someone just put it on the label. If the Old World. continue reading

What is it with scraggly survivor grapes? It seems that the older they get and the more droughts, pestilences, and disasters they have been through, the better wine they make. The way old vines keep working is one of the magic elements of wine for me. I love the notion that I am experiencing the collective history of a particular place. The vines that produced this wine are old vine Tempranillo, anywhere from 70 to 100 years old, and the hardy survivors of the phyloxerra outbreak in the early part of the century that wiped out most of the grapes. continue reading

California's Livermore valley was once the state's largest single wine region. What? You don't remember that time? Well it's hardly your fault that you weren't around in the 1880's. But back then it was a happening place, with wineries springing up everywhere. Some of those wineries (or at least their vineyards) are still around, but most have been demolished to make way for high-tech manufacturing companies, office parks, and the now infamous Lawrence Livermore Labs. Amidst all that buildup, and the suburban sprawl that has grown up around it, however, over the last couple of decades winemakers have been rediscovering. continue reading

For a while I've maintained a strong attraction to the wines of Gigondas, a tiny little appellation tucked into the southern Rhone, and I'm beginning to develop a bit of a crush on its even tinier neighbor, the microscopic town called Vacqueyras. This little 12th century village is situated in the general Cotes-du-Rhone winemaking region, but like a few other small villages in the area, it also has its own appellation with the same name. Vacqueyras is located in the Ouvèze valley just to the west of the Dentelles de Montmirail, whose limestone peaks are the primary geologic feature of. continue reading

One wouldn't necessarily be immediately attracted to a wine that has been dubbed "a bastard blend" yet that is what L'Aventure owner and winemaker Stéphan Asseo affectionately calls this wine. His choice of that nickname is both intentional and meaningful, coming as he does to Paso Robles from 17 vintages as a winemaker in Bordeaux to which he came after having been trained in Macon, Burgundy. Asseo has set down roots in Paso Robles and rather than make wines in the local Rhone style or any of the styles prescribed during his years in France, Asseo has gone about making. continue reading

Since the age of 10, Justin Smith has been growing grapes in the same place in Paso Robles. At that tender young age he was planting grapes on the hillsides and ridges that his family still farms today. He has lived his life on this hard calcerous soil, kicking his feet in the dry dust, and unearthing his share of ancient petrified whale bones from the cement, hard ground, sometimes with the aid of a jackhammer. Wine was in his blood, you might say. Justin, still very young by nearly anyone's standards, started Linne Calodo Cellars in 1997 with a. continue reading

Everyone comes to the wine business from different places and for different reasons. Peter and Betsy Spann describe their entry into the wine business as "a combination of stupidity and bad real estate decisions." Peter had worked in the wine business for years - in retail, wholesale, marketing, you name it - when he and his wine decided to move to the Bay Area for work during the height of the dot. com boom. They couldn't afford to buy a house anywhere near San Francisco and so started looking farther and farther north until they found themselves visiting properties that came. continue reading

I've been curious lately about some of the more fringe appellations of Northern California, such as Lake County. A lot of grapes are being grown there, but not a lot of wine shows up with Lake County as its appellation on the bottle. What does this mean? Mostly that juice from these grapes is being blended in with juice from more "fashionable" appellations by wineries big and small in quantities below the 20% level that would require them to disclose their origin. It's nice, then, to see winemakers like the folks at Tulip Hill making a wine that is 100%. continue reading

OK. Time to trot out another one of the classics from the cellar. I try and review a range of wines here on Vinography (I try to drink a range of wines) and the wines of the last few days represent perhaps two ends of the spectrum I normally travel. Last week saw perhaps one of the best wines for under ten bucks I've ever had, and this wine represents one of the best California Cabernets I've ever had. I'm keeping myself happy, and hope you're learning in the process. Pride Mountain Vineyards is located at one of the oldest. continue reading

Frequent readers will know that I'm a fan of Italian wines, in particular the muscular Sangiovese based reds of Montepulciano and Montalcino in Tuscany. I don't often find a lot of people who are a huge fan of this varietal in its Italian incarnation, as it tends to have dominant earthy and leathery flavors with heavy tannic structures that take years if not decades to mellow out. I break out an occasional Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and some folks edge their way to the end of the table that holds a Syrah or Cabernet, or something with more fruit. With. continue reading

This is it. I've discovered by far the best wine for under ten bucks I've ever had. You think Yellowtail Syrah is a good value? In a street fight, this scrappy Sicilian is going to send Australia packing. Fortunately for us they're probably going to stay far under the radar of most consumers. While it's made by a relatively large wine conglomerate in Italy, they've not yet figured out how to market wines to the US in the same way that the Australians can. Never you mind though. Just go out and buy some. Feudo Arancio is a new winery. continue reading

Say the word Chateauneuf and some wine drinkers will simply swoon. I don't know what it is about this stuff, but it drives some people mad, like Joseph Fiennes walking into a girls school gymnasium. It's tasty stuff, I'll give them that, and when it's well made, you will have a hard time finding a better wine to go with food of all sorts. Part of CNP's mystery is due to the alchemy of its blending, closely guarded secrets by Southern Rhone producers, who are allowed to use something like 14 different varietals according to the rules of the appellation.. continue reading

There are a lot of American celebrities moving into winemaking these days, and their wines are most often accompanied by massive marketing efforts rather than acclaim from the masses, if you know what I mean. However, there are other places in the world where the famous are making wine and at least in one case, doing it quite well. Celler Vall Llach (no that's not a spelling mistake, it's Catalan) was founded in the early Nineties by the Spanish singer Lluis Llach and his friend Enric Costa. They selected a small village named Porrera, one of the nine villages in. continue reading

A while ago, I posted some commentary on a few predictions made by Robert M. Parker, Jr. about the future of the global wine trade. One of my comments which generated a lot of conversation here at Vinography was my comment that while I understood Malbec's prominence as a varietal in Argentina, and its long history of use in Bordeaux, I had actually never had a Malbec that I really liked. Sure I'd had some that were powerful and clearly made with care, but most of them were over-oaked, very tannic, and wholly unbalanced. A number of readers agreed with. continue reading

Martinelli has been a familiar name to be for most of my life, though not always associated with wine. I was born and spent most of my summers in Sonoma county, just down the road from the large Martinelli apple cider production facility. Going most places during the summer, I would pass by the open lots filled with crates of apples, and on more than a few hot days I would find myself drinking their sparkling apple juice. Martinelli has been in the apple and wine business since 1896, making them one of the oldest producers in Sonoma county. Like. continue reading

Every once in a while it's nice to be reminded why Napa Cabs have the mystique of being, well, Napa Cabs. Dalla Valle is certainly one of the progenitors and continued beneficiaries of the cult status accorded to many of the valley's best small producers. Dalla Valle started in 1982 with the purchase of 25 acres of hilltop vineyards and land on the hillsides above Oakville by Gustav Dalla Valle and his wife Naoko. Dalla Valle, an Italian born heir to 175 years of winemaking and winegrowing history in his family as well as the founder of the highly successful. continue reading

It's always a little icky to think that the wine you're drinking is just some marketer's idea of targeting a specific segment or niche in the marketplace. What happened to passionate people coaxing bottled poetry from the earth in the pursuit of something transcendent of mere grapes??? I mean, c'mon, isn't that where we all want our wines to come from? Well there are only so many of those types of wineries and wines, and the reality that's been beaten into everyone in the market these days is that its possible to make perfectly good wine, even excellent wine, under. continue reading

Sicily has been making wine for ages and ages, but it's getting a lot more attention these days as newer winemakers compete to get their wines a broader audience around the world and change their production methods to achieve higher quality. Firriato is a fairly new producer on the island. It was started in 1985 by Salvatore and Vinzia Di Gaetano in northwestern Sicily near Trapani. Things move slower in Sicily, I guess, as their first real production ended up being in 1994. Since their initial vintage, they have scaled their production levels to nearly 500,000 cases. That's a lot. continue reading

Chris Whitcraft is not subtle. "This is the best Pinot Noir in California," he said, as he poured my glass. While I'm not willing to make the same claim, I will say that the wine I tried reflects some of his brash confidence. Thankfully, that confidence is lacking in arrogance, and is just the way that Whitcraft operates -- he's an ordinary guy who is one hundred percent passionate about what he does. If you want to get a sense of his personality, you need go no further than his newsletters, which are honest and lacking in all pretense. Whitcraft. continue reading

In case you hadn't noticed, Oregon Pinot Noir is hot right now. So hot, perhaps, that the folks at R. Stuart & Co. have called it "Big Fire." They could have also called it "Big Fun" and it would have fit within their brand image nicely. This quirky little winery operation/family/company is run by Rob Stuart, a veteran west coast winemaker who is now in his 21st vintage as a winemaker. His most recent stint was at Erath Vineyards but now he's focused on fulfilling his long time love of Pinot Noir by just making it for himself. Along the. continue reading

Here at Vinography I like to explore a broad range of wines available in California and around the world, and it's particularly interesting to compare some. In the last couple of weeks I introduced you to Jim Neal, a struggling, passionate young winemaker who started his career as a chef in wine country, and has now moved out of the kitchen and into the cellar. Today, I'd like to bring you a wine from someone similar in spirit but very different in circumstance. While Michael Chiarello may have struggled in his beginnings as a chef, the point at which he. continue reading

Occasionally I'll just grab something as I'm wandering through a wine store to keep myself fresh - make sure I'm trying out new producers, new regions, new varietals, etc. I'll also grab things that just help broaden my experience with a particular region or a particular type of wine (those things that I like, I usually go back for and they end up in my cellar in varying quantities). I've had more than a few Chateauneuf's but I've had significantly fewer than say, the number of California Zinfandels I've ever tried. So when I remember, I like to grab one. continue reading

This is my entry for WBW3, the third Wine Blogging Wednesday event online, where folks who have blogs all drink and review wines on the same day. This month's event is being hosted by Seattle Bon Vivant, so visit with her in the next couple of days for a complete listing of all the participants. For last month's event, I drank a pricey, critically acclaimed, upper echelon wine. This month I'm doing the opposite. However, I was unable to get my (lazy) hands on a bottle of Yellow Tail Shiraz which is what I wanted to review. I know, I. continue reading

Today I had the pleasure and the fortune to attend Pinot On The River, the first (hopefully annual) festival celebrating Sonoma County's Pinot Noir. To those familiar with the Sonoma Valley it will come as no surprise that this event was both a heck of a lot of fun, and filled with stupendous wines. If you're not so familiar with Sonoma, there are really two important things to know. The first is that unlike its rockstar cousin, the Napa Valley, Sonoma is a lot more laid back. If Napa is a collared shirt tasting experience often with standoffish or disinterested. continue reading

I like to keep it real here. The last couple of weeks has seen me drinking some pretty expensive stuff, to the point that people are sending me e-mails asking me for charitable donations. Not really. But the last thing I want this blog to become is a journal of great wines that most people can't afford. With that in mind I bring you probably the single best supermarket wine available in the States today and unarguably one of the best global wine values anywhere. I've been buying this stuff by the twos and threes in my local grocery store. continue reading

What's life without a little splurging? What's California without a little Cabernet? California cabs put us on the map when it came to wine in the 1980's and they continue to be the most popular and expensive wines made in the US. This wine may be a classic example of both (popular and expensive), and it is most certainly a classic example of the category. Heitz Cellars is one of the original "cult" producers of wine in Napa. So consistent and revered are their wines, that their Cabernet is used by some collectors much like the Dow Jones Industrial Average. continue reading

For the past few months I've been on the prowl to sample a spectrum of what Spain has to offer the world these days in terms of wine. Call it a bit of self education. I've been trolling supermarkets, attending tasting events, and checking out what some of the critics are heaping praises on. This particular wine has gotten a lot of attention as an (albeit on the high end) example of what the region Ribera Del Duero is capable of producing these days. It has also garnered some attention as it is a boutique label that is not attached. continue reading

When I get a chance to write about wines like this, I feel like I am really succeeding in what I wanted to do when I set out on the journey to create Vinography. While I had no (and still don't have) official mission statement detailing what I wanted this site to be, one of my definite goals is to find great wines that aren't well known, that are made by good people, and that won't break the bank. This lovely little Syrah made by the folks at Acorn Winery in Healdsburg is a perfect example of such a wine.. continue reading

As I uncorked this wine and let it aerate a while, as I do with all Sangiovese, something was nagging at me. Where had I heard the name "falcor" before? Was it the name of some fictional soap opera town? No, no, that was Falcon Crest. Even after several glasses, my relaxed mind still could not place it. So it was off to Google I went, and there it was. Of course. Only one of the most important books of my adolescence, and I had managed to forget already. Falcor the Luckdragon is one of the central characters in the. continue reading

Steal this wine. Or at least get it while you can, because it won't last long at this price. But I am getting ahead of myself. What I really should be telling you are all the reasons why this wine is a no-brainer for those who are fans of Napa Merlot, which is most people these days, wine snobs and novices alike. First, and maybe not so important to the consumer who is staring at a bottle on the shelf of a store, the Frias Family is actually a family, and more than that, they're really great folks -- super. continue reading

I love the fact that small families who have been growing grapes for decades are now moving into the winemaking business. I suppose my own interest in smaller production, boutique wines is indicative of the larger market demand which is encouraging these small producers to come forward with their own labels. Regardless of the reason, we all stand to benefit when families like the one behind Mojon's Bench make such a decision. I'm kicking myself now for not cornering the owner and his wife and getting a little more information about them and their history in Sonoma when I had. continue reading

THE BACKGROUND Picture this. the young Robert M. Parker, Jr. has been selling his newsletter, The Wine Advocate for four years with some success. His notion of applying a numeric score to wines is a novel one, and he hasn't exactly hit the big time. As per usual, he makes the pilgrimage to Bordeaux in the spring for the marathon of tastings, and by the end of the year he is a bit of a lone loud voice in the crowd, proclaiming the triumph of the vintage amidst more than a little doubt. Within a relatively short period of time. continue reading

It's almost futile to really try and do justice to Domaine Tempier as a vintner from any perspective -- historical, cultural, oenological. Certainly it's hard to do a better job than Kermit Lynch, the importer who is responsible for bringing their wines to the US and who wrote about them in his wonderful book Adventures on the Wine Route. So, rather than my feeble attempt, let me share with you some of what Lynch has to say about this producer from Bandol, the wine region which takes its name from a little tourist town on the Mediterranean coast. "Domaine Tempier. continue reading

My tastings recorded here tend to wander, and today I've found myself back in the heart of one of the hottest new areas of California viticulture -- Santa Barbara. In particular this area is becoming well known for its Pinot Noir -- thanks to producers like Au Bon Climat, and thanks to vineyard sites like Sanford Benedict and Bien Nacido. This wine fits right in with that high profile crowd, as up until recently it was produced at the Au bon Climat facility, and the grapes often come from the two aforementioned vineyards among others. Hitching Post wines are. continue reading

Here we are at WBW2, the second ever Wine Blogging Wednesday and I'm your host for this episode entitled "Spanish Reds." Today I am posting my entry into this global online tasting event with this wine, and in the next 24 to 36 hours I will provide a recap of the dozens of other bloggers around the world who have each tasted a wine and written about it today. I've decided to drink and write about this wine from Rioja, perhaps Spain's most well known winemaking region. This section of the country, which is about 75 miles long and 35. continue reading

It's not every day you find wine that's endorsed by Leonardo DaVinci. OK, OK, maybe that's pushing it a little. He didn't really endorse this particular wine, but he did enjoy wines from Valtellina enough to include the following note in his Codice Atlantico. "A valley surrounded by tall and terrible mountains, it makes really powerful wines." As if you needed any other reason to seek out the robust reds produced in this corner of the country. Winemaking has been around in this section of Lombardy since the Etruscans were the biggest baddest civilization in the region, and wines from. continue reading

As someone who loves wine, and doesn't really bother to hide that fact, its quite frequent that people bring over a bottle when they come to dinner. I'm always thankful for the gesture, no matter what wine they bring, but I really enjoy it when the wine reflects a thoughtful choice and a good winemaker. I'm sure my eyes lit up when this bottle walked through the door in the hands of some friends who finally made it to dinner after months of schedule jockeying. I've reviewed a couple of Rosenblum wines before, and they generally shine out from the. continue reading

Ruth and I had the pleasure of having dinner at some friends' house this past weekend, and it turns out that the husband's family has been growing grapes for some time just outside of Walla Walla, Washington -- the heart of Washington Cabernet country. Discussion turned to wine, of course, and in particular Cabernets, specifically from a growing region in the area that I had not heard of before. Red Mountain. Our host was kind enough to trot out this wine as a demonstration of the potential and characteristics of the region. I must say I was impressed. It turns. continue reading

More and more winemakers in California seem to be starting small, eponymous labels on the side, which invariably allow them to concentrate on their true passion, whether it be for a particular varietal, style of winemaking, or region of the state. Austin Hope, currently a winemaker for Treana and Liberty School wines, has turned to his own label to pursue his love of the Rhone, specifically Syrah. Austin's family has been farming in Paso Robles for decades, and that seemed a natural place for him to establish his own winery, both because of his three generations of farming history there,. continue reading

As I've mentioned in the last few weeks, I'm trying to drink more Merlot. In the last few years I haven't favored it, and until my recent focus on it, I couldn't remember the last time I had drunk a full glass of it, let alone bought a bottle. So in my quest to bring a little bit more of that varietal here to Vinography, I've returned to a wine that has a certain nostalgic value for me. You see, Markham Merlot was one of the first wines that graduated me out of the "buy a bottle at Safeway" wine. continue reading

Wild Horse was one of the first major commercial vineyards in the Paso Robles area of the Central Coast here in California. Started by Ken Volk in 1982 and purportedly named after the herds of wild horses that roam the hills behind the estate, the winery has grown to be one of the largest and well known producers in the area, at a volume of 140,000 cases. In 2003 it was acquired by Peak Wines International, and became part of a family of wineries that include Geyser Peak. Up until recently I had only had their Pinot Noir, which they. continue reading

Dashe Cellars has the unusual distinction of being one of only a few local Bay Area wineries. They are located next to one of the others (Rosenblum) in a nice facility in Alameda -- hardly the place you'd expect to find a winery. Don't let the relatively urban industrial location fool you, though. Like their neighbors, Dashe Cellars are serious about what they are doing. Dashe is the brain child (love child?) of Michael and Anne Dashe, both accomplished winemakers and enologists with an impressive portfolio of past accomplishments spanning properties like Ridge, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Cloudy Bay, Far Niente,. continue reading

There are a lot of things that go into making up the complexity of flavors in a wine, but none by my judge better than the age of the vines growing the fruit. The effects of vine age were first made starkly real to me on a trip I took to Australia's Hunter Valley. There, in the capable hands of a man whose name and touring company have sadly escaped me, I got a chance to taste through a large, prestigious winery's entire portfolio of Chardonnay and Shiraz in horizontal and vertical tastings stretching back almost 10 years. The ability. continue reading

2005 Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa 2007 Cooper Mountain Vineyards "20th Anniversary Reserve" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2004 Domaine de la Bouissiere Gigondas, France 2003 Smith Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa Two Hands Wine, Barossa, Australia. Current Releases 2002 Bressan "Special Bottling" Pinot Nero, Friuli, Italy 1996 J. Rochioli "West Block" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2006 Jean-Paul Thevenet "Vielles Vignes" Morgon, Beaujolais, France 2006 Williams Selyem "Hirsch Vineyard" Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2004 E. Guigal "Chateau d'Ampuis" Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhone, France

Masuizumi Junmai Daiginjo, Toyama Prefecture Wine. Com Gives Retailers (and Consumers) the Finger 1961 Hospices de Beaune Emile Chandesais, Burgundy Wine Over Time The Better Half of My Palate 1999 Királyudvar "Lapis" Tokaji Furmint, Hungary What's Allowed in Your Wine and Winemaking Why Community Tasting Notes Sites Will Fail Appreciating Wine in Context The Soul vs. The Market 1989 Fiorano Botte 48 Semillion, Italy

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SAN FRANCISCO -- For the first time, scientists have proof in human subjects that a derivative of an ingredient in red wine combats some symptoms of aging. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals announced the results here on Monday at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference. Resveratol, naturally found in red wine, stimulates a gene known as SIRT1, which has been linked with extended lifespans in rodents. The new study is the first time similar effects have been replicated in humans. "We believe that this is the first time that a drug candidate has shown efficacy in a disease of aging by targeting the genes that control aging," said Christoph Westphal, CEO of Sirtris. Sirtris was co-founded by David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School researcher, who discovered SIRT1's role in regulating lifespan. His early work was in yeast, and he later showed that stimulating SIRT1 through a calorie-restricted diet helped animals live longer. Then, Sinclair found resveratol, which stimulates the same gene with results similar to calorie-restriction but without the diet. Resveratrol's effects in mice touched off a storm of excitement among people, including Sinclair, who began taking the drug in its over-the-counter form hoping to extend their lifespans. Sirtris' proprietary formulation of the drug significantly reduced blood sugar in 67 diabetic patients as compared with a placebo group. The results are an important milestone in bringing resveratrol-related drugs to market. The study, however, ran just 28 days and had conservative goals. to measure whether a resveratol formulation called SRT501, which is five times easier for the body to use than naturally occurring resveratol, was safe and had some activity in humans. Getting the drug through the regulatory process will take until at least 2012, the company said. The results partially answer skeptics like Steven Austad, a cellular biologist and longevity researcher at the University of Texas, who expressed doubts about the impact of resveratol in humans to Wired News last year after mouse studies showed longevity gains. "People in the research community tend to think of mice as small little furry humans with long tails, but they're not," Austad said at the time. "We don't know what it will do." Sirtris can now say it does know what SRT501 does, at least for a small number of patients over a short period of time. It works. Patients in the trial were given 2,500 or 5,000 milligrams of the drug in liquid form. Both groups had positive outcomes with no side effects. Westphal said during a question-and-answer session following his presentation at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference that the unusually high doses were necessary because resveratrol is not a very potent molecule. That's why the company is also working with other molecules -- potential drugs -- that are unrelated to resveratrol but also stimulate the SIRT1 gene. Some of the molecules could be up to 1,000 times more potent than resveratrol, he added. Still, SRT501 was effective enough that Sirtris is continuing to push the drug through clinical trials. "Based on the positive results, and the fact that there are a lot of desirable characteristics to SRT501, we've initiated a Phase IIa study combining SRT501 with the most common diabetic drug, metformin," said Westphal. "Those data are back in the second half of this year." Sirtris had an initial public offering of its stock back in May of 2007 and is up 23 percent since that time. Following the clinical trial announcement, the stock gained 1.5 percent in after-hours trading.

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Sales of sparkling wine in the UK are set to increase by more than 20% over the next three years, while red wine purchases will drop by nearly 5%, according to new research.

Ros sales will rise by nearly 50%, white wine sales by over 7%. The findings of the survey, carried out by the International Wine Spirits Record on behalf of Vinexpo, the wine fair held in Bordeaux every two years, paint a remarkably optimistic picture given the general malaise hanging over the UK wine industry and the state of the economy. By volume, wine consumption in the UK is predicted to increase by 6.87%, from 145.1m cases in 2008 to 155m by 2012. By value, the increase is estimated to be 7.25%. The UK will remain the world's biggest wine importer, with imports topping 135.8m cases in 2007. Between 2003 and 2007 wine drinking in the UK increased by 12%. Consumption in the UK will rise to 143.9m cases in 2012, an increase of 5.9%. And although red wine consumption in the UK is expected to fall by 4.57% between 2008 and 2012 (57.2m cases, down from 60m), ros sales should rise by nearly 50%, from 12.5m cases to 18.45m. White wine consumption is also predicted to climb, from 63.7m cases to 68.6, an increase of 7.7%. Vinexpo CEO Robert Beynat said past experience indicated that the recession may not seriously affect wine sales. 'This study was made at the end of last year, when the crisis was not so evident, but even so, we have seen these crises before, and the effect on wine consumption was not so high.' The Italians will overtake France to become the biggest drinkers of wine per capita, at 56.4 litres a head. Iin terms of volume, the US will become the biggest wine-drinking nation by 2012, with 313.8m cases drunk. Globally, wine consumption is expected to increase by 6%, with 2.8bn cases consumed by 2012. Beynat, who attributed the positive figures - especially in white wine - to an emergence of younger wine drinkers, added. 'The world is drinking more, and the world is drinking better. The world will not stop drinking wine.'

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Scientists call it the "French paradox" asociety that, despite consuming food highin cholesterol and saturated fats, has long had low death rates from heart disease. Research has suggested it is the red wine consumed with all that fatty food that may be beneficial and not onlyfor cardiovascular health butin warding off certain tumors and even Alzheimer's disease.

Now, Alzheimer's researchers at UCLA, in collaboration with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, have discovered how red wine may reduce the incidence of the disease. Reporting in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, David Teplow, a UCLA professor of neurology, and colleagues show how naturally occurring compounds in red wine called polyphenols block the formation ofproteins that build the toxic plaques thought to destroy brain cells, and further, how they reduce the toxicity of existing plaques, thus reducing cognitive deterioration.

Polyphenols comprise a chemical class withmore than8,000 members, many of which are found in high concentrations in wine, tea, nuts, berries, cocoa andvarious plants. Pastresearch has suggested that such polyphenols may inhibit or prevent the buildup of toxic fibers composed primarily of twoproteins A40 and A42 that deposit in the brain and form the plaques which have long been associated with Alzheimer's. Until now, however, no one understood the mechanics of how polyphenols worked.

Teplow's lab has been studying how amyloid beta (A) is involved in causing Alzheimer's. In this work, researchers monitored howA40 and A42proteins folded up and stuck to each other to produce aggregates that killed nerve cells in mice. They then treated the proteins with a polyphenol compound extracted from grape seeds. Theydiscovered that polyphenols carried a one-two punch. They blocked the formation of the toxic aggregates ofAand also decreased toxicity when they were combined withA before it was added to brain cells.

The UCLA Department of Neurology encompasses more than a dozen research, clinical and teaching programs. These programs cover brain mapping and neuroimaging, movement disorders, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, neurogenetics, nerve and muscle disorders, epilepsy, neuro-oncology, neurotology, neuropsychology, headaches and migraines, neurorehabilitation, and neurovascular disorders. The department ranks first among its peers nationwide in National Institutes of Health funding. For more information, visit

A substance found in red wine protected mice from the ill effects of obesity and extended their life spans, raising the tantalizing prospect that the compound could do the same for humans and may also help people live longer, healthier lives, researchers reported yesterday. The substance, called resveratrol, enabled mice that were fed a high-calorie, high-fat diet to live normal, active lives despite becoming obese -- the first time any compound has been shown to do that. Tests found that the agent activated a host of genes that protect against aging, essentially neutralizing the adverse effects of the bad diet on the animals' health and longevity.

Although much more work is needed to explore the benefits and safety of the substance, which is sold over the counter as a nutritional supplement, the findings could lead to the long-sought goal of extending the healthy human life span, experts said. Preliminary tests in people are underway."We've been looking for something like this for the last 100,000 years, and maybe it's right around the corner -- a molecule that could be taken in a single pill to delay the diseases of aging and keep you healthier as you grow old," said David A. Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School molecular biologist who led the study. "The potential impact would be huge."The findings triggered excitement among scientists studying aging. They hailed the findings as groundbreaking."This represents a likely major landmark," said Stephen L. Helfand, who studies the molecular genetics of aging at Brown University. "This really pushes the field forward. It's quite exciting."The research, published online by the journal Nature, helps explain a host of observations that have long intrigued researchers, including why French people tend to have fewer heart attacks even though they have high-fat diets and why severely restricting the amount of calories that animals ingest makes them live longer."This gives us hope that the idea of harnessing the power of calorie restriction is not a fantasy and can be brought to reality," said Leonard P. Guarente, who studies the biology of aging at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "This could produce a whole new approach to preventing and treating the diseases of aging."Previous research has shown that laboratory animals fed very-low-calorie diets live significantly longer, which has prompted some people to try arduous "caloric restriction" diets as a possible fountain of youth, even though their effectiveness in humans remains unproven. In the hope of finding a drug that could harness the natural life-extending capabilities activated by caloric restriction, Sinclair and his colleagues identified a number of promising compounds, including resveratrol, which is found in red wine, grape skins, peanuts and other plants. The compound, which increases the activity of enzymes known as sirtuins, prolongs the life span of every organism scientists have tested it on, including yeast, worms, fish and fruit flies. To examine for the first time whether resveratrol could also extend longevity in mammals, Sinclair and his colleagues studied year-old mice, which are the equivalent of middle-aged humans. One-third of the mice were fed a standard diet. Another third ate the equivalent of a junk-food diet -- one very high in calories, with 60 percent of the calories coming from fat. The last third lived on the unhealthful diet combined with resveratrol. After a year, the researchers found that both groups of mice that ate the junk-food diet got fat, and those that did not get any resveratrol experienced a host of health problems, including bloated livers and the early signs of diabetes and heart disease. They tended to die prematurely. But the mice that received resveratrol remained healthy and were about 30 percent less likely to die, living as long as the animals that ate a normal diet and stayed thin. Preliminary results indicate resveratrol increases their life span by about 15 percent, which is the equivalent of adding perhaps about 10 human years. Moreover, the hearts and livers of the animals getting resveratrol looked healthy, the activity of a host of key genes appeared normal, and they showed some of the biological changes triggered by caloric restriction. They also appeared to have a better quality of life, retaining their activity levels and agility."It is really quite amazing," Sinclair said. "The mice were still fat, but they looked just as healthy as the lean animals."The researchers cautioned that the findings should not encourage people to eat badly, thinking resveratrol could make gluttony safe. They also noted that a person would have to drink hundreds of glasses of red wine a day or take megadoses of the commercially available supplements to get the levels given to the mice -- doses that may not be safe. Until human studies are done, no one knows whether the findings apply to people. But the findings indicate that resveratrol or molecules like it could have myriad benefits, and Sinclair has started taking it. Several other researchers on aging said the results tempted them to start using the supplements as well."I'm usually a very cautious person," said Cynthia Kenyon of the University of California at San Francisco. "But I'm seriously thinking about taking resveratrol myself. It seems pretty wonderful."Said Helfand. "I actually told my mother she should take it. I even went out and got her some."The researchers are continuing to study the remaining living mice to gauge all the benefits, as well as other mice fed a normal diet or a calorie-restricted diet along with resveratrol to see whether the substance extends life in non-obese animals. So far the results appear promising, researchers said."This appears to have a lot of potential," said Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute on Aging, which helped conduct and fund the study. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotech company in Cambridge, Mass., that Sinclair helped start and that also helped fund the mouse study, has started testing a version of resveratrol on diabetic humans. Other researchers are studying similar substances to reduce the risk of cancer."For now, we counsel patience," Matt Kaeberlein and Peter S. Rabinovitch of the University of Washington wrote in an article accompanying the study. "Just sit back and relax with a glass of red wine. . . . If you must have a Big Mac, fries and apple pie, we may soon know if you should supersize that resveratrol shake."

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By Steven ReinbergHealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Oct. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Men who drink a moderate amount of red wine may lower their risk of lung cancer, even if they smoke, researchers report.

An antioxidant component in red wine may help to prevent lung cancer," said lead researcher Chun Chao, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation. "The findings provide an impetus for future research to find out if there is something in red wine that may help to either prevent or treat lung cancer."But the researchers cautioned that the findings don't mean that it's OK to smoke. For the study, Chao's group collected data on 84,170 men who participated in the California Men's Health Study. Among these men, the researchers identified 210 cases of lung cancer. The researchers found that there was, on average, a 2 percent lower risk of lung cancer associated with each glass of red wine consumed per month. The greatest reduction was among men who smoked and drank one to two glasses of red wine a day. These men lowered their risk for lung cancer by 60 percent, Chao's group found. The reduction wasn't as pronounced among nonsmokers who drank one to two glasses of red wine a day. And no reduction in risk for lung cancer was associated with white wine, beer or liquor, the researchers said. Despite the findings, Chao warned against thinking that smoking and drinking red wine can actually prevent lung cancer."Men who smoke should stop smoking," she said. "Even men who drink one or two glasses of red wine per day still face a greater risk of lung cancer than do nonsmokers. This study should not be used as an excuse to drink more red wine. Moderation is always the best course."The findings were published in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers amp. Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Dr. Leonard Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society's deputy chief medical officer, doesn't think that one study proves that red wine will protect you from lung cancer."It's an interesting study, and it raises interesting questions about whether or not there is a cancer protective effect in red wine," he said. "It is important that this be looked at further to see if that association holds up."Lichtenfeld noted that there have been previous reports of a benefit of red wine for cancer prevention that didn't pan out. "Before we get overly excited about this, we really need to see these effects replicated," he said."Clearly, we aren't recommending that smokers go out and start consuming large amounts of red wine as a potential protection from getting lung cancer," he added. "There are other research reports that show that any alcohol, including red wine, can increase the risk of other cancers such as breast cancer."More informationFor more on lung cancer, visit the National Cancer Institute.

Red wine may be much more potent than was thought in extending human lifespan, researchers say in a new report that is likely to give impetus to the rapidly growing search for longevitydrugs. The study is based on dosing mice with resveratrol, an ingredient of some red wines. Some scientists are already taking resveratrol in capsule form, but others believe it is far too early to take the drug, especially using wine as its source, until there is better data on its safety andeffectiveness. The report is part of a new wave of interest in drugs that may enhance longevity. On Monday, Sirtris, a startup founded in 2004 to develop drugs with the same effects as resveratrol, completed its sale to GlaxoSmithKline for $720million. Sirtris is seeking to develop drugs that activate protein agents known in people assirtuins. "The upside is so huge that if we are right, the company that dominates the sirtuin space could dominate the pharmaceutical industry and change medicine," Dr. David Sinclair of the Harvard Medical School, a co-founder of the company, saidTuesday.

Serious scientists have long derided the idea of life-extending elixirs, but the door has now been opened to drugs that exploit an ancient biological survival mechanism, that of switching the bodys resources from fertility to tissue maintenance. The improved tissue maintenance seems to extend life by cutting down on the degenerative diseases ofaging. The reflex can be prompted by a faminelike diet, known as caloric restriction, which extends the life of laboratory rodents by up to 30 percent but is far too hard for most people to keep to and in any case has not been proven to work inhumans. Research started nearly 20 years ago by Dr. Leonard Guarente of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed recently that the famine-induced switch to tissue preservation might be triggered by activating the bodys sirtuins. Sinclair, a former student of Guarente, then found in 2003 that sirtuins could be activated by some natural compounds, including resveratrol, previously known as just an ingredient of certain redwines. Sinclairs finding led in several directions. He and others have tested resveratrols effects in mice, mostly at doses far higher than the minuscule amounts in red wine. One of the more spectacular results was obtained last year by Dr. John Auwerx of the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France. He showed that resveratrol could turn plain vanilla, couch-potato mice into champion athletes, making them run twice as far on a treadmill beforecollapsing. The company Sirtris, meanwhile, has been testing resveratrol and other drugs that activate sirtuin. These drugs are small molecules, more stable than resveratrol, and can be given in smaller doses. In April, Sirtris reported that its formulation of resveratrol, called SRT501, reduced glucose levels in diabeticpatients. The company plans to start clinical trials of its resveratrol mimic soon. Sirtriss value to GlaxoSmithKline is presumably that its sirtuin-activating drugs could be used to treat a spectrum of degenerative diseases, like cancer and Alzheimers, if the underlying theory iscorrect. Separately from Sirtriss investigations, a research team led by Tomas A. Prolla and Richard Weindruch, of the University of Wisconsin, reports in the journal PLoS One on Wednesday that resveratrol may be effective in mice and people in much lower doses than previously thought necessary. In earlier studies, like Auwerxs of mice on treadmills, the animals were fed such large amounts of resveratrol that to gain equivalent dosages people would have to drink more than 100 bottles of red wine aday. The Wisconsin scientists used a dose on mice equivalent to just 35 bottles a day. But red wine contains many other resveratrol-like compounds that may also be beneficial. Taking these into account, as well as mices higher metabolic rate, a mere four, five-ounce glasses of wine "starts getting close" to the amount of resveratrol they found effective, Weindruchsaid. Resveratrol can also be obtained in the form of capsules marketed by several companies. Those made by one company, Longevinex, include extracts of red wine and of a Chinese plant called giant knotweed. The Wisconsin researchers conclude that resveratrol can mimic many of the effects of a caloric-restricted diet "at doses that can readily be achieved inhumans." The effectiveness of the low doses was not tested directly, however, but with a DNA chip that measures changes in the activity of genes. The Wisconsin team first defined the pattern of gene activity established in mice on caloric restriction, and then showed that very low doses of resveratrol produced just the samepattern.

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Scientists have found a substance in red wine that is slowing down the aging process in mice. Will it someday lengthen the lives of humans, too? Morley Safer reports. | Share/Embed

Seventeen years ago, 60 Minutes first examined the so-called French paradox, which suggested that the French - despite a high fat diet and high consumption of wine - had a remarkably low incidence of heart disease, compared with Americans. Most researchers agreed that there was something in the wine that offered protection, and a few years later, even the highly cautious federal dietary guidelines say that moderate consumption of red wine can be beneficial. Now, scientists across the country have identified a substance in red wine called resveratrol that they believe might do more than just protect the heart, but could - in very high concentrations - significantly extend life by preventing a number of age related illnesses. If they're right, we all may soon be taking a pill that could give us an extra decade or two of healthy old age.

If the promise holds true, I think this has the chance to change healthcare," Dr. Christoph Westphal tells correspondent Morley Safer. Dr. Westphal says we all may soon be taking a drug that just might beat the clock, a simple pill that could delay the inevitable. "Our goal is to prevent and forestall many of the diseases that strike us as we reach 50, 60, and 70. All with one pill." Asked if he's suggesting that it's some kind of a rejuvenation drug that would turn a 70-year-old into a 35-year-old, Westphal tells Safer, "That might be pretty hard to do. But I think if we're on a train heading one direction, we can slow down that train. I think we can slow down these genes that control the aging process." That quest to put death on hold began in 2003 when Westphal met David Sinclair, a biochemist at Harvard who was studying the genetic components of aging. "Five years ago I met David. And he had shown that you could extend life span in yeast. That’s pretty exciting," Westphal recalls. Yeasts are one thing. Human beings are more complicated. So Sinclair focused on a gene present in almost all life forms. the sirtuin gene. It's normally inactive, but when it is active, Sinclair believes it triggers a survival mechanism that extends life. Convinced that something in nature could activate that gene, Sinclair randomly tested thousands of compounds and got a hit. resveratrol. "When I Googled this resveratrol, I was shocked to find that red wine was the top hit," Sinclair remembers. Red wine is brimming with resveratrol. It is found in high concentrations in the skin of the grape, and seems to play a role in protecting it from invading bacteria and fungi. Sinclair says he was aware of research into red wine and certain health benefits. "I mean, that's why I almost fell off my chair when the link was made. And I thought that this was a potential explanation for the benefits of red wine." Convinced they were on the verge of a major scientific breakthrough, Sinclair and Westphal launched Sirtris, a Cambridge, Mass. research company. They, along with a handful of other cutting-edge biotech companies, are developing resveratrol-based drugs that they believe zero-in on the longevity gene. "The important news here is not that we'd found something in red wine. The important thing is that we passed a milestone where we can now make drugs based on this knowledge and we can potentially slow down aging itself," Sinclair explains. Everyone from plastic surgeons to your friendly snake oil salesman have been promising a ticket to eternal youth for some time, so the prospect of a prescription pill based on red wine that could trigger a longevity gene sounds too good to be true. And yet scientists have actually known for years of one surefire of doing that. stay hungry. "Eating a lot of food turns that off. Dieting, extreme dieting turns it on," Sinclair says. In one experiment, a group of rhesus monkeys is on a major diet. For nearly two decades they have been taking in a good 30 percent fewer calories than their well-fed brothers and sisters. They are the centerpiece of a National Institutes of Health study at the University of Wisconsin on whether or not CR- calorie restriction - makes them healthier and extends their lives. To maintain their sterile environment, the 60 Minutes team had to suit up to visit them with Ricki Colman, the "project leader." The control animals are nearing the end of a typical monkey lifespan, about 27 years, and major differences in their overall health are becoming clear. The skinny monkeys actually look younger, their coats are shinier, and fewer have arthritis. And the chunky monkeys? Many have diabetes, and a significantly higher number have cancer and heart disease. Pound for pound, Colman says the lighter monkeys do better.

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Serves 6With their elegant contoured shape, pears are an attractive dessert. Make a poaching liquid from red wine, which lends the flesh of the fruit its deep ruby color, and add orange rind, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, a whole clove, and a star anise for more aroma. After poaching, leave the pears in the liquid overnight (or for a few days), and the fruit will keep getting darker and fuller flavored. Simmer the syrup into a glaze, garnish with whipped cream or mascarpone, and you have an ideal ending to a hearty winter meal.

1. In a large bowl, combine the water and lemon juice. Peel the pears, keeping the stems intact. Cut a small slice from the base of each pear so the fruits sit without toppling. Drop each one into the water. set aside.2. In a saucepan large enough to hold all the pears, combine the wine, sugar, orange rind, anise, vanilla, clove, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.3. Add the pears. To keep the pears submerged in the poaching liquid, cut a circle of parchment paper the size of the saucepan and set it on the surface of the liquid. Place a small plate on top of the paper so it presses the pears into the liquid.4. Simmer the pears for 25 minutes or until they are tender when pierced with a skewer. They may need 5 to 10 minutes longer if they were not ripe.5. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Leave the fruit to cool completely in the poaching liquid.6. Transfer the pears and their liquid to a large container. Refrigerate for at least several hours and as long as 3 days.7. Strain about one-third of the poaching liquid into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Let the mixture bubble steadily until it reduces to a syrupy glaze, with a consistency like thin honey.8. To serve, place a pear in a shallow bowl and drizzle with the syrup. Add whipped cream or mascarpone.

More news that red wine is good for you. Newsweek reports on some new studies that red wine has powerful effects beyond just being an intoxicant. Tina Peng writes, It's common knowledge that a glass or two of red

A night will do more than enhance a great meal or put you to sleep. it can reduce production of bad cholesterol, boost good cholesterol and reduce blood clotting, all of which will help reduce the risk of heart disease. But recent studies are showing that wine aficionados may also reap even more benefits, from inhibiting tumor development to helping form nerve cells. Here's a roundup of four recent studies that might encourage you to uncork that bottle of merlot. 1. It Can Help Keep You Fit. For senior citizens who are already in shape, moderate alcohol intake can help prevent the development of physical disabilities, according to a new

Study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. . . . But don't take that as a cue to rest easy. the benefits only applied to seniors who were already in good health. Seniors in poor health may already be too close to developing disabilities for the wine to be of much use, researchers said. 2. It May Help Fight Alzheimer's. In animal trials, UCLA researchers found that compounds known as polyphenols, which naturally occur in red wine, can inhibit the development of proteins that deposit in the brain and form the plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. . . . 3. It Boosts Heart-Healthy Omega 3 Levels. Moderate alcohol consumption helps boost the body's omega-3 levels, European researchers report in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. . . . 4. It May Lower

CHICAGOHealth experts have long known that drinking red wine can have such positive benefits as reducing blood vessel damage, lowering the risk of heart attack, and preventing harmful LDL cholesterol from forming. But researchers at the Northwestern University Department of Preventive Medicine have recently found that the consumption of four to six glasses of red wine, most notably at dinner or a family function, may be linked to totally going off on one's mom. According to a study published Monday in The American Journal Of Medicine, a previously unknown ingredient in red wine has been shown to cause a marked improvement of vocal clarity and emotional acuitywhile reducing overall inhibitionafter only four glasses. During routine trials, subjects who imbibed five glasses or more showed a remarkable increase in specific mental functions, such as the ability to recall every time their mothers had been unsupportive of their boyfriends or husbands. A striking reduction in the time needed to translate personal epiphanies into loud, public epiphanies was also noted. "It seems the benefits of red wine consumption are virtually limitless," said Dr. Susan Zheng, lead researcher on the study. "Many were unable to recall a single time their mother had paid more attention to their sister's soccer games than to their starring role in the school play. But after drinking only one bottle of standard Merlot, these participants could not only remember, but could actually sing whole stretches of Annie Get Your Gun, even while sobbing. It's extraordinary." Dr. Zheng explained that the 100 women who participated in the study were split into two groups. One group was seated at the end of a long dinner table and subjected to backhanded compliments about their housekeeping abilities while steadily imbibing 8-ounce glasses of Turning Leaf Cabernet. The other group, a control group, was allowed to celebrate the holidays at home. The positive effects of wine consumption were seen in as little as three hours, with 86 percent of participants showing greater resistance to unsolicited career advice, 77 percent displaying increased mental function in the area of the brain devoted to reminding you why Dad left you in the first place, and 60 percent demonstrating less concern to "play this little happy-happy game anymore." Subsequent tests revealed that, if the wine is consumed prior to dinner or on an empty stomach, the benefits are increased nearly tenfold. "I highly suggest every woman between the ages of 21 and 39 allow a few glasses of wine to be a part of their healthy diet," Dr. Zheng said before pouring herself the remains of an open bottle. "But what do I know. I'm just the lead researcher for an entire team of Northwestern grad students who look to me for the answer because I'm their boss. All my achievements are irrelevant because I never had any kids, right, Mom? Right?" The long-term advantages of red wine consumption have also been noted among the well-adjusted and insightful people of France, where a bottle of claret is a regular part of mealtime from a much earlier age. In a recent survey conducted in the town of Saint-Florentin, researchers were unable to find a single person over the age of 20 who had not already reaped the benefits of letting loose on the soul-sucking banshee who brought you into this world just to torture you with endless comments about your hair and dress.

However, medical experts are quick to point out that red wine is not, in itself, sufficient to promote a healthy psyche. Similar positive effects have been found in other food and drink items, such as White Russians, vodka tonics, Canadian Club whisky with flat ginger ale, and anything served at a wedding. "Thus far, we have been unable to determine any negative effects of increased wine consumption," said Dr. Hugh Van Pelt, also with the Northwestern team. "Some women have reported feelings of nausea and headaches the following morning, but they said these feelings were no worse than the nausea and headaches they felt for the days leading up to the dinner, so the results are inconclusive." The Northwestern team is currently in the process of securing funding to determine what ingredient in bourbon enables one to finally wrestle one's stepfather to the ground.

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Does red wine deserve its reputation as a healthy choice? It has been linked with all sorts of health benefits over the years. the heart, the lungs, prevention of breast cancer, prostate cancer, tooth decay, longevity and just general wellbeing. But can this be true and how can one drink affect so many parts of the body? Our reporter Dr Andrew Rochford uncorks a few reds to investigate the truth. The whole idea that red wine keeps us healthy comes from something called the French Paradox. Scientists noticed that despite a diet loaded with saturated fat, very few French people actually croak it from heart attacks. Just 83 out of 100,000 Frenchmen die from heart disease compared with 230 in the US. The difference? The amount of red wine they drink. Family doctor Philip Norrie is such a red wine advocate and fan that he bought his own vineyard in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. He's also written several books and a thesis on red wine and its health benefits. "We're all going to die from something and what I'm trying to do is delay your death," says Dr Norrie. He says the wine has been used medicinally for over 5000 years for antiseptic (treating wounds, water and preoperative), as a tranquiliser or sedative, and as a hypnotic. This 'wine doctor' is a devoted disciple of red wine he recommends it to many of his patients. Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in Australia. They're triggered by a build-up of plaque in your arteries. So how does red wine help? It contains anti-oxidants, and the most important of these is resveratrol. It keeps your arteries clear of plaque therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. "An anti-oxidant is a thing that stops oxidation. Oxidation is basically rusting, so when we're ageing we're oxidising or degenerating or rusting, so if you can block that process then you get all these health benefits because vascular disease, dementia, diabetes, all these cancers are forms of degeneration or oxidation," says Dr Norrie. So drinking red wine is good for your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and more. But it's important you only drink two standard glasses of wine a day. Anymore and you risk the downsides of excessive alcohol intake. raised blood pressure, potential damage to the heart, liver, kidneys and brain. Over consumption of alcohol can also cause impotence and infertility, while during pregnancy it can damage the foetus. "You've got to get the Goldilocks dose. too much is bad for you and abstinence is bad for you, whereas moderation's good for you," says Dr Norrie. Also, people with high blood pressure, enlarged hearts, liver disease or anyone with a family history of alcohol abuse shouldn't be downing this daily dose. So we've established that red wine is good for us in moderation, but is there any difference in the kind of wine we knock back? Most of us have champagne tastes on a beer budget so is a cask wine as good for you as an expensive bottle of red? Professor Geoff Skurray has the answer. He researches the molecular content of red wine and the ways to increase the medically beneficial compounds in wine for the University of Western Sydney at its Yarramundi winery in Richmond. Using some fancy machinery, the Professor can measure the levels of resveratrol the good compound in different bottles of wine and tell us which one is best. So is there any difference between cheaper wine and the more expensive wine? Actually, yes. According to Professor Skurray "there's much less anti-oxidants in the cheaper wine but you probably drink more of that than the other one so you make up for it." It comes down to the way the wine is made. Cheaper wine doesn't have the rich fruit. You have to have really good fruit that has a lot of colour and anti-oxidants this is what goes into the more expensive wines. Professor Skurray's tests showed a $300 bottle of wine had twice as much resveratrol as a bottle costing about $10, while the cask wine had a quarter of it. But wine lovers shouldn't despair. According to Professor Skurray while the cheaper wines may contain less anti-oxidants, it doesn't mean we have to go without anti-oxidants because there are still health benefits in drinking two glasses of cask wine. So why just red wine? What about the white varieties? It's because red wine is made using the skin and seeds of the grape and that's where all the goodness is. If you're not a wine lover, you might decide to just eat grapes. But you'd have to eat half a kilo a day to get the same amount of resveratrol contained in one glass of wine. Anyway why not make the most of it? It's not often something so nice turns out not to be naughty after all. Great news for wine lovers! Alcoholic recommendations Women. are currently advised to drink no more than two or three units of alcohol per day (one unit = a small glass of wine, half a pint of beer, or one pub measure of spirits). Men. are advised against going above three or four units per day).

Drinking red wine might help you live longer as well. How do we know? Italian scientists fed fish resveratrol and found the little swimmers lived up to 60 percent longer.

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My elderly Junior High School English teacher, Miss Gimpel, introduced me to haiku. I had a real fondness for her, but her enthusiasm for haiku didn't make much of an impression on me. My earliest memory of drinking red wine is sharing a bottle of Night Train with a dishwasher at the summer camp where I worked as a waiter. I didn't like that much, either. But now, years later, it seems to me that haiku is the perfect vehicle to encapsulate all aspects of red wine, from the mysteriously sublime to the numbingly mundane. These haikus provide a quick blast of an impression without getting too specific. If the haikus are good, you should be able to taste them in your mind. Disclaimer. Why only red? The renowned critic Harry Waugh once said it was wine's obligation to be red. I like white wine just fine, but red's my drink. Technical notes. I buy all bottles except for the odd gift from a friend. No decks are stacked for or against. For the purposes of this website, all haikus are strict 5-7-5 syllables per line. That way the playing field is level for all.

150)Excelsior Cabernet 2004 (South Africa)At first, a bit greenWith some funky band-aid notesDay two, much improved

149)Marquis Phillips Cabernet 2004 (Australia)Hate these damn screw capsWithout the pop, there's no bang! Not that this needs it.

140)Rosso di Montalcino, Caparzo, Vendemmia 2000 (Italy)Sleepy antique storeBox full of faded postcardsWine to browse life by

113)Nadaria Annata Nero D'avola 2002 (Sicily)Change of seasons wineDried fruit, gingerbread finishOctober's Christmas

111)MandraRossa Shiraz 2002 (Sicily)Sicilian Shiraz?But its quite damp and lovelyWith bite, charm, balance

93)Castel Vinde Syrah 2003 (France)Flying to ParisA bit disorientedNot bad for plane wine!92)Don Aldo Merlot 2000 (Chile)Funky SkankyAn overripe plum puddingLeft out in the rain91)Bodegas Luan Castilla VT "Equis" 2003 (Spain)A thin, angry winea small dog chained to a wallGood length, but what for?90)One.9 (carbs per glass) Merlot 2002 (California)Like wine that's been rapedA hole cut from its centerFor diet Nazis

87)Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2003 (Spain)It's all in the glassThe sun on the horizonVines heavy with fruit86)Navarro Correas Malbec 2003 (Argentina)Dark chocolate buildingGrape button elevatorOnly six floors, though

75)Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel Reserve 2001(California)Country wine moonshineZinfandel, the people's grapeBig fist slap n' slam

48)MacMurray Pinot Noir (Russian River) 2001Film noir darknessSilky spice sits on the tongueCalifornia breeze47)Villa Maria Merlot/Cabernet Private Bin (New Zealand) 2001 Warm, simple, fat funPerfect for a drinking gameStretch out a spring day46)Fortius, Cabernet (Spain) 1999Blackberry tanninsDeep vanilla licoricePower of balance45)Gordon Brothers, Cabernet (Columbia Valley, Washington) 1999Wine with breast implantssqueezing out every last dropPump up the volume44)Quatro, Cabernet (Napa, California) 1998No two sips the sameDusty berry attic dreamsHoney on the vine

42)Julienas, DeBeouf (Beaujolais, France) 2003Summer strawberriesExtracted explodedJuice squeezed from the sun41)Moulin-A-Vent, DeBeouf (Beaujolais, France) 2003Blueberry hot sauceSummer is a state of mindLet us all relax40)Diamondback Vineyards Cabernet (Mendocino, California) 1999Copperhead hissingIron bars in oak barrelsAll it eats is steak39)Mas De La Dame, Coin Cache (Provence, France) 1999Pointless without foodDry like a bone in a boneChalky leather soul38)Santa Rita Reserva, Cabernet (Chile) 2000Ol’ ReliablePull up a chair, my good friendMillennium gift37)Chateau La Croix (Pomerol, France) 1973(!)Old and shot to shitMushroom, dung, and dirty roadsStill, there’s elegance

36)Rancho Zabaco Reserve Zinfandel (California) 2000Do I drink this stuffOr pour it over pancakes?Deepest of purples35)Napa Ridge Pinot Noir (California) 2000Like a BurgundyWith a crude lobotomyNo dirt here, just fruit34)Ironwood Petite Syrah (California) 2000A nighttime promiseDark as any I have seenBut tepid like tea33)Antoine Rodet Gevrey-Chambertin (France) 1998The nose was like dogSoaking wet from heavy rainBut it drank like dreams32)Vitticio Riserva (Italy) 2000New wave ChiantiSangiovese/MerlotItalian God Juice

31)Rosenthal Merlot (California) 1997No, it ain’t KosherA damp glass of flesh and oakA walk through the woods30)Santa Rita Medalla Real (Chile) 2000This is just too goodFor the price that it goes forA prism of taste29)Pepperwood Grove Merlot (California) 2001Cheap and mass-producedThe snobs will hold their nosesTheir loss and who cares?28)Vina Pomal Rioja Riserva (Spain) 1997Underneath the bullIt can sometimes smell like thisSecrets of the barn27)Falesco Vitiano (Umbria, Italy) 2002Sometimes the balanceIn a wine is beautifulLike here. What a deal.26)Domaine De La Solitude (Rhone, France) 2000Minty pepper ghostI could drink this every dayAnd never get bored

6)Chateau Puech-Haut 2001 (Langudoc)I like liquoriceWhen it’s tight taut like thisNo attitudes here5)Louis B. Martini Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet 2000Everything correctTannins acidityBored me to pieces4)Borsao Campo De Borja 2003 (Spain)Whats wrong with Kool-aid?With Guacomole I madeIt’s freshly cut lawn3)Jacob’s Creek Cabernet/Merlot 2002 (Australia)Celery ColaTried so hard to be prettyNo drive in this dive

UB40 est un groupe de musique dub / reggae britannique fondé en 1978 à Birmingham (Angleterre). UB40 est l'un des groupes de reggae ayant reçu le plus d'influences, notamment turque, africaine et jamaïcaine. Le nom du groupe, UB40 est un formulaire de demande des droits au chômage (UB = Unemployment Benefits). UB40 a été influencé par les soirées blues que les membres fréquentaient pendant leur adolescence, mais également par le ska et le reggae qui ont inspiré les chansons King, Madam Medusa, Ivory Madonna, Signing Off and One in Ten. A leurs débuts, leur style musical est unique avec de grosses influences de synthétiseurs, musique psychédélique, guitare rock, saxophone et Dub qui sera par la suite perfectionné par Pablo Falconer, leur producteur. Artistes avec lesquels UB40 a collaboré. Pato Banton, Bitty McLean, Chrissie Hynde, Nuttea et Afrika Bambaataa. Le groupe a acheté ses premiers instruments avec l'argent de dédomagement qu'Ali Campbell a reçu après une bagarre dans un bar. Ils ont sorti entre autre les très célèbres Red Red Wine et Kingston Town. La majorité de leurs chansons sont par la suite inspirées du ska des années 1960. UB40 a souvent dénoncé le racisme et le chômage Red, red wine, go to my head, Make me forget that I Still need her so. Red, red wine, it's up to you. All I can do, I've done. But mem'ries won't go. No, mem'ries won't go. I'd have thought that with time Thoughts of her would leave my head. I was wrong, and I find Just one thing makes me forget. Red, red wine, stay close to me. Don't let me be alone. It's tearing apart My blue, blue heart. I'd have thought that with time Thoughts of her would leave my head. I was wrong, and I find Just one thing makes me forget. Red, red wine, stay close to me. Don't let me be alone. It's tearing apart My blue, blue heart

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Red wine does indeed explain why the French get away with a relatively clean bill of heart health despite eating a diet loaded with saturated fats, concludes a new study.

People living in France have a much lower incidence of coronary heart disease than those in Britain, despite their similar intake of saturated fats - a phenomenon known as the "French paradox". Many have speculated that answer to the paradox lies in their love of a glass or two of wine with a meal and have focused on a chemical found in red wine called resveratrol, also a natural constituent of grapes, pomegranates and other foods. Earlier studies have shown it can blunt the toxic effects of a diet very high in fat, which causes liver damage, but this is the first study to directly look at ageing. Today, in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers report that even low doses of resveratrol in the diet of middle-aged mice has a widespread influence on the genetic levers of ageing, and may confer special protection on the heart. Specifically, the researchers found that low doses of resveratrol mimic the helpful effects of what is known as caloric restriction, diets with the full range of nutrients but up to 30 per cent fewer calories than a typical diet, which extend lifespan and slow the progression of age related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cancer. "This brings down the dose of resveratrol toward the consumption reality mode," says senior author Prof Richard Weindruch of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But, importantly, resveratrol is just one of many "healthy chemicals", called polyphenols in wine. Now, he says, it is possible to see how a glass or two can have a health effect. "Resveratrol mimics a significant fraction of the profile of caloric restriction at the gene expression level," according to Prof Tomas Prolla, coauthor In the new study - which compared the gene use of animals on a restricted diet with those fed small doses of resveratrol - the similarities were remarkable, explains lead author Dr Jamie Barger of Madison-based LifeGen Technologies. In the heart, for example, there are at least 1,029 genes whose functions change with age, and the organ's function is known to diminish with age. In animals on a restricted diet, 90 per cent of those heart genes experienced altered gene expression profiles while low doses of resveratrol thwarted age-related change in 92 per cent. The new findings were associated with prevention of the decline in heart function associated with ageing. In short, a glass of wine or food or supplements that contain even small doses of resveratrol are likely to represent "a robust intervention in the retardation of cardiac ageing," the authors note. The new resveratrol study is also important because it confirms studies that show eating fewer calories, which has been shown in a wide range of species to extend lifespan, and resveratrol may govern the same master genetic pathways related to ageing.

Drinking red wine not only reduces your risk for cardiovascular disease, but it may also reduce your risk for lung cancer especially if you are a current or ex-smoker, Reuters reported Thursday. People who do or have smoked and drink at least one glass of wine each day are 60 percent less likely to develop lung cancer than those who have smoked and dont drink red wine, said Dr. Chun Chao, of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena. Chao said it's the resveratrol and flavonoids in red wine that are protective -- something white wine does not have. The reduction seen with red wine "lends support to a causal association for red wine and suggests that compounds that are present at high concentrations in red wine but not in white wine, beer or liquors may be protective against lung carcinogenesis," Chao wrote in her study. However, previous studies examining the correlation between alcohol consumption and lung cancer havent always had the same results, Chao and her team noted in the journal

In 1991, the CBS show 60 Minutes ran an influential segment of possible health benefits of red wine. Entitled The French Paradox, correspondent Morley Safer looked at how on earth the French could eat high fat food, such as cheese, and have low rates of heart failure. Research concluded the key variable was not only the type of fat but also red wine. The resulting demand for red wine, the New York Times wrote a few years later, was seen as potentially the biggest boon to the wine industry since the repeal of Prohibition. Morely Safer was at it again earlier this evening, talking about red wine and lab rats. The subject of the piece tonight was about resveratrol (its everywhere!), a component found naturally in red wine that may hold the key to a longer, more slothful life in concentrated pill form, not necessarily wine. So great is the potential for the company making the pills, Sirtris, that Glaxo Smith Kline acquired them for $720 million last year. The pills are five years from being on the market they say in the piece. Anyway, Ill leave you to explore tonights 12 minute segment over on CBS. Here instead is a flashback to see the original four-minute segment from 1991. How naive we were then, back before certain types of fats were taxed! And how funny that the story features the French paradox and they show bottles of Lopez de Heredia from Rioja!

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 25th, 2009 at 9.30 pm and is filed under wine and health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

On January 27th, 2009 at 8.44 pm,Tish wrote. I recently read that some very serious, controlled studies are currently being conducted at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. OK, so my mom sent me the clipping, but it is indeed supposed to be the most comprehensive current ongoing research. Research which, no doubt, will pick up the pace again after the Steelers dispense of the Cardinals.

On January 29th, 2009 at 10.23 pm,Uzi Cohen wrote. I saw the segment last week and wrote about in my blog, unfortunately, I did not have this reference segment, so thank you for this video treat. As I am sure you are well aware, It is well known, that this original segment was the catalyst for the steady increase of wine consumption in USA. Similarly to Dylans comment on boredom for calorie restriction, I am afraid a Wine Pill, despite apparent health benefits, will do the same for me, boredom. Ill stick to wine.

On February 1st, 2009 at 2.00 am,Tom wrote. Im an avid wine drinker, and this piece made me think about the longevity of winemakers. This isnt scientific, but check out the ages at death for some of the well known winemakers. (BV Beaulieu Vineyards)Andre Tchelistcheff. 92 Robert Mondavi. 95 Ernest Gallo. 99 Julio Gallo. 83 Peter Mondavi (still alive) in his 90s They all died old and drank a lot of red wine.

See my op-eds in the NYT"Drink Outside the Box""Red, White, and Green"Hot posts.Blogs rule! Or not. Piza & wine. forbidden?!

One of the “fresh voices taking wine journalism in new and important directions.” -World of Fine Wine

Red wines are made all over the world, and are generally the most popular type of wine among both connoisseurs and novices. Red wine is always made from red (or black) grapes, and the red color, like most of the tannins in the wine, is a result of the juice having prolonged contact with the grape skins. Tannins are the chemical compounds that cause the sensation of astringency in the mouth, as well as what make it possible for some red wines to age and develop over time. The variety of red wine is truly astounding. From single-varietal wines to classic blends, from subtle, cool-weather Pinot Noir to opulent and spicy Australian Shiraz, red wines are produced in enough varieties to please virtually any palate. Red wine's.[more about Red wines]

Scientists call it the French paradox a society that, despite consuming food high in cholesterol and saturated fats, has long had low death rates from heart disease. Research has suggested it is the red wine consumed with all that fatty food that may be beneficial and not only for cardiovascular health but in warding off certain tumors and even Alzheimer's disease.

Now, Alzheimer's researchers at UCLA, in collaboration with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, have discovered how red wine may reduce the incidence of the disease. Reporting in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, David Teplow, a UCLA professor of neurology, and colleagues show how naturally occurring compounds in red wine called polyphenols block the formation of proteins that build the toxic plaques thought to destroy brain cells, and further, how they reduce the toxicity of existing plaques, thus reducing cognitive deterioration. Polyphenols comprise a chemical class with more than 8,000 members, many of which are found in high concentrations in wine, tea, nuts, berries, cocoa and various plants. Past research has suggested that such polyphenols may inhibit or prevent the buildup of toxic fibers composed primarily of two proteins A40 and A42 that deposit in the brain and form the plaques which have long been associated with Alzheimer's. Until now, however, no one understood the mechanics of how polyphenols worked. Teplow's lab has been studying how amyloid beta (A) is involved in causing Alzheimer's. In this work, researchers monitored how A40 and A42 proteins folded up and stuck to each other to produce aggregates that killed nerve cells in mice. They then treated the proteins with a polyphenol compound extracted from grape seeds. They discovered that polyphenols carried a one-two punch. They blocked the formation of the toxic aggregates of A and also decreased toxicity when they were combined with A before it was added to brain cells. What we found is pretty straightforward, Teplow said. If the A proteins can't assemble, toxic aggregates can't form, and thus there is no toxicity. Our work in the laboratory, and Mt. Sinai's Dr. Giulio Pasinetti's work in mice, suggest that administration of the compound to Alzheimer's patients might block the development of these toxic aggregates, prevent disease development and also ameliorate existing disease. Human clinical trials are next. No disease-modifying treatments of Alzheimer's now exist, and initial clinical trials of a number of different candidate drugs have been disappointing, Teplow said. So we believe that this is an important next step. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health. the Department of Veterans Affairs. the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center Program, Polyphenolics (to Giulio Pasinetti). grants from the Japan Human Science Foundation and the Mochida Memorial Foundation for Medical and Pharmaceutical Research. grants from the Alzheimer's Association. and the Jim Easton Consortium for Alzheimer's Drug Discovery and Biomarkers at UCLA (to David Teplow). Teplow reports no conflict of interests.

What happens when red wine meets red meat? If the rendezvous happens in the stomach, scientists in Israel are reporting, wine's bounty of healthful chemical compounds may thwart formation of harmful.

Researchers in Israel say they have developed a method to boost the antioxidant content of white wine so that it has health benefits similar to red wine, considered the healthiest of all wines due to.

Just as additives help gasoline burn cleaner, a research report shows that the food industry could take a similar approach toward reducing health risks associated with fatty foods. These "meal.

A review article of the latest studies looking at red wine and cardiovascular health shows drinking two to three glasses of red wine daily is good for the heart, according to a Yale School of.

A new "wine scanner" measures the presence of chemicals in a bottle without opening it, assessing for example if too much oxygen seeped in and turned..

It's common knowledge that a glass or two of red wine a night will do more than enhance a great meal or put you to sleep. it can reduce production of "bad" cholesterol, boost "good" cholesterol and reduce blood clotting, all of which will help reduce the risk of heart disease. But recent studies are showing that wine aficionados may also reap even more benefits, from inhibiting tumor development to helping form nerve cells. Here's a roundup of four recent studies that might encourage you to uncork that bottle of merlot. 1. It Can Help Keep You Fit. For senior citizens who are already in shape, moderate alcohol intake can help prevent the development of physical disabilities, according to a new UCLA study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. (The National Institutes of Health recommends no more than one drink a day for women and two for men.) Researchers found that moderate drinkers in a national survey had a lower risk than heavy drinkers or abstainers of developing physical problems that impeded their abilities to walk or dress or groom themselves. But don't take that as a cue to rest easy. the benefits only applied to seniors who were already in good health. Seniors in poor health may already be too close to developing disabilities for the wine to be of much use, researchers said. Keep reading.

It's common knowledge that a glass or two of red wine a night will do more than enhance a great meal or put you to sleep. it can reduce production of bad cholesterol, boost good cholesterol and re.

Saw this article whilst drinking my nightly allotment of Cabernet. And I must note my cholesterol levels are worthy of admiration, with high good Ldls and low bad Ldls. Cheers!

Great to see this topic getting some attention (I covered in in detail in my book Age Gets Better with Wine. New Science for a Healthier, Better, and Longer Life, 2 years ago and new edition coming out this year because there is so much new.) What people really need to keep in mind is that while the benefits of regular moderate consumption of red wine are very well documented, the effects of taking resveratrol supplements are almost completely unknown in humans. So it isn't accurate to conclude that the benefits of red wine can be put into a pill, at least based on what is known now. Follow it at www. healthandwine. blogspot. com.

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Roger Corder, from the Royal London School of Medicine Chris - One of the things you've risen to prominence for Roger is sussing out what's in red wine that makes it good for us. Roger - Absolutely, that's been my work for the past six or seven years. I've focused on finding out what is in wine that improves blood vessel function and protects from heart disease. Chris - So how did you go about that and what is the bottom line? Is it good for us? Roger - All the evidence points to it being good for us. But it may be that certain types of wine are much better than other wines. What we did from a laboratory point of view is we studied exactly what substances in wine could change blood vessel function. In parallel with that we were looking at areas where people were living longer and drinking wine. And we saw that the wines in these areas were richer in a substance we identified, procyanidin, which is a flavanoid polyphenol. People would know them as anti-oxidants but in terms of the effects that we were looking at, this causes a profound change in blood vessel function. Chris - There is a phenomenon called the Mediterranean Effect isn't there for people from the Mediterranean basin. And the French paradox as well. There are French people who manage to have an atrocious diet, smoke like chimneys, and live to be 500 years old. No one really understood how they did it, and what you're saying is that it's the red wine that they're drinking. Roger - Exactly. The Mediterranean diet sprung out of research called the seven country study. That showed that people living on the island of Crete were living longer with less heart disease despite a fairly high fat diet. But an important part of their diet was to drink regular wine. Now I started to look at Sardinia because the highest concentration of centenarians were based on this island in terms of European population, and I found that their wines were richer in Procyanidins than wines from other areas. The Cretan wines were also particularly rich in this particular polyphenol. And so I then looked at the French population. And there's a regional variation in heart disease across France. And there's also a regional variation in terms of longevity. And what I found was that people living in South West France were drinking wines which were very rich in these polyphenols. But the interesting thing about this and the French paradox, is that this is one of the areas of France where they eat some of the fattiest foods. And so I became convinced that a) Wine should be part of a healthy diet, and b) some of the nutritional advice being pushed on the general public was actually not based on fact. Chris - Is there a conflict of interest here Roger, because you're a wine connoisseur aren't you? Roger - I wouldn't like to say I'm a wine connoisseur. Obviously we all like to have excuses for our habits. What I was, was somebody who was religiously following a low fat diet. And I suddenly started looking at the science of low fat diets, and realised that actually, if you wanted to have a healthy cholesterol level, it was the type of fats you ate, rather than having a low fat diet. Low fat diets are often boosting over-purified carbohydrates into people's food, and sugar into people's food. And that was actually changing their heart disease risk in an unfavorable way. And so this drove me to write a book to explain what it is about eating healthily that everybody should understand. It doesn't matter whether you're thin or fat. Wine can be part of it, but the food you eat is so crucial to your overall wellbeing. Chris - Let's just focus in on the wine story for a second. You saw this effect, which was distributed across France, and the effect rose specifically in South West France. So what was going on there that meant that people, despite an atrocious diet, were protected? Presumably it wasn't just genetic. Roger - I wouldn't say their diet was atrocious, it was just different. Essentially they were growing a grape down there called the Tannat grape that was very very rich in these protective polyphenols. But other wines are also good for you. Chris - Is it just red wine though Roger? Because lots of people say you have to drink red wine, white wine's no good. Beer's no good. Roger - Well, let me provide you with some evidence. Alsace has the lowest longevity in France. And it has some of the highest heart disease. That's a white wine drinking area. Chris - So it is specific to the colour. Red wine grapes impart the protective chemicals. Roger - Exactly. Chris - What are those chemicals, how do they work and how does the grape make them? Roger - Actually white grapes also have them. The difference between white wine and red wine is really the way in which the wines are made. The white wine is the fermented juice of the grape, where red wine is the fermented juice with the seeds and skin present. So the longer the time of the fermentation with the seeds, the more extraction of these polyphenols that you have. And so the higher the levels. Chris - Ok so we know wine has this stuff in it. How do we actually get this stuff to where it needs to go, the blood vessels? Why does if affect your risk of vascular disease? How does it work? Roger - Essentially, if you imagine that blood vessels are a tube, and they have a lining which is protective. It's important that they function in a healthy way. Now the chemicals in wine are able to boost the healthy characteristics of this lining. So that you reduce your risk of heart disease. Many people may be aware that chocolate has also been said to be helpful. Now the point about chocolate is that dark chocolate has the same polyphenols in, as a good red wine. As so for non wine drinkers, if they want to get these polyphenols into their diet from other sources then dark chocolate becomes a possibility. Helen - So I bet people out there are dying to know. Can we say in a snapshot, what should people be eating? And how many glasses of red wine should I be drinking? Is there enough in one glass? Roger - If you look at a glass of average supermarket wine there isn't probably enough to have much benefit. But with time we're going to change people's awareness of wine and also the way that it's labeled. If there was more details about the wine making process, one could read the label and think that if it's been fermented a long time it's much more likely to have a higher level of these compounds. But there's no information on wine. How much should you drink? All the scientific evidence about reduced heart disease actually reflects a consumption level that is similar to what government guidelines recommend. So for a woman that's no more than one to two small glasses per day, 125 mL. For a man, two to three glasses is ok. But an important factor about people benefiting from wine consumption is that it's part of a lifestyle pattern. It's not going to the pub and shoving down a few glasses of wine and then thinking, I've got all the benefits. Because studies have shown that people who drink without food are more likely to have high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease and it increases the risk of a stroke. So it's important to understand fully, the lifestyle combinations. See alsoRoger Corder's book The Wine Diet, which will point you in the direction of the healthiest red wines to have at dinner time. January 2007

Another health benefit has been attributed to red wine - fighting off the common cold. According to scientists in Spain, drinking wine, especially red, stops people from developing colds. Something in wine seems to have a protective effect because the same was not seen with beer and spirits. The evidence comes from a year long study of 4,000 volunteers. Experts at five universities found that people who drank more than two glasses of red wine a day had 44% fewer colds than teetotallers. Drinking one glass of red wine a day also protected against colds, but to a lesser extent. Lifestyle factors Red wine has been associated with a number of health benefits, including a lower rate of heart disease. An ingredient in red wine may also prevent herpes, according to a recent study. The ability of red wine to ward off colds may be due to its antioxidant properties, according to Professor Ron Eccles, director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University. Lifestyle factors - such as sipping red wine at home rather than drinking in crowded pubs - could also be a factor, he said. Binge drinking The British Heart Foundation warns that while moderate drinking may have a beneficial effect on health, too much alcohol is risky. "Moderate drinking between one and two units a day has a 'protective' effect in preventing heart attacks in men over 4O years of age and postmenopausal women," said a spokesperson. "High levels of alcohol intake, particularly binge drinking, can increase the risk of coronary heart disease."

Shop for Red Wine online and compare Red Wine prices. Kelkoo. helping you find the best Red Wine at the best price online.

Delicious red Burgundy showing fruit and a firm structure. The Marchand-Grillot domaine has many fine sites.

Delicious red Burgundy showing fruit and a firm structure. The Marchand-Grillot domaine has many fine sites. This wine comes from a plot called Jouise, which is fairly low down on the slope with 30-year-old vines. Full of black cherry fruit with a firm st

A blend of South Australian fruit from the best regions. Elegant ripe blackcurrant and cherry fruit and a smooth finish enhanced by hints of mint and vanilla from ageing in French and American oak barrels. Ideal with lamb, beef, chicken or turkey.

One of Barossa's top Shiraz wines, with intensity, concentration and style. Peter Lehmann's long personal

One of Barossa's top Shiraz wines, with intensity, concentration and style. Peter Lehmann's long personal knowledge of local growers and their vineyards leads to the best selection. Rich berry fruit, smooth, toasty oak and soft, chocolately but firm tanni

Kenridge Classic - Cabernet Sauvignon An easy drinking deeply coloured red packed with juicy black currant fruit aromas. Hints of cassis and spice accented with underlying tones of oak on the palate. A great wine with cheese. Vineco have been making wine

Powerful Brunello with intense aromas and flavours. A truly fantastic wine, this Brunello has intense aromas

Powerful Brunello with intense aromas and flavours. A truly fantastic wine, this Brunello has intense aromas of chocolate and nuts with hints of dried fruits. Graceful yet powerful, it has soft tannins and notes of cherry, blue fruits and an appealing ear

The 60-100 year-old untrained bushvines at 'Cruz de Piedra' ('stone crosses' marking the Pilgrims' Road to St. Juan de Compostela) are bursting with health. High in the Calatayud mountains, southeast of Rioja they enjoy heat well into autumn, delivering g

A smooth fruity French country wine made in the South of France. Produced from Grenache, Merlot and local

A smooth fruity French country wine made in the South of France. Produced from Grenache, Merlot and local varieties. Traditionally French in style, the best vats have been blended by French winemakers with New World experience who understand the UK palate

Perfect entry-level Pinot Noir to discover the true delights of Red Burgundy. Here is a very fresh and fruity wine, but with the elegance and harmony given by a good percentage of new wood in the ageing process. This would be great with duck or goose.

A treat of a wine to go with richly sauced meat dishes. A delicious Barolo with plenty of characteristic

A treat of a wine to go with richly sauced meat dishes. A delicious Barolo with plenty of characteristic tannin and intense rose and tea flavour. The wine will benefit from decanting an hour before drinking to let the flavours develop.

This 23-hectare property is located on the eastern side of the St-Emilion appellation. Overseen by the Moueix family it has consistently produced wines mellow in character and typical of their region.

Gouleyant' - the pleasing French word for 'gulpable' - and this is as gulpable a claret as you'll find. Made from the fruit of young, biodynamic Merlot and Cabernet vines, it gives immediate pleasure with its unrestrained, silky red fruit flavours. John

Big smooth top class Shiraz from the first winery in Great Southern - worth every penny. Tasting Notes.Pouring

Big smooth top class Shiraz from the first winery in Great Southern - worth every penny. Tasting Notes.Pouring this wine is like pouring liquid velvet - it is deep purply-black and has a silkiness to the texture which is almost visible. This is full-on don

Hurry, Quick. Get yourself some acai berries. I hear they taste just like a combination of red wine and chocolate (

February 2009 tells me so). They also happen to be chock full of disease-fighting antioxidants so apparently, you just can't go wrong with this superfood. Not familiar with anything acai? Give this superfruit smoothie a try. In a blender, combine one and one-fourths cups plain soy milk, one cup acai juice (available in natural food stores), one-fourth cup orange juice, one large mango (peeled and cut into chunks) and one cup frozen blueberries. Blend well. And drink. Detect any red wine and chocolate in there?

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NEW YORK (Fortune) -- If you haven't heard of resveratrol, you're probably too young to have had the experience of gazing in the bathroom mirror in the morning and thinking, damn. Resveratrol is the ingredient in red wine that made headlines in November when scientists demonstrated that it kept overfed mice from gaining weight, turned them into the equivalent of Olympic marathoners, and seemed to slow down their aging process. Few medical discoveries have generated so much instant buzz - even Jay Leno riffed about it in his opening monologue.

But the key question raised by the news - whether the discoveries will lead to pharmaceutical payoffs before we're too old to care - won't be answered in the Harvard lab from which the news sprang. Instead look to a boxy, low-rise building a couple of miles away, an unprepossessing biotech hatchery that got little media attention in the wake of the resveratrol findings. This is the Cambridge home of two-year-old Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. Its stated goal is to develop medicines that have the same health-boosting effects in people that resveratrol had on mice. But that hardly captures the company's sweeping promise. if it succeeds, its medicines may retard the onset or progression of a whole slew of age-related diseases, from diabetes to Alzheimer's to cancer. The drugs may also have an extremely provocative side effect. They might extend life span. You have to go back to the advent of antibiotics in the first half of the 20th century to find such broad therapeutic potential. For all that to happen, Sirtris, like most biotech startups, must wend through a minefield that will take many years to traverse. And no biotech gets very far through the minefield without a kind of walking contradiction leading the way - a dreamer with feet planted firmly on the ground, a science whiz who could pass as a circus ringmaster, a riverboat gambler with a passion for minimizing risk. Three years ago one such paradox strolled into the Harvard lab that put resveratrol on the map and set in motion events that may in time radically transform the way we age. meet Christoph Westphal, Sirtris's co-founder, CEO, and dreamer-in-chief. A former venture capitalist, Westphal, 38, was known for conjuring up dreams that spellbind investors before he joined forces with David Sinclair, 37, the charismatic Harvard medical school researcher who spearheaded the research on resveratrol. Between 2000 and 2004, Westphal co-founded five companies and served as CEO of four of them, including two hot biotechs that have gone public and now have a combined market value of over $1.4 billion. But Sirtris is probably his entrepreneurial pičce de résistance, and he quit his meteoric VC career to lead it. MIT professor Phillip Sharp, a Nobel laureate biologist who advises Sirtris and has known Westphal for years, says he's excited about the startup's science. But it was Westphal's involvement that largely persuaded him to put his imprimatur on Sirtris. (Sharp, one of the biggest names in science, helped launch the biotech industry in 1978 by co-founding Biogen, now Biogen Idec (Charts).) Christoph's combination of skills is very rare, Sharp says. I haven't seen his equivalent in 30 years of working in biotech. Venture capitalists have been equally enthralled by Westphal, judging by the $82 million they've pumped into closely held Sirtris over the past two years. That's a remarkably large sum for a high-risk, early stage biotech, and it has helped fast-track the company's drug development - it is already clinically testing its first medicine, a resveratrol-based drug that promises to help keep diabetic patients' blood sugar under control. The drug contains concentrated resveratrol and gets far more of it into the bloodstream than drinking red wine can. Most biotechs pioneering new science take years before testing drugs on people. Sirtris's drug reached the clinic less than 18 months after the company's launch. For all his mastery at raising money, Westphal isn't your standard-issue CEO. His lead haberdasher is probably Levi Strauss Co. his cramped, sparsely furnished office, which is shared with Sinclair when the Harvard scientist drops by, is not much bigger than a walk-in closet. And because he doesn't like cluttering his life with things like cars, he often walks five or more miles a day getting to work and meetings. A husky 6-foot 3-inch man with an edgy, no-nonsense air, Westphal doesn't so much ambulate as lunge - his body language suggests a star halfback who has just spotted a football spiraling down about five yards ahead of his pigskin-eager hands. His colleagues are accustomed to his daily barrage of e-mails, which begins around 5.30 a. m. I must get 50 e-mails a day from him, says Boston hedge fund manager Richard Aldrich, one of Sirtris's founding investors. He probably over communicates. (Westphal says that over communication is a nonissue because nobody reads my e-mails.) In fact, just about the only time anyone can recall the boss giving his blackberry a breather was during a few startling minutes last November. It turned out that he had laid it aside for a few minutes to deliver a baby -- his own son. In fact, Westphal delivered all three of his children at a Boston hospital under an obstetrician's supervision. At first glance, Westphal's frenetic personal style resembles attention deficit disorder. But in his case it's probably better described as bandwidth-coming-out-of-the-ears syndrome. When I interviewed him some months ago at Sirtris, for instance, he couldn't resist assembling a new sound system for his office as we talked. He managed to read the instructions, examine the pieces, and put them together without missing a beat in the conversation. A few other résumé bullet points. Westphal plays the cello. speaks four languages (his kids speak only German with him and Spanish with his Puerto Rican wife). and has visited two-thirds of the countries on earth. He's also a disarming extrovert who genially crushes competitors into the dust. When Sirtris held a companywide weight-loss contest over last summer and fall, no one was very surprised when Westphal's team won. On the weekend before the final weigh-in, the CEO starved himself and exercised all-out twice a day, pushing so hard that his wife feared he might have a heart attack. When you get involved with Christoph, says Aldrich, it's all action, all the time. It won't come as a surprise that Westphal's powers of concentration appeared early. As a youngster he told his parents, physicians who grew up in Germany and moved to the U. S. in 1967 (young Christoph grew up in the Washington, D. C., area), that he wasn't very interested in following in their professional footsteps. Of course you'll get an MD, his mother replied. Then you can decide what you want to do. Rebelling in the way of a good German son, he got a Ph. D. in biology and slogged through an MD on the side - both from Harvard in five years and eight months, nearly a record. After that he worked at a hospital in equatorial Africa, where he delivered scores of babies. Then he decided that what he really wanted to do was start companies that turn basic research into drugs. That led to his furiously productive stint as a venture capitalist.

PHILADELPHIA – Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men, according to a report in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention¸ a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. "An antioxidant component in red wine may be protective of lung cancer, particularly among smokers," said Chun Chao, Ph. D., a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, California. Chao analyzed data collected through the California Men's Health Study, which linked clinical data from California's health system with self-reported data from 84,170 men aged 45 to 69 years. Researchers obtained demographics and lifestyle data from surveys computed between 2000 and 2003, and identified 210 cases of lung cancer. Researchers measured the effect of beer, red wine, white wine and liquor consumption on the risk of lung cancer. Adjustments were made for age, race/ethnicity, education, income, body mass index, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema, and smoking history. Among the study participants, there was on average a two percent lower lung cancer risk associated with each glass of red wine consumed per month. The most substantial risk reduction was among smokers who drank one to two glasses of red wine per day. The researchers reported a 60 percent reduced lung cancer risk in these men. Researchers warned men to stop smoking as the best way to reduce lung cancer risk. noting that even men who drank one to two glasses of red wine per day still face higher lung cancer risk than do non-smokers. No clear associations with lung cancer were noted for consumption of white wine, beer, or liquor. "Red wine is known to contain high levels of antioxidants. There is a compound called resveratrol that is very rich in red wine because it is derived from the grape skin. This compound has shown significant health benefits in preclinical studies," Chao said. Chao said their findings should not be construed to recommend heavy alcohol consumption.

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers. health care professionals. and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals. Cancer Research. Clinical Cancer Research. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Molecular Cancer Research. and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The AACR's most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

Century, the question of wine's compatibility with cheese would surely rank high. That university researchers would spend dozens of man-hours examining the interplay between Camembert and cabernet only goes to show that some frontiers of knowledge are perhaps better left as virgin forest. Nevertheless, when word broke last month that scientists had proven that red wine and cheese don't mix, the study generated a slew of articles worldwide and much concerned chatter among epicurean types who prefer their Comte with a splash of

They shouldn't have been so quick to toss out the water crackers. It was a false alarm. Contrary to what was reported, the study, which was conducted by U. C. Davis' famed Department of Viticulture and Enology, does not conclude that red wine and cheese are incompatible. Why did so many media outlets claim otherwise? Chalk it up to one erroneous headline. On Jan. 19, the

S Web site ran a short item about the Davis study under the banner "Vintage or vile, wine is all the same after cheese." The story was quickly picked up by the

And the BBC, as well as the food blogosphere, and within a matter of hours a pall had fallen over bourgeois tables everywhere.

(alas, not available on newsstands). Heymann, who had been visiting Moldova and was unreachable for the last several weeks, seemed dumbstruck by the attention the study had generated, and not a little chagrined by the widespread misunderstanding. Although her feelings toward the press are not warm at the moment, she was kind enough to walk me through the study and send along a draft of the paper.

The study used 11 volunteers—some staff, some students—who were given a crash course in the descriptive analysis of wine. They were then served eight reds of varying quality—two pinot noirs, two cabernet sauvignons, two merlots, and two Syrahs—and asked to rate them for intensity of flavors and aromas using a 10-cm unstructured line scale. Heymann couldn't tell me the names of the wines—they had been donated, and the donor didn't want their identities revealed. However, she did tell me that all but one was from California (the lone import was an Australian Shiraz). all were produced in 2000, 2001, or 2002. and prices ranged from $7 to $20. After sampling the wines

The students re-evaluated them while tasting eight different cheeses—Emmental, Gruyère, mozzarella, Teleme, Stilton, Gorgonzola, a New York cheddar, and a Vermont cheddar. The idea, said Heymann, was to mix mild cheeses with assertive ones, soft ones with hard ones. Each wine was paired with each cheese, and the volunteers were instructed to again assess the intensity of each wine's aromas and flavors. Did the fruit, tannins, acidity, and oak become more or less perceptible when the wines were drunk with the cheeses? All eight wines suffered a noticeable decrease in the intensity of their aromas and flavors on account of the cheeses. However, contrary to what the

Headline suggested, the cheeses did not diminish the ability of the students to distinguish the better wines from the rotgut. In the initial, cheese-free tasting, the $20 merlot showed more pronounced structure and oak than the $8 merlot. it lost some of its definition when drunk with the cheeses, but so did the cheaper merlot, and the qualitative gap between the two wines, at least as perceived by the volunteers, remained basically unchanged. Only one element of the wines became more apparent. A buttery aroma that was faintly detectable when the wines were tasted alone became much more obvious when they were tasted with the cheeses. Buttery aromas are a byproduct of malolactic fermentation, which converts the hard malic acid in a new wine into lactic acid, and given that cheese is a dairy product, there was evidently a synergy of sorts. As to why the cheeses dulled nearly every other aspect of the wines, the study offered a few possibilities. It suggested that the fat molecules in cheese may coat the palate and reduce its ability to perceive astringency, which is the mark left by tannins. Similarly, the high salt concentration in cheeses may act to suppress the sourness associated with acidity. As Heymann noted, these effects are not necessarily bad. If you don't like wines that are high in tannins or acidity, the cheese will actually be doing you a favor. It stands to reason that cheese can also make a bad wine taste less bad. if a wine has been abusively oaked, or if its fruit is a bit cloying, a nice wedge of Pierre Robert will presumably make it go down easier. Far from putting a damper on wine-and-cheese parties, as some articles suggested, the Davis researchers may have uncovered one reason for their popularity—those poignantly bland, day-glo orange cheese cubes could be making Two Buck Chuck taste, well, like Four Buck Chuck. When I gently suggested to Heymann that the wines and cheeses used in the study were perhaps not top-shelf—New York cheddar has its place, but a cheese plate is generally not one of them—she didn't disagree. However, she also didn't think the results would be any different if the wines and cheeses were of a higher grade. no matter how fine the wine and pedigreed the cheese, the cheese would still diminish the intensity of the wine's flavors. She hastened to add that the fall-off in flavors caused by cheese, while statistically significant, is relatively small. The study didn't prove that red wine and cheese should never be paired. it merely debunked the idea that cheese somehow enhances a red wine's flavors. This certainly squares with my experience. I've never known a red wine to improve on account of cheese, but in most instances the combination produces an agreeable taste, and that's all I'm really looking for. I drink red wine with cheese mostly because I want some cheese before dessert, or in lieu of dessert, and prefer to wash it down with something besides water. I think that's true for most people who make a habit of mixing red wine and cheese (although some seasoned palates have long eschewed drinking red wine with cheese because they don't believe the one flatters the other. Michael Broadbent, the famed British wine expert, has been on a white-wine-and-cheese kick for years). Generally speaking, finding the right wine to go with the fish or the lamb is a much bigger concern than finding the right wine to go with the Pont l'Eveque. As for Heymann, her brief spin in the news cycle has left her with just one question. "If they have trouble with something this straightforward," she says of the

Biggest Loser. Before afterIn season six, parents and children and husbands and wives battled the bulge together. See their amazing weight loss.

Thanks to its alcohol content and non-alcoholic phytochemicals (natural occurring plant compounds), wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and slow the progression of neurological degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

However, the amount of wine you drink matters tremendously. Drink more than what’s recommended, your health benefits are lost and your health risks go up.

One drink is defined as a 5-ounce glass of red or white wine, 12 ounces of regular beer (1 bottle) or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

It’s been well documented that moderate amounts of alcohol can raise your good cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and thin your blood. This is thought to be one of the primary cardiovascular benefits from wine (red and white), as well as hard liquor and beer.

Non-alcoholic phytochemicals in wine, such as flavanoids and resveratrol, act as antioxidants and prevent molecules known as “free radicals” from causing cellular damage in the body. Although some studies which have focused on the health benefits of resveratrol use much greater dosages than you’ll find in an average glass of wine, resveratrol has been shown to prevent blood clotting and plaque formation in arteries by altering lipid profiles and plasma viscosity. Findings from a recent study suggest that resveratrol can produce potent anti-thrombotic agents that can potentially improve cardiovascular health and lower the risk for coronary heart disease. In animal studies, resveratrol reduced tumor incidence by affecting one or more stages of cancer development.

Red wine provides much more resveratrol compared to white. That’s because the longer the skin is kept on the grape during the wine making process, the greater the concentration of resveratrol in the wine. In the case of white wine production, the skin is removed before fermentation, giving white wines a lower concentration in resveratrol compared to red wines. Also, wines made in cooler climates have greater amounts of resveratrol too. Thus, red wine from cool climates have the most resveratrol.

The negative side of wineWine, however, is not for everyone. Certain medical conditions are worsened by the consumption of wine, so it’s vital you seek the advice of your personal physician. Here’s a few things to know.

High Triglycerides. One downside to wine consumption is that it can elevate triglyceride levels, which is associated with health problems such as diabetes. Those who already have high triglycerides should, therefore, avoid or dramatically limit their wine (and alcohol) consumption.

Breast Cancer Risk. Studies have shown alcohol can increase estrogen levels and raise tumor progression in women with (or at high risk for) estrogen positive breast cancer.

Migraines. Wine is often a big trigger for people who suffer with migraine headaches. Although white wine contains more sulfites than red wine (sulfites are added to white wine to preserve its light color), red wine seems to be a much bigger migraine trigger. That’s probably due to the accumulation of histamines and tannins from prolonged contact with the skin.

Five ounces white or red wine = approximately 120 calories. Drink a bottle of wine (4 glasses), and you’ll be consuming about 480 calories (that’s the equivalent of two 20-ounce Cokes!).

Other People's Pantries #53 | Main | Grains of paradise, a Pantry Special (Recipe. tagine of lamb with apricots)

Back in the day, which wasnt all that long ago, red wine vinegar stood front-and-center in most home kitchens. Back in the day, champagne vinegar was expensive, sherry vinegar was more expensive, raspberry vinegar was unheard-of, and cider vinegar was what happened when you didnt finish all of the apple cider in the jug from the local orchard. Back in the day, rice wine vinegar was used only for Asian cooking, by Asian cooks, and sold only in Asian markets. Back in the day, balsamic was elusive, the secret ingredient of chefs and a favored souvenir of travelers to Italy. Red wine vinegar -- affordable and available in every supermarket and mini-mart -- fulfilled almost every home cooks need for acid, back in the day. And, apart from distilled white vinegar that was used for cleaning windows and killing weeds and making pickles, it had the vinegar shelf in my pantry pretty much to itself.

These days that vinegar shelf is crowded, but red wine vinegar still plays an important role in my cooking, as an ingredient that brightens gravies, stews and sauces, and dresses salads with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients. How can you tell if the red wine vinegar you buy is a good vinegar? Theres no magic to it. buy vinegar made from a good wine. Vinegar should taste like its source. so, Italian red wine vinegar should taste like. Italian red wine! Much of the red wine vinegar you find in supermarkets tastes of acid, and nothing more. Thats okay. keep a bottle in your pantry to use for cooking, when your marinara needs a last-minute spoonful for balance, and expensive artisanal vinegar will be lost in the sauce. For salads and sauces that are more delicate in flavor, where the quality of the vinegar will be noticeable, use the best you can find, from a local vineyard or an online source like Zingermans or Dean+DeLuca. Or start with some leftover wine, and make your own. A self-preservative, vinegar will last in your pantry forever, or nearly so. Over time, it might get cloudy, or sediment might settle at the bottom of the bottle, but this will not affect the flavor. Back in the day, I used red wine vinegar for salad dressing. Period. Youll have much more fun with it. try red onion and orange salad, spicy grilled eggplant, sweet and sour red wine vinegar chicken, roasted red peppers, Moroccan style chicken and lentils, or red beans and rice. FENNEL, PEAR AND OLIVE SALAD

At dinner a few weeks ago, my friend Candy served me a delicious fennel salad, which inspired this recipe. Fennel (also called anise) bulbs are available year-round. When cooked, they turn sweet. raw, they taste of licorice, but in a good way. The acid in the wine vinegar, along with the mustard, helps to tenderize the thin slices. Serves 4-6

2 large fennel bulbs1 large (or 2 small) ripe Bartlett or red pear12 Kalamata olives, pits removed3 Tbsp red wine vinegar6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 tsp Dijon mustard1/2 tsp agave nectar (or honey), or 1 packet sugar substituteA pinch of kosher saltA pinch of fresh black pepper1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)Trim the fennel by cutting a slice off the root end, and removing the stalks down to the top of the bulb (reserve the fronds). Cut the bulb in quarters from top to bottom, so that each cut goes through the stem end. Remove the hard core from each quarter. Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, slice the fennel as thinly as possible. Place the slices in a mixing bowl. Chop a Tbsp or two of the reserved fennel fronds (the leafy part only), and add to the fennel slices. Core the pear, but do not peel. Slice very thinly, and add to the fennel. Slice the olives, and add to the fennel. In a small bowl, mixing cup or jar, add the vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, pepper, and agave. Whisk to incorporate (or shake the jar). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. it should have a strong mustard flavor, which will be balanced by the sweetness of the fennel. Pour over the fennel, toss well to combine, and set aside for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle cheese over the top, and toss well to combine.

Sounds good to me Lydia, back in the day, & here again today. I have a bottle of red wine vinegar & you give me so many ways to use it. Bless you!!

I enjoyed the walk down vinegar-related memory lane! I remember using only red wine as a kid. How things change!

Lydia, I believe the sediment that settles to the bottom is called "the mother". You can use this to start your own vinegar from red wine. Has anybody else heard this? My favorite brand of red wine vinegar is colivata. bright, slightly sweet and fruity.

I've never quite known what to do with fennel, but love the idea of this salad and the flavors. I recently got tired of the standard supermarket red wine vinegar, and bought a product made from oak barrelled Bordeaux. The very acidic flavor was about the same, so I need to keep shopping.

I use red wine vinegar in my pot roasts but this sounds great in this salad. It was interesing.the evolution of vinegar in a home cook's pantry.

Very fun introduction about red wine vinegar. This salad sounds like such an interesting combination of flavors, love it!

I love my red wine vinegar in my potato salad. I mix it with mayo. I miss summer foods! I love my sherry vinegar and my rice wine vinegar too. How vinegars how come along.

Julia, I've heard this too, and tried it, and it works! TW, I'm surprised the Bordeaux wine vinegar didn't have a more round taste. Yes, keep trying. Or start your own, maybe? Veron, I'm a fan of red wine vinegar in beef stews, too. A splash late in the cooking really does brighten the flavors. Maris, I never used to like raw fennel, but I found that slicing it very thinly and letting it "marinate" in something like mustard really does change the flavor and take away the harsh licorice taste. Cooked fennel is a completely different sensation -- soft and sweet. Give it another try! Dawn, I thin the mayo in my potato salad with mustard and vinegar, too.

Mimi, my vinegar collection keeps growing, too. I was amazed when I counted the different vinegars that I "must" have for everyday cooking. How did I live without them?! Peter, same here. I didn't always love fennel, but I do now.

Now I know I have never had pears with olives. I think I need to try that out to see what it taste like.

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The C-- group at Harvard is focused on the design and implementation of a portable low-level language to support many languages on many architectures. I am working with Joao Dias on expressing our generic code expansion phase as inference rules. This experiment should produce an expander phase that is more easily understood and serves as a case study in creating machine checkable proofs corresponding to rules for optimization. Previously, I designed and implemented the integer widening transformation that enables C-- to support narrow arithmetic efficiently.

The Varia project is concerned with issues of constructing optimizing compilers. I'm working with Kelly Heffner to express optimizations without assumptions about phase structure, ordering, or combination. We are writing optimizations using a declarative language and rules engine. This allows examination of a large space of interactions between transformations in great detail. As a starting point we hope to explain some of these interactions.

Varia. inference driven optimization. Kevin Redwine and Kelly Heffner. Harvard DEAS tech report TR us.

Widening integer arithmetic. Kevin Redwine and Norman Ramsey. In the 13th International Conference on Compiler Construction (CC 2004), April 2004. Describes a principled way to run 32-bit codes on a 64-bit machine. Shows which integer operators require sign extension, zero extension, or no extension.

Wine Away red wine stain remover has been revered by media critics worldwide for the past 12 years. Critics from

Tout its amazing stain removal ability.and we think that says more than telling you it works! Wine Away removes most red wine stains from carpet and fabrics without the use of bleach or phosphates. It has a fresh citrus scent and is safe to use around children and pets.

Main CookbookPremium Members can have more than one cookbook in this list. They can keep private cookbooks just for organizing their recipes, or share them publicly with friends or the world. Learn more

Wine vinegar is either made from red or white. Cooks use vinegar for many purposes such as. pickling, deglazing pans, marinating meats, making sauces and is found in certain desserts. Red wine vinegar is commonly used in the Mediterranean countries, being a common staple in most French homes. There are several different qualities of red wine vinegar. The longer the wine vinegar matures, the better it is. Most red wines can be matured up to two years. White wine vinegar is a moderately tangy vinegar that French cooks use to make Hollandaise and Béarnaise sauces, vinaigrettes, soups, and stews. It's also an excellent base for homemade fruit or herb vinegars. Ingredient Season. available year-round How to select. Available. year round in grocery stores along with other vinegars. Substitutions. red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, rice vinega, cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegarr, sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar

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Amazon. com Review The authors of Wine for Dummies and White Wine for Dummies have produced a handy primer on the fundamentals of red wine. After a brief introduction to the varieties of grapes and the seven classic types of red wine, the reader (and taster!) is introduced to the world's greatest offerings, including less recognized wines from Chile and Australia. The familiar Dummies-style Part of Tens includes 10 wine-tasting exercises using affordable vintages. Product Description If you're interested in expanding your wine horizons to include the reds, such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet, Red Wine For Dummies will help you through the maze of red wines. Wine connoisseurs Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan have tasted their way through the wine-growing regions of Northern California and France (as well as Oregon, Washington, New York, Australia, South America, and South Africa). The result of their ventures is a handy guide featuring more than 1,000 red wine recommendations, tips to help you pair red wine with food, a complete glossary of wine jargon, and a helpful wine vintage chart. You won't want to explore the world of red wine without this handy reference at your fingertips. See all Editorial Reviews

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Sonoma Valley, 5th. The Secret Wine Country (Hill Guides Series) by Kathleen Thompson Hill on page 87

This is one of the few wine books I've come across that goes out to the reader in plain everyday English. It does certainly make a complex subject a lot more approachable. A good introduction to red wine that answers the questions you were afraid to ask for fear of seeming to be ignorant. Read this before you go out and buy your first bottle of red wine and you'll enjoy it better!!

As I wrote in a previous review of The Sommelier's Guide to Wine, I am just beginning my introduction to the fascinating world of wine. While the former book has been invaluable, so has this - Red Wine for Dummies. As always, the language is very accessible and the subject material easy to understand, even when some of the more difficult or intimidating aspects of wine are discussed (such as when and why to decant, picking a wine, a guide to wine terms, etc.) The descriptions of the grapes themselves are marvelous. For example, here is the description for a Zinfandel (yes, Zinfandel is a red grape - White Zinfandel [all apologies to those who like it] is a wine made by ruining the grape). "The Zinfandel grape gives good color to the red wines made from it, along with bramble-berry fruit flavors and aromas and a spicy character. The intensity of the wine varies according to where grapes grew and how old the vines are. some very old (80 to 100 years) vineyards make wines that are full bodied and dense with flavor. More typically, Zinfandel makes wines that are medium bodied, with succulent fruit and medium tannin." Sure there are descriptions in fancy wine magazines that are more complete, but chances are you wouldn't have the slightest idea what they're talking about. This book also covers regions where wines are made, climates, soil, and everything that goes into producing a good red wine. It's a superb book for a beginner.

What a joy. This quick, fun read is well worth your time. Wine for Dummies is like having your own personal expert with a sense of humor. I live in Europe and applied this book to my studies of wine by buying bottles and tasting. The lessons in the back are fun and fantastic. Good reading and tasting!

Great Intro - but tune those olefactory senses As a complete beginner to the subject of red wine this is a great yet simple introduction to the major red wine and grape types.

This sweet red wine granita is quite possibly the sneakiest way to incapacitate boring (or bored) guests. Do your visitors think theyre too sophisticated to get plastered? Call it a Citrus-Infused Frozen Sangria Sorbet and theyll be downing Jager Bombs in no time. Having meatheads over to watch a UFC pay-per-view? Claim that your antioxidant-rich wine granita is so much more awesome than protein shakes, dude. If meathead responds with a double-leg takedown and refuses anything fermented grape, no worries a pint of fruity frozen beer will be sure to satisfy. This granita also wins the award for Best Use of Two-Buck Chuck or Carlo Rossi wine. Just admit that you have a few bottles hidden in the crisper drawer right now. Lightly spiced with cinnamon and cloves, the cheap wine nose and finish gets much improved without leaving your kitchen smelling like Christmas. Not that theres anything wrong with that.

2/3 cup granulated sugar zest of 1 orange juice of 1 orange juice of 1 lemon or lime 1 cinnamon stick 2 cloves 1/2 cup water 1 bottle red wine (750 ml) Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Over low heat, stir until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and maintain a gentle simmer for 3 minutes. Strain the liquid and return to the saucepan. Cover the saucepan and let cool to room temperature. Freeze the red wine mixture in the saucepan for at least 6 hours. For smaller ice crystals and a finer texture, mix the granita with a fork every 2-3 hours. The alcohol in the wine will keep your granita from freezing into a solid block of ice. Scrape the surface of the granita with a fork and serve in chilled glassware.

Your flavorings here are fantastic. I dig the promotion of cheap wine for something like this. My friends give me a hard time about about being snobbish when it comes to food and beverage, wait till I throw something like this at them. Thatll show em. By the way have I told you that I think your blog is wonderful? I think your blog is wonderful.

Yep! i agree, your blog is wonderful! i love red wine *hik* and i love granitas and making emthis sounds like a must-do soon! really, wonderful blog.

Im so making this tomorrow. Im already salivating. Its so much less conspicuous when eaten with a spoon as opposed to drinking it straight from the bottle.

Rainbow - Or you could claim that its the good stuff and serve in fancy-looking glassware. Theyll never know. Im glad you find it somewhat amusing js - just keep it away from the kids kevin - It turned into a pool of red 30 seconds later. Lightbulb was too close. esi - It smelled really good while heating up. ces - Will try ginebra with this. dee - Thanks! sweetbird - Hope you like it!

I mean sure, i MIGHT have a bottle of 2-buck chuck lying aroundso what? you dont know me! this looks really good. i just made a beer granita, but i may have to upscale to wine now.

Always good to read about MMA or UFC. Can I ask though - how did you get this picked up and into google news? Very impressive, is it something that is just up to Google or you actively created? Obviously this is a popular blog with great data so well done on your seo success..

[.] (Chicago, IL USA) of Apple Pie, Patis, and Pt prepared a Red Wine Granita. The granita has a great, dark, inviting color and is also be a great way to feed a crowd on the [.]

Wow, I cant begin to tell you how exciting I find this! In some parts of Sicily, granita is an important part of breakfast, I can see this being served instead of a glass of wine with a fresh carpaccio dish! Excellent idea! Thanks for sharing.

A drug already shown to reverse the effects of obesity in mice and make them live longer has now been shown to increase their endurance as well. Experts say the finding may open up a new field of research on similar drugs that may be relevant to the prevention of diabetes and other diseases. An ordinary laboratory mouse will run one kilometer on a treadmill before collapsing from exhaustion. But mice given resveratrol, a minor component of red wine and other foods, run twice as far. They also have energy-charged muscles and a reduced heart rate, just as trained athletes do, according to an article published online in Cell by Johan Auwerx and colleagues at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France. "Resveratrol makes you look like a trained athlete without the training," Dr. Auwerx (pronounced OH-wer-ix) said in an interview. He and his colleagues said the same mechanism seemed likely to operate in humans, based on analysis in a group of Finnish subjects of the gene that is influenced by the drug.

Their rationale for testing resveratrol was evidence obtained three years ago that it could initiate a genetic mechanism known to protect mice against the degenerative diseases of aging and prolong their life spans by 30 percent. Dr. Auwerx, whose interest is in the genetic control of metabolism, decided to see whether resveratrol would offset the effects of a high-fat diet, specifically the disturbances known as metabolic syndrome that are the precursors of diabetes and obesity. In his report, he and his colleagues say very large doses of resveratrol protected mice from weight gain and developing the syndrome. Dr. Auwerx attributes this in large part to the significantly increased number of mitochondria he detected in the muscle cells of treated mice. Mitochondria are the organelles in the body's cells that generate energy. With extra mitochondria, the treated mice were able to burn more fat and thus avoid weight gain and decreased sensitivity to insulin, Dr. Auwerx said. He found their muscle fibers had been remodeled by the drug into the type more prevalent in trained human athletes. Dr. Ronald M. Evans, an expert on the hormonal control of metabolism at the Salk Institute, said the report by Dr. Auwerx's team had "shown very convincingly that resveratrol improves mitochondrial function" and fends off metabolic disease. He described the study as "very important, because it is rare that we identify orally active molecules, especially natural molecules, that have such a broad-based, positive effect on a problem which is as widespread in society as metabolic disease." Dr. Ronald Kahn, director of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, said this research would focus more attention on a recently discovered group of enzymes called sirtuins that resveratrol is believed to affect. Noting that he is a scientific adviser to Sirtris, a company developing drugs that activate sirtuins, Dr. Kahn said that "certainly drugs that act on this class of proteins have the potential to have major effects on human disease." Dr. Auwerx's study complements one published this month by Dr. David Sinclair of the Harvard Medical School, who found that much more moderate doses of resveratrol protected mice from the metabolic effects of a high-calorie diet. Though his mice did not lose weight, they lived far longer than the undosed mice fed the same diet. The two studies were started and performed independently, Dr. Auwerx said, though he obtained supplies of resveratrol from Sirtris, which was co-founded by Dr. Sinclair, and has become a scientific adviser to it. A drug that prolongs life, averts degenerative disease and makes one into a champion athlete sounds almost too good to be true, especially if all or even some of its properties should turn out to apply to people. Dr. Christoph Westphal, Sirtris's chief executive, replied to this objection with a question, "Is it too good to be true that when you are young you get no disease?" Dr. Westphal said he believed that the activation of sirtuins was what kept the body healthy in youth, but that these enzymes became less powerful with age. This is the process that is reversed by resveratrol and, he hopes, by the more powerful sirtuin activator drugs that his company has developed, though many years of clinical trials will be needed to prove they work and are safe. The buzz over sirtuin activators has infected scientists who do research on the aging process, several of whom are already taking resveratrol. Dr. Sinclair has been swallowing resveratrol capsules for three years and has said his parents and half the members of his laboratory do the same. So does Dr. Tomas Prolla at the University of Wisconsin, who said, "The fact that investigators in the field are taking it is a good sign there is something there."

Q. I read in a magazine that red wine is good for my heart. What does it have that white wine doesn't? A. Belief in the medicinal value of wine is as old as wine itself. The Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America, sixth decennial revision, published in 1882, has listings for 14 different preparations of wine, from vinum album, or white wine, made from the unmodified juice of the grape, freed from seeds, stems, and skins, to vinum rubrum, or red wine, made by fermenting the juice of colored grapes in presence of their skins. The answer to your question lies in these grape skins. The deep, beautiful purple-red color of red wine is produced by a substance called anthocyanin, which is found in the skin of the grape. In addition to the color of red wine, we can thank anthocyanins for the deep red-purple-black color of black olives. and the berry-red color of strawberries, cherries, and raspberries. Anthocyanin is one of the four main groups of chemicals that together are called flavonoids. Found in many plants and especially in deeply colored fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are important chemicals in plants.

Research has shown many potential medical uses for flavonoids. For example, they regulate cell growth, function as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and prevent blood clots. Red wine may also reduce oxidative stress caused by increased blood glucose levels after meals, according to Antonio Ceriello, MD, and associates. In a research letter published in the December 1999 issue of Diabetes Care, Dr. Ceriello and associates presented data showing that consumption of two 5-ounce glasses of red wine with a meal by subjects with type 2 diabetes significantly reduced the compounds produced by the test meal that could cause vascular damage by the mechanism of oxidative stress. (Oxidation of LDL bad cholesterol causes fatty buildup in the arteries.)

The protective activity of white wine was only about 20 percent that of red wine. In a recent review article (Diabetes Care, May 2003), Dr. Ceriello suggests that large clinical trials have shown that antioxidant supplements such as vitamin E do not reduce coronary heart disease mortality or the damage caused by previously formed oxidation products. However, Dr. Ceriello also believes the antioxidant power of flavonoid-rich foods such as red wine, apples, onions, green tea, and other deeply colored foods may protect against the causes of oxidative damage when they are consumed daily as part of a healthy lifestyle. Only future research will settle this matter for good. Is a daily diet of multicolored fruits, nuts, and vegetables, delightfully consumed with red wine or green tea, good for the heart? If you're a scientist at heart, the answer is probably, but let's see more data. But if you're a poet at heart, you already know the answer. Sheldon H. Gottlieb, MD, FACC, is a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, in Baltimore, Md. He also directs the DiabetesHeart Failure Program at Johns Hopkins HealthCare, LLC.

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Bad news on the health front. No, it’s nothing like that. No operations involved, no amputations. But Newsweek magazine aided by “60 Minutes” are both nagging at me to drink red wine. The problem. I don’t like red wine. Never have. If you put a gun to my head, I will drink a chilled Kendall Jackson chardonnay, if I have the dough. If not, I will settle for Yellow Tail, about half the price. It is a Cobb Manor axiom that when dining out (a religious requirement), one must sample the wine as well as the dessert, otherwise stay home with the Hamburger Helper. I have tried mightily to like the red stuff, with the aid of vino impresario Jon Bailey, who once brought a $40 bottle of red to the house. I must admit I was impressed, but went right back to white. Red wine always seemed like medicine to me. Now, the evidence starts to mount that it is. The National Institutes of Health now recommends a daily glass of wine for women and two for men. We men need more to deal with the women. According to a UCLA study (would they lie?), “moderate alcohol intake” can lead to helping seniors to avoid disabilities that impede their abilities to walk, or dress and groom themselves. I don’t know about you, but I would like to walk, dress and groom myself just as long as I can. I spend half my waking hours looking for my keys and the rest of the time looking for the vehicles the keys are designed to operate. In animal trials (I love those), the UCLA study found that compounds such as polyphenols, which occur naturally in red wine, can inhibit the development of proteins that deposit in the brain and form the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. These lovely polyphenols are also contained in nuts, tea, berries and cocoa, according to the Journal of Biological Chemistry. But no one seems to be quite as excited as the red wine drinkers. And it’s hard to get nuts and berries in a glass at the Samoset Resort. Keep drinking. The study reported that “moderate wine drinking” (they stress that, repeatedly) helps boost the body’s omega 3 levels. European researchers reported in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that the fatty acids usually associated with fish oil are also in red wine and can help protect against coronary heart disease. Yes, a cabernet, waiter. The benefits of red wine may even extend to fighting lung cancer, the study reported. Analyzing the data from the UCLA study, the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reported that a single glass of red wine a month correlated to a lower lung cancer risk. (You can look it up in that issue of CEBP on your coffee table.) Men who drink one or two glasses of red wine a day saw a startling 60 percent drop in lung cancer risk, according to the study. As usual, the study reported that there are no similar benefits from my old friend white wine. Beer and liquor have none of the health benefits of red wine. Sorry. Naturally, smokers who drink red wine do not get the health benefits of red wine. Is anyone still smoking?Now, the killjoys at “60 Minutes” want to kill the rush to red wine. On Sunday night they reported on the benefits of a pill containing resveratrol. This latest miracle drug, they said, appears to work as a powerful antioxidant that helps quench free-radical damage in the body, and also has a unique mechanism of action that may prove to have significant life extension properties. Resveratrol also appears to protect DNA from free-radical damage and can play an important role in protecting cells from malignant transformation. Now, I am no fan of red wine, but if I must, I will sip away, rather than take a joyless little pill. On my shopping list now are MSN red wine recommendations under $14, which include Gala Rouge Pinot Noir, France, Georges Duboeuf Moulin-A-Vent, France, Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages, France, and Cavit Pinot Noir, Italy. Or maybe the smoother, fruitier Santa Cristina Sangiovese, Antinori, Italy, Beringer Founders’ Estate Merlot, California, Bogle Merlot, California, or Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot, Washington. It’s better than a sweaty trip to the YMCA. To your very good health, my dear. Send complaints and compliments to Emmet Meara at us .

Red wine vinegar is really easy to make at home. All you need is some leftover red wine, some water, red wine vinegar mother, and a few tools. You can look for red wine vinegar at your local homebrewing shop, but mine was out, so I ordered it online. It's basically "live" red wine vinegar which contains the bacteria

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Red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat." This old rule of thumb still works surprisingly well as a general reference, if you're willing to ignore such precedent-shattering delights as roast chicken with Cabernet Sauvignon or grilled salmon with Pinot Noir. But here's where the principle really breaks down. What's the best wine choice with vegetarian fare? Frankly, it's hard to be a serious wine lover and shun meat. The joy of a perfect match between a fine red wine and a rare steak or juicy leg of lamb, the delicious marriage between a first-rate white and a fresh fillet of fish. these things are simply too good to give up lightly. But now and then, to cut down fat consumption and for a change of pace, we'll choose a meatless dinner. As many of us move toward more heart-healthy cuisine, with lower fat and less animal flesh, the question of matching wine with vegetable entrees becomes one of more than academic interest. Unfortunately, it's also a little tricky. Over more than 5,000 years, wine has evolved as the perfect beverage to accompany food, and by and large, it has done so within a carnivorous culture that considers no meal complete without meat, poultry or fish. We've developed a taste for wines that present dry (non-sweet), tart qualities along with natural fruit flavors, because these flavor components complement the meats we eat. The steely acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc cuts through the "fishy" flavor of seafood as effectively as lemon juice. the tannins and tart-fruit taste of dry red table wines are as felicitious as the herbs that add piquancy to lamb, pork or beef. Until now, vegetables have played a supporting role, and rarely enter into the equations for matching food and wine. So I'd like to propose a set of new rules, based on similar principles, but without the meat.

For "red meat," substitute "brown vegetables." Lean, clean white wines with crisp acidity seem to dance best to the tune of delicate entrees fashioned from fresh green vegetables. So, if the centerpiece of your meatless meal is green and fresh, whether it's a spinach quiche, a vegetarian risotto or a bowl of green beans, break out the white wines and bubblies and serve them well chilled. (Just remember to avoid vinegar-based salad dressings, which "fight" with any wine.) Among other vegetarian entrees that seem to be designed for whites, try a bowl of Tuscan beans. White beans gently simmered in a Dutch oven with onion and a dash of sage, served with a drizzle of fruity olive oil, accompanied with a steely, inexpensive White Burgundy like a Macon-Villages or low-end Chablis. Or try chopping cabbage cooked until it's just crisp tender, and folding it with browned onion bits and lots of black pepper into mashed potatoes to make a warming, all-vegetable main dish that's just about perfect with the unctuous, faintly bitter dry quality of an Alsatian Riesling or Gewurztraminer. A creamy Fettuccine Primavera is a wonderful foil for a special Chardonnay, in which case you can even skip the vegetables entirely and simply present the fine white wine against the background of Fettuccine Alfredo. Meanwhile, when you're in the mood for a hearty red wine, it's time to trot out the robust vegetarian dishes featuring the "brown" vegetables -- beans, carrots, potatoes and the other winter root vegetables that stick to your ribs and comfort your soul. Hold the reds for the hearty vegetarian entrees that can harmonize. Macaroni and cheese, robust lasagnas, and, maybe best of all, the international range of filling bean-and-cheese dishes. A bean-and-cheese enchilada, for instance, provided that it's not so fiery hot as to demand beer as the only logical accompaniment, works almost as well as roast beef with reds, particularly the light, fruity reds such as Italian Dolcetto, French Beaujolais, or the California Beaujolais equivalent made from the Gamay grape. Add tomatoes to the mix, as in a hearty pasta e fagioli, the macaroni and bean dish that Sicilian dialect immortalizes as "pasta fazool," and you'll have a meatless dinner-in-a-dish that's just right with fruity red wines like the Italian Chiantis and the whole range of robust red wines from the Rhone Valley of France. The earthy flavor of eggplant makes another first-rate vegetable counterpoint to the melody of red wine, and adding cheese (as in Eggplant Parmigiana) makes it even better. Ditto for almost any entree involving fresh or dried wild mushrooms. The delicate earthiness of porcini, shiitakes, chanterelles and morels makes them a natural partner for the similar subtleties of the finest red Burgundies and other high-quality Pinot Noirs. Perceptive readers may already be noticing a pattern here, and it's a tough one for deeply committed dieters to bear. To make a vegetarian dish truly wine-friendly, it's almost necessary to include some fat or oil, either as an ingredient or in a component (like cheese, beans or tofu) rich in F-A-T. A totally lean meal somehow lacks the oomph to stand up to even the most delicate wines. Try a spear of celery with a sip of Chablis, and I think you'll see what I mean. A bit of butter, a handful of pine nuts, a mound of fresh-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, a drizzle of olive oil. these are the secret ingredients that turn a plate of vegetables into a dish that complements the wine in your glass. In my opinion, a non-meat meal every now and then is a decent way to cut back on fat a little, and even if you add some cheese or butter back, the percentages will work out OK. And the nicest thing about it is that a light vegetarian meal with a loaf of good bread and a glass of wine is one of the easiest ways to pamper yourself with a quick-and-easy repast that's good for you.

Filed under. shelley boettcher, chateauneuf-du-pape, rhone, around the world in 80 sips, mourvedre, bottlenotes, guide to wine, alyssa rapp

About 95 per cent of the wine coming out of Frances Rhone Valley comes from the Southern Rhone, a warm, hilly region with mild winters. One of the major wines of the region? Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Large volumes of wine at incredibly high standards, Chateauneuf-du-Pape creates complex blends from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre that age well, according tothe BottlenotesGuide to Wine. Around the World in 80 Sips by Alyssa Rapp, founder and CEP of Bottlenotes Inc. (Adams Media, 2008, $16.50). I dont mean to sound like a know-it-all -- Im far from it, in fact -- but Ill doublecheck the spellings beforeI rely on it formy next Scrabble game. Rapp spells mourvedre asmouvedre and apparently her editors nevernoticed the mistake. Still, its ahandy little spiral-bound book, with lots of useful information about wines and wine regions around the world (not just red wine regions). I especially like the personal taste profile at the beginning of the book, which helps guide readers towardwines they know theyll love. .

Even while health benefits of red wine remain debatable, a study claims to have discovered a process inside the human body which gives those fond of this drink a valid reason to say cheers! "It has often been observed that the French do not develop heart diseases despite bad eating habits. This phenomenon, referred to as the French Paradox, has often been attributed, even by scientific studies, to the consumption of red wine which contains a chemical compound resveratrol that is beneficial for the heart and has anti-cancer properties," the study conducted by the Bio-chemistry Department of Allahabad University says. Professor Syed Ibrahim Rizvi, the author of the study, which was presented at the National Symposium on Advances in Clinical Biochemistry held in Aligarh in November, 2008, said, "It has been baffling for scientists that under laboratory conditions, resveratrol is required in much higher amounts to show effects similar to what is observed under normal conditions"."Vitamin C is essential to regenerate Vitamin E, which plays a very important role in preventing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which in turn gives rise to several diseases related to the heart," Rizvi added. "This phenomenon offers a possible explanation to the health-promoting effects of resveratrol, even when consumed in moderate concentrations". "With this, people may also be rest assured that for health benefits, they need not consume large amounts of resveratrol-rich food like red wine, red grapes or pomegranate," he added.

Two teams of researchers from opposite sides of the country say they may have figured out how compounds found in red wine combat the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Now they are focusing their efforts into developing a possible treatment or cure. Scientists at UCLA, in collaboration with a team at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, recently announced their findings that grape seed-derived polyphenols block and neutralize the toxic plaques that build up in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and kill brain cells. Two proteins known as amyloid-beta peptides are associated with Alzheimer's. These long protein strands tend to clump together, forming plaques that kill surrounding brain cells. The UCLA and Mt. Sinai researchers found that the grape polyphenols blocked the formation of the plaques. They also found that the polyphenols decreased the toxicity of the plaques when the compounds were bonded with amyloid-beta peptides before being added to brain cells. "If the amyloid-beta proteins can't assemble, toxic aggregates can't form, and thus there is no toxicity," said co-author David Teplow, a UCLA neurology professor, in a statement. "Our work in the laboratory, and Mt. Sinai's Dr. Giulio Pasinetti's work in mice, suggest that administration of the compound to Alzheimer's patients might block the development of these toxic aggregates, prevent disease development and also ameliorate existing disease." Earlier research by Pasinetti also found that Cabernet Sauvignon reduces the levels of amyloid-beta peptides in mice's brains. The results were published in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of Biochemistry. Teplow also said that questions remain about whether the best potential treatment will be natural polyphenols or a synthesized lab version. "The answer depends on the therapeutic dose determined in clinical trials and whether dietary introduction of the polyphenols will produce these levels in the brain," he said. "It may be possible, for example, to create a pill that concentrates the appropriate polyphenols and thereby produces therapeutic doses in the brain." The UCLA team isn't the only one making progress in the fight against Alzheimer's. In mid-November, speaking at the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting in Washington, D. C., researcher Valorie Vingtdeux, of the Manhasset, N. Y., based Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, offered an alternative theory for how red-wine compounds may help in the fight against Alzheimer's. Vingtdeux and her team have found that the red wine compound resveratrol appears to activate a specific enzyme that controls amyloid-beta peptide levels. The enzyme is called AMPK. When levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule used by cells as an energy source, drop, AMPK is activated. The enzyme prepares the body's cells for the metabolic change. Vingtdeux observed that it also lowers amyloid-beta levels. In her research, overseen by noted Alzheimer's researcher Philippe Marambaud, she found that resveratrol also activates AMPK, which then lowers the amount of the dangerous amyloid-beta peptides in the brain. Feinstein Institute scientists are now screening a litany of chemicals to see whether there are any compounds that could mimic the effects of resveratrol. The amounts found in grapes and wine are too small to have a benefit, so Vingtdeux's team is looking to develop a synthetic version. Furthermore, the scientists are still unclear on how resveratrol activates AMPK. Both the UCLA and Mt. Sinai teams and the Feinstein Institute are exploring clinical trials with humans. Much more research remains to be done. "Resveratrol in grapes may never reach the concentrations required," said Marambaud. "However, grapes and wine contain more than 600 different such components. We cannot exclude the possibility that several compounds work in synergy with small amounts of resveratrol to slow down the progression of the neurodegenerative process in humans."

A rich dessert, such as homemade truffles, with one of these eight luscious sweet wines is a surefire way to make a match on Valentine's Day

Until recently, the red wines of Spain have been a well-kept secret. Now Spanish bodegas are creating some of the finest wines in the world. We have selected for you a representative selection from leading Spanish vintners, including celebrated examples from La Rioja and Ribera del Duero. NOTE. Orders containing wine require an adult signature upon delivery. Please arrange for delivery at an address where you can receive the package in person during the day. A $4.00 UPS adult signature charge applies to each order containing wine.

Your search for exquisite and classically elegant red wine glasses ends here. The posh, crystal stemware from Silhouette offers you something that will change the way you drink wine forever. It's a known fact, the world's best red wines all taste better when they are enjoyed in a sensuously sleek and perfectly stemmed wine glass. Having the right set of red wine glasses not only makes your wine experience memorable, it can add excitement to your entertaining by becoming a topic of conversation. Emerson stated it eloquently..Love of beauty is Taste. the creation of beauty is Art. The creators of Silhouette have designed a unique, crystal stemware to fulfill your love of artistry, wine, and taste. Millions of red wine lovers have proclaimed that flavor of wine is enhanced by its aroma. Silhouette's unique design focuses on the sense of smell to heighten the enjoyment of the wine enthusiast's experience. Once you become a proud owner of Silhouette glassware, you'd have the privilege of.

The unique rim design of Silhouette's red wine glasses sets it worlds apart from ordinary stemware or glassware.

The Silhouette's crystal walls gently wrap around your nose closing off all outside olfactory influences allowing you to intimately engage the wine's true essence and freshly aerated aromas.

Take this ultimate conversation piece to your favorite restaurant, cocktail party or elegantly display it on your dinner table and sip your favorite wine while maintaining eye contact with friends and loved ones.

Each Silhouette wine glass is guaranteed to give you the ultimate wine drinking, multi-sensory enjoyment. Silhouette has won accolades from distinguished chefs to wine enthusiasts alike. We are confident that you will enjoy your Silhouette glassware. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, feel free to return the wine glass in its original box and condition for a full refund with in 30 days of its purchase. The introductory offer is only available for a limited time. So contact us now with your order and begin enjoying the finest of red wines with the finest crystal wine glasses in the world! We eagerly wait to hear from you us. all you need to do is fill in the form and we'll take care of the rest.

Winesworld. com winesworld. net winesworld. no winesworld. se vinblogg. no In Winesworld’s wine guide there are only red wine and only bottles with 75 cl.

We encourage you all to add your own dice to the wine you have tasted. The wine guide will be richer and better for all. Your own dice !

Winesworld is a friendly wine guide for amateurs, by amateurs. Red wine, wine tasting and ratings. Yuck! Hmm.. A good wine A very good wine Great wine! This was probably expensive!

Researchers are developing a pharmacy grade resveratrol, which has been identified as the red wine component that protects the heart and may increase healthy life span

Featured resveratrol on their January 25, 2008 segment, spiking interest in the revitalizing, anti aging substance. Resveratrol is abundance in red wine and may be part of the reason for the many health benefits attributed to wine. The video of the segment can be seen on the CBS website.

Red wine has been the subject of health studies for its possible protective benefits for years. Wine, particularly antioxidant rich red wine, appears to protect people against the ravages of cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, and obesity. Although red wine appears to beneficial to health, doctors are very cautious about recommending drinking it to patients because of the risks of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The news about the health benefits of red wine is exciting for people who enjoy a glass along with their dinner. However, the good news about red wine should not be taken as carte blanche to drink alcohol to excess. Although there are many healthful components in red wine, resveratrol is breaking out as the substance with major protective and anti-aging benefits. Resveratrol can be found in various fruits, the best source is from red wine. The resveratrol in wine comes from the skins of the red grapes used to make the wine. The skin of the grape appears to protect the grape from bacteria and fungi.

Correspondent Morley Safer interviewed Dr. Christoph Westphal about their research on resveratrol. Dr. Westphal stated We all may soon be taking a drug that just might beat the clock, a simple pill that could delay the inevitable. Our goal is to prevent and forestall many of the diseases that strike us as we reach 50, 60, and 70. All with one pill. When Safer asked Dr. Westphal if a rejuvenation drug would turn a 70 year old into a 35 year old, Westphal replied, That might be pretty hard to do. But I think if we're on a train heading one direction, we can slow down that train. I think we can slow down these genes that control the aging process.

According to Dr Westphal, their pharmaceutical grade resveratrol should be on the market within five years. In the meantime, resveratrol supplements are currently available in health food stores and on line. The challenge to consumers is to find a supplement with high quality and consistent standards. People who prefer to get their resveratrol through their diet can enjoy red wine with dinner. It would be impossible to duplicate the strength of the dosage by drinking because the Sirtirs pharmacy grade supplement would supply the amount of resveratrol in 1,000 bottles of red wine. Brain Healthy Foods May Delay Aging Cranberries Long Term Urinary Health Benefits Apple Juice May Delay Alzheimer's Disease

If you don't have one of those fancy brand name stain removers you could use 100 ml of milk. Simple and 100% effective for wine stains. Producer Rewards. Earned $313

True I heard it on a radio before but didn't try it, so I think it really works, thanks for showing. Rated and dugg

Nice video Nice trick. I'll prefer to use milk.In order to have more White Wine to drink..-D 5 Stars and a digg.

Very interesting idea Hi! I didn't heard about this before. Thank you. And next time I'll try it to remove wine stains. Will it work with colored cloth?

Nothing Like It! I've tried salt - I've tried vinegar - I've tried soda water. I've thrown away so many red-wine-stained clothes I can't count! Today I spilled about 1/2 glass right down the front of a pale green fleece vest and found your website. I poured about a pint of plain 1% milk into a large bowl, and soaked the whole front of the vest for 2 hours --- VOILA! I can't even find where the stain WAS!!! The most amazing, awesome stain-remover I've ever heard of!! And always available when needed! Thank you.thank you.thank you!

Fantastis and Simple!!! This is such simple idea and yet people do not realize that in the past people were able to function with no extras like SHOUT' and still their cloths were snow white. Also presoaks your whites and adding white vinegar to last rinse whitens your clothes during the rinsing process the vinegar neutralizes the soap that was left in the fiber. Try it! Thank you for an EXCELLENT and EDUCATIONAL Video!.Lotus

Don't waste your time..Club soda takes fresh red wine stains out instantly. You should always have a few cans of it around. Dab with paper towel to clean up the club soda. Try it!