This according to the website of the medical journal Cell Metabolism (as per Wine Spectator online).

Yet another article about resveratrol and its benefits. This one seems to contradict others that suggested that resveratrol extends life expectancy. Here the “researchers said the compound helps keep the bones, eyes, kidneys, heart and other muscles in mice healthier as they age, though without increasing the animals’ overall lifespan”.

The study compared the effects of resveratrol to those of another life enhancing therapy - caloric restriction (CR), (more…)

Those who know me well know that there is little in this world that I enjoy more than a good rare steak and a fine bottle of red. As a matter of fact I have a bunch of friends I might never see if not for our steak & wine nights. Forget that, I have friends who might not actually be friends if not for the steaks I grill & the wine I bring (kidding fellas - I hope).

But seriously, I was elated when I read an article recently in the Economist “Of Sommeliers and Stomachs”. Scientists from my beloved Israel have determined that compounds in red wine “thwart the formation of harmful chemicals that are released when meat is digested”. Is that unbelievable or what!?!! The research was led by Joseph Kanner of the Hebrew University (my new favorite person!). Not being scientifically inclined, I’d encourage you to read the article for yourselves. But in essence, toxins found in high fat foods (such as a nice rare steak) are combated by the polyphenols found in red wine at the moment that they meet in the stomach. This seemingly prevents the “toxic materials from getting any farther into the body” - he knows, he did some nasty experiments with rats that you can read about in the article.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Steak & red wine is good for you. Cheers & eat up!

Happy wine & steak tasting!

WTG

I was recently made aware of an interesting article about hangovers in the New Yorker.  Needless to say I do not condone drinking in excess, but every once in a while it happens - and leads to the inevitable hangover.  Yes I have learned a lot about my own tolerance and I respect alcohol (and wine in particular) enough to ENJOY it and not ABUSE it.  BUT, that same love of wine has made saying “no thank you” very challenging when someone offers another glass of the good stuff - leading to the unfortunate “one too many” (or as the case may be and article is called “A few too many”).

(more…)

A real quick weekend post. I have written plenty about the health benefits of wine and my affinity to Israel has also been well documented on this site. So when I stumbled on the following post I knew I had to re-post it here for all of you. Enjoy the article, “Researchers Develop White Wine With Health Benefits Similar To Red”.

Happy healthy WHITE wine tasting!

WTG

Cheers to red wine & a longer life!!!

The NY Times had a few wine related articles today.   The first, discussed a topic that has been written about frequently here, that of “resveratrol” - the wonder-drug contained in red wine.  Previous reports had indicated that the amount of resveratrol in wine were nowhere near enough to be effective from simple wine consumption.  But one of the sources in todays article notes “a mere four, five-ounce glasses of wine “starts getting close” to the amount of resveratrol they found effective”, as opposed to previous studies that determined that “to gain (sufficient) dosages people would have to drink more than 100 bottles of red wine a day”. An interesting read that can be found here.

The other article titled “What’s the Peppery Note in Those Shirazes?”, talked about Australian (where Shiraz originated) researchers who sought to find out why there are peppery notes in Australian Shiraz.  (more…)

I brought up the red wine compound resveratrol in a post early last week. Discussing yet another article I found (thanks to Wine Spectator online emails) that brought up studies regarding the health benefits of resveratrol.

Well, I got another email today, this time discussing researchers in Taiwan who believe that the benefits of resveratrol are most effective not when taken orally, rather when received through the skin, as is possible through a patch.

Click here for the complete article.

Who would’ve thunk it, a patch to get your red wine fix

Happy….red wine…..wearing?????….creative consuming……ahhh, I don’t know. Drink up!

WTG

I’ll be attending the Wine Enthusiast “Toast of the Town” tasting later today and will have a full report posted by tomorrow. In the meantime I want to write a quick post about a compound found in red wine that is frequently mentioned as its health benefits have been cited in multiple studies.

Resveratrol is the antioxidant compound found in the skins & seeds of grapes. Since red wine is made by extracting color and flavors from the skins (and generally has the seeds in place during fermentation) Resveratrol is found (in low levels) in red wine.

I bring this up today simply as Wine Spectator online has an article in its Wine & Health section that cites two studies taking place where researchers are examining the benefits of harnessing Resveratrol & using it to treat cells associated with diseases. The article can be found here.

It should be noted however that studies surrounding Resveratrol in red wine have shown that one needs to consume a massive amount of red wine to realize the benefits Resveratrol has to offer. And while many still believe that regularly drinking (moderate amounts) of red wine is healthy, they are unsure if one reaps any of the health benefits Resveratrol has to offer from normal wine consumption. That said there is extensive research being done to find ways to administer Resveratrol in methods other than red wine consumption and the article mentions an R & D company researching Resveratrol that was recently purchased for $172M…so there must be something to this…

Happy HEALTHY COMPOUND wine tasting…& Happy Monday!

WTG

I used whatever time I had this (late) evening to peruse some wine blogs and other wine related write ups but sadly came away with nothing of special interest to write about. I considered writing about the wonderful wine tasting I led last night for a group of about thirty 20 & 30 somethings, but the truth is the event was a fund raiser and the guests were more interested in mingling & DRINKING the wine, than hearing some dude talk about wine. There were several guests who did engage me in wine conversation, but in the end the “informal talk” I was going to give became very informal small talk with select guests.

That said, I feel compelled to write about something, so how about a quick plug for wine and its corresponding health benefits. (more…)

Please accept my apologies for the infrequent posts of late.  This pre-Passover wine season has me running around to tastings and writing all kinds of articles.  I have also been plugging away at my Israel wine project.  BUT, I have not forgotten you, my loyal readers.  I hope you find the following information both informative and useful…

I have over the past few years encountered many people who have informed me that they can not drink red wine as they are allergic or it gives them headaches.  Generally, the people speak of the “sulfites” that wine has added (to prevent spoilage) as the cause of their reaction/headache.  I had learned while taking a class at the CIA in Napa that this reaction to wine as a result of SULFITES was a myth.  Instead, I was informed that it can be any of the hundreds of compounds found in wine (the same compounds that give wine their various aroma’s) that the person is reacting to.

Many of the people were not convinced, and insisted that they knew what they were allergic to.  Well, I am writing about this topic today as Jennifer Fiedler of Wine Spectator wrote a brief piece (found here) in the Health Q & A section.

Fiedler quotes Fred Freitag, associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic, who verifies that it is likely neither sulfites nor histamines, two frequently quoted culprits, that are the likely cause of headaches.  Freitag says that the likely causes are either; alcohol, tyramine, or as I had previously learned, and of the chemical compounds found in wine.

For more info read the full article…

Happy & HEALTHY wine drinking!

WTG

I recently blogged about proposals to lower the drinking age in several states (”States Weigh Lower Drinking Age“), many with some caveats.

Last week, Eric Asimov, the New York Times wine writer took things a step further when he wrote an article “Can Sips At Home Prevent Binges?”.

The topic is especially relevant this time of year considering the upcoming Passover Seder and its mandated 4 cups of wine. (more…)