Okay, we don't have all the answers, no one does!  Studies are still being conducted to find out how much of a benefit drinking wine (and beer and hard liquor) can have on your body.  We found an article that summed up the answer pretty well on MSNBC, written by Joy Bauer MS, RD, CDN(a contributor to the TODAY show).  Click here to view the article.

 

A recent discovery that you should know about is resveratrol, which is found in large quantities in many red wines, especially Pinot Noir.  There have been several studies that in animals it can prolong life by 20% - a real miracle.  It works by activating survival genes that are normally only active during starvation, and improving the body's ability to fight off cancers and diseases.

 

We found that there is a difference between white wines and red wines.  Mainly, red wines are fermented in their skins, keeping the valuable phytonutrients in the wine.  (The skins on almost any vegetable or fruit pack the most nutrients.) These phytonutrients are an antioxidant, protecting your cells from free radicals. Alcohol alone helps you out by boosting the good cholesterol, and it has been suggested that it reduces the risk of heart disease.

 

So whether it be white or red, one (5 oz) glass for women and two (5 oz) glasses for men can have positive effects.  Drink more than that, and it becomes a risk factor rather than a benefit.  Also to get an extra boost, select wines that come from colder climates or have to struggle more to survive. They will have a bigger punch of the good stuff!

 
Some warnings...if you have thin blood already, alcohol makes it thinner; it can increase horomones, which can lead to a higher rate of breast cancer; and increases triglycerides.  Please use caution when consuming any alcoholic beverage.

This velvety, structured wine has hints of red and black berries, with a hint of black pepper and vanilla. We think it is probably one of the best Malbecs we've ever had.  And at $10.99, it's a steal.  Pair this with steak, mushrooms, pasta, and anything roasted. 

Winemaker's Notes:

The Malbec grapes are sourced from two mountain vineyards, both planted more than 50 years ago. The grapes are hand-harvested into small lugs, hand-sorted, crushed and cold-macerated at the winery for 4 days. The wine is then fermented at controlled temperatures with native yeasts in stainless steel for 15 days and inoculated with the winery’s own malolactic organisms. After this it is aged for 8 months, partly in French barriques, partly in stainless steel. The result is a wine of rich bouquet, lively mouth-feel, lingering flavors of red and black berries with undertones of black pepper and vanilla, and a velvet texture throughout.

86 points -Wine Spectator
90 points - Wine Enthusiast
Ranked 91 on Wine.com's 100, a list of the top 100 wines based on customer preferences.

Wine Dictionary

Phylloxera (fihl-lock-sir-ah)

This tiny aphidlike insect pictured right
attacks the roots of the grapevine.  It then sucks out the nutrients and water, starving the vine, thus causing lower fruit yields.  Although the wine's taste isn't affected, but eventually replanting is needed.  The problem with this is that new vines produce a lower quality until it matures, which can take 8-10 years, or more!  It has been thought to be indigenous to the eastern U.S. and the native rootstocks are reasonably resistant to this parasite. Vitis Vinifera, a rootstock native to Europe and Central Asia, is much more susceptible to phylloxera.  This rootstock, which makes up a majority of the world's wine production, encountered phylloxera in the 1860's from vine cuttings from the U.S.  Many parts of Europe, especially France, were completely devastated, and then it spread to California, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.  Paradoxically, the solution was to graft the rootstock from North America to the Vitis Vinifera, making the vines much more resistant to the little bugger. There are a few places in the world that have never been invaded, mostly because of the exotic location or inhospitable soil.  This includes some parts of Australia, Argentina, and Chile, as well as island vineyards on Crete, Cyprus and Rhodes.

Next Month: Why does it matter how old the vines are?
View August article