Are There Health Benefits From Drinking Red Wine?
October 18th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
With so much conflicting information, it’s hard to know what you should or shouldn’t be eating and drinking to stay healthy. While there is no firm medical proof, most studies point to health benefits from drinking red wine.
What Can Red Wine Do?
While red wine and Fruit Wine isn’t considered a cure all (and certainly not a substitute for visiting your doctor), there are some widely agreed upon benefits to drinking red wine. The most promising benefit is that red wine is believed to protect against certain forms of cancer & heart disease. In fact, some studies show up to a 30%-50% reduction in heart disease of those who consumed a glass of red wine each night. It also appears to have a positive effect on cholesterol & blood pressure. And finally, drinking red wine has been shown to lower the risk of heart attacks in middle-aged (30-50 years old) adults.
Why Red Wine?
Experts started to study the benefits of red wine and Liqueurs when they started to notice a correlation between populations who drank red wine regularly and lower incidences of disease. This was especially evident in the Mediterranean region, where red wine is plentiful. They also studied the so-called “French Paradox,” where the French have a lower rate of heart disease and obesity even though they consume a higher-fat diet. Most of the benefits of red wine come from the antioxidants present in it. Studies show that red wine has a high concentration of antioxidants, which are known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. The antioxidants have been found to increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind of cholesterol) and help prevent blood clots and plaque from forming on arteries.
How Much Should I Drink to See the Health Benefits of Red Wine?
Most experts believe that it takes very little to see the health benefits of red wine and Homemade Wine Recipes. Moderation is truly the key – one glass of wine per day for women and one or two glasses for men. Keep in mind, as well, that a glass of wine is considered to be four ounces. This isn’t to say that you should be drinking a bottle of red wine each night. In fact, most experts believe that the health benefits of red wine are lost if wine is consumed to excess. There is also the concern that those who have a family history of alcoholism or other pre-existing health conditions should not be drinking red wine. In these cases, the benefits do not outweigh the risks.
So, why not give a wine gift basket with a favorite red wine and complimentary food items to a special friend, family member or business associate?
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Preparing To Make Your Own Wine Making
October 7th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Everyone wants to make beer right? Afterall, “home brew” is just cool. But making your own wine: now THAT is “high society cool.” But you can’t just jump into wine making. Think of it as the next logical step after making your own beer.
Just like beer, don’t expect to get a perfect tasting wine on your first go-round. You’re going to have to take their time to perfect the recipe and aging process.
First and foremost in wine making, you gotta keep things clean and sterile. What this means is that your garage probably isn’t the best place to start up your little at-home winery. A quiet corner in the basement may be a better idea.
Patience is another must that you have to have. Good wine ain’t made in a week! There’s this little process called “fermentation” that can take months or years to get right. Don’t be tempted to take sips every other day either.
The actual art of making wine has been around since Bible times and before. The recipes and the styles of wine have changed but the process is just about the same as it always has been. You may find the recipes have different ingredients, temperature requirements, yeast, and fruits. (the best wines are fruit blends by the way)
All that really matters is that you are making your own stuff at home. Even if you screw it up, you will at least be one step closer to your goal of being “high society cool!” You may succeed or you may fail, but either way you will have enjoyed the experience.
You can find all the information and basics of wine making online and in other literature. Just like home brewed beer, there are plenty of starter kits available to help you make that red or white wine you have been dreaming about. Best of luck!
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A Look at Ice Wines
September 26th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Ice Wine - Unique And Distinctive Wine
From a highly generalized standpoint, pairing wines with food goes something like this: Ice wines are typically paired with seafood, chicken, turkey, Chinese food, and on occasion, pork. When serving or consuming beef, roasts, filet mignon, lamb, duck, veal, or pastas, red wines are the standard. More important than pairing wine with food, however, is paring types of wine with the consumer. If ice wine is not enjoyable to you, then you certainly won’t order it to compliment your sautéed scallops. Choose instead a type of wine that suits your individual tastes.
When investigating types of wine, there are a few stand-outs within our two categories. When seeking ice wine, some common choices are chardonnay, white zinfandel, sauvignon Blanc, and Johannesburg Riesling. The majority of these types of wine are bottled in California, as the conditions of the state are impeccable for growing and harvesting wine grapes. These types of wine range from the very dry to sweet and unlike reds are typically not aged in wood barrels. This preserves their freshness and unique flavor of these types of wine.
How to Determine Ice Wine:
For bold, daring wine consumers, we have the red wines. Of these types of wine, many are bottled in California as well. A typically dry and more acidic option, red wines are typically aged in wood in order to achieve their bold, deep flavor. Types of wine to look out for include cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, zinfandel and petit syrah. The color of these types of wine may vary from a blush to a deep burgundy. The color of red wine is from the skins of the grape, not from the juice.
Although types of wine vary greatly, and you are certain to find one that suits your palette, do not hesitate to broaden your horizon of wine consumption. The types of wine available to the public are certainly worth investigating and most importantly, enjoying. Wine that is kept, collected and protected in suitable condition will age nicely and will turn into vintage wines. However, if your wine collection is not properly cared for, well, you’ll know. The quality of the wine collection will deteriorate and a wine expert will be able to tell that your wine has been ill-treated.
Considerations:
First of all, do extensive research on the many different types of wines there are in the market. Some wines are meant to be kept and stored over a long period of time, some are not. Books on wine collection should be bought and if you’re at all serious about wine collection spend some time reading through them and understand the different types of wines and the way that they should be kept. If keeping and reading books on wine is not your glass of wine, you can do your research on the internet. Either way, there’s a wealth of information on wine that you can find. Explore, absorb and remember.
You can also find more info on Wine Tours In Southern California and Best Wine. Bestwinetourguide.com is a comprehensive resource to known more about wine.
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