Wine Down Wednesday

We all love our weekly glass of vino, and here's a few more reasons to cheers:

• The French Paradox- It's science! Researchers found it odd that individuals who lived in France had lower incidences of heart disease despite their high fat diets and consumption of wine with each meal.  One thing they contribute to this phenomenon is certain phenolic compounds found in wine actually protect against oxidation which can lead to heart disease (1).
• Wine boosts Memory- Careful with this one, because too much wine can lead to just the opposite.  However, recent studies have shown wine consumption to reduce the risk of both Alzheimer's and dementia (2).
• Wine drinkers tend to eat healthier & exercise more- It seems that wine consumption fits well into a healthy diet.  In fact, researchers have found that indulging in a glass or two doesn't lead to weight gain (3), provided you are staying active
• Wine promotes longevity- Likely attributed to the things mentioned above, both high-wine-consumption and low-wine-consumption among individuals has shown reduced mortality risks compared with those who abstain from alcohol (3).

In addition to these health benefits, wine is a great compliment to a delicious healthy meal! Here are a couple tips on serving the right wine with your next meal:

• Richer foods usually go well with richer, heavier wines while lighter foods demand light wines
• Red wine typically is served with red meat, white wine with white meat and fish, and sweet wine with desserts
• Serving temperatures should be lower for white (45-50 degrees Fahrenheit) than for red wines (50-60 degrees Fahrenheit)
• There is a right and wrong way to hold a wine glass-- Wine glasses should always be held by the stem and not the bowl because the heat of the hand will raise the temperature of the wine
• Not all wines improve with time. In fact, a vast majority of wines produced are ready to drink and do not have much potential for aging. Only a rare few will last longer than a decade

So uncork a bottle tonight & toast to good health!

1) Renaud, S. & Guegen, R. (1998). The french paradox and wine drinking. Norvartis Foundation Symposium, 216, 208-217.

2) Vasanthi, H., Paramesawri, R., Deleiris, J., & Das, D. (2012). Health benefits of wine and alcohol

3) Barefoot, J., Gronbaek, M., Feaganes, J., McPherson, R., Williams, R. & Siegler, I. (2002). Alcoholic beverages preferences, diet, and health habits in the UNC alumni heart study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76(2), 466-472.