The Daily Mail (5 May 2008) reports on the findings of Dr Roger Corder (The Red Wine Diet) on the health benefits of RED wine:-
Far more important are polyphenols, the chemical compounds in grape skin and seeds. These are natural antioxidants which protect the membranes of each cell.
Another important element of red wine are procyanidins, which help to reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol and protect against hardening of the arteries.
The most procyanidin-rich wines tend to be those in which the grapes – including skins and seeds – have remained in contact with the wine during fermentation and afterwards.
Such information is seldom seen on wine bottles – you’d find it by scouring producers’ websites (look for contact time of at least ten days for good amounts of procyanidins).
Two wine-growing regions which boast high concentrations of procyanidins are the Nuoro province in Sardinia (which produces the Cannonau grape), and Madiran in the Pyrenees.
Madiran AOC wines from South West France have certainly become more widely known as a result of this research – the Tannat grape producing big, and potentially tannic wines – and some of the best cuvées ensure that those big tannins are smooth and balanced with plenty of fruit character! – e.g the wines of Domaine Berthoumieu and Chateau d’Aydie.
Cannonau-based wines from the Italian island of Sardinia remain less well-known – Cooden Cellars stocks a Triente 2006 from Pala :”A very intense perfume leads into a fresh palate with rich flavours of mature red fruits and hints of herbs. Good match for spicy foods and oily fish.” (£9.99)
In attempting to donate blood once, my wife was refused on the grounds her haemoglobin was too low. The doctor said the quick cure was to “drink red wine and eat dark chocolate” so there’s another recommendation for red wine!
The bible quotes wine extensively as being medicine, with Jesus turning water into wine for celebration and Paul admonishing Timothy “Take a little wine for thy stomach’s sake”
I think in years to come scientista and food nutritionalists are going to discover a whole new world of wonder in wine. I enjoyed this post, it is refreshing to read such wisdom!
[...] I confess to being a little cynical about the various health scares and advice when it comes to food and wine! Unless there is clear and substantial medical evidence (as there has been with cigarettes) then I tend to take the view that most things are OK in moderation. For some time there has been a body of medical opinion that wine in moderation can be good for you – e.g. reducing blood pressure risks. The Wine Diet by Roger Corder in his book “The Red Wine Diet” suggested that red wines from two small regions, one in South West France, the other the island of Sardinia, have the the highest concentrations of a chemical that underlies the wine’s benefits for cardiovascular health – see.RED wine is good for you! [...]