The New Wine Diet: How Adding Wine to Your Meal Could Also Add Years to Your Life
September 28, 2009
You like to look and feel great-and you love your glass of red wine at dinner-but conventional diet gurus say you can’t have both.
How can you rationalize keeping the wine when you want be healthy?
If you think that you have a tough decision to make, then think again, because most diet plans don’t take into account all of the latest facts.
More and more studies are showing that although there are about 120 calories in a six-ounce glass of red wine, you should not stop having wine at dinner, because there are too many significant long-term health benefits and they outweigh the mere calorie intake.
In fact, wine might even be considered the new health drink.
For example, heart disease is the number one killer in the US and clinical studies have proven that, in moderation, men can lower the risk of heart disease by 50% by drinking two glasses of red wine a day. And women can reduce their risk by almost 30%, by drinking one glass of red wine a day.
Another top killer is cancer. Because red wine contains antioxidants, which scavenge destructive free-radicals that cause cellular damage, drinking wine in moderation will help prevent certain types of cancer such as prostate, colon and skin cancer.
Wine also helps our body to excrete excess sodium, so red wine acts like a diuretic, which lowers our blood pressure.
And in recent years, research studies have trumpeted a growing list of health problems that red wine can help fight such as arthritis, cataracts and kidney dysfunction. And, a new study in mice holds out hope for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
If this list doesn’t convince you that red wine should remain on your table at dinner and be long term part of your life, then check this out-wine helps reduce stress and digestive problems.
So, if you are a busy person and live life in high gear (as so many of us often do), then its recommended you enjoy at least one glass of wine with your meal, because wine relaxes us (including our digestive muscles). And we all know that digestive problems and high stress levels are the cause of innumerable health problems.
Now that you’re convinced that keeping wine at dinner is a good idea, you probably want to know; “Are all wines equally ‘healthy’?”
And the answer is NO. Red wines in general contain more antioxidants than White Wine (and all other alcoholic drinks as a matter of fact).
And, even among red wines there are those that will do you more good. Specifically, red wines that improve with age, which means French Bordeaux, premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir as well as Merlot and Malbec.
It’s been shown that red grapes grown in higher altitude and cooler climates (like Chile, Argentina, some parts of California, Oregon, and in New York’s Finger Lakes) have more antioxidants than grapes grown in warmer climes on valley floors.
There are two reasons for this. First, the production of antioxidants are stimulated by ultraviolet light, which are more intense at higher altitudes. Secondly, in cooler climates, grapes ripen more slowly and therefore tend to be harvested later, which allows for a greater concentration of antioxidants (and better flavors too).
In summary, the decision is easy. Keep the wine and get rid of some other calorie source, because it couldn’t possible come close to the health benefits of a glass of a good red wine.
So enjoy your wine at dinner and let’s toast “To Good Wine and Healthy Pleasure!!!”
Randy Gilbert
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-new-wine-diet-how-adding-wine-to-your-meal-could-also-add-years-to-your-life-80138.html
Tips for Collecting Wine
September 17, 2009
The senses and pleasures that wine can bring to anyone are indescribable. No Wonder wine is usually saved for special occasions and celebrations. Unfortunately, the high regard for this special drink alienates many people. Despite the growing popularity of wine collecting many people are still afraid to keep more than a few bottles thinking that it is a complicated endeavor reserved for connoisseurs. However in reality, wine collecting isn’t that complicated when you know these crucial tips for keeping wine:
1. Wine is cheaper when bought by bulk, so it is good to buy by the case; after all, having just a few bottles would hinder you from savoring wine’s pleasures regularly.
2. The rule that wine becomes better with age is not really an all-encompassing law, there are wines meant to be kept for long times while there are those meant to be drank around the time they are bought. Fortunately the rule is not really that hard. Table wines are good to drink around the year they are released, white ones can be last around two years, red ones last for about five years. Vintage wines can be stored up to 10 or even 20 years.
3. Wines should be kept in cooler temperatures: around 45 to 60 degrees F for White Wines and 50 to 65 degrees for red wines. The best place would be in the basement where sunlight can be kept away. The refrigerator is somewhat cold but if there is no other option, it can be a good substitute. There are also refrigerators that are specifically designed for storing wines, these are good investments.
4. Bottles should be stored on their sides, keeping the wine in contact with the cork.
5. It is helpful to put ID tags on the necks of the bottles to make it easy to know which wine is which without disturbing their positions. It is best to keep wines of the same vintage together for easy reference.
6. Wines that are bound to be used more often should be kept near the storage door and those for special occasions should be stored deeper.
7. It is good to keep an inventory of the wines to ensure proper keeping of supplies.
8. Befriending one’s wine supplier is a good way to always get the best wines for the lowest costs. Wine dealers know more about wines, and they are good source for tips and tricks about wine collecting.
The joys of wine collecting are truly remarkable when you know important facts about wines.
Jerry Shannon
http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/tips-for-collecting-wine-711588.html
A Wine Of The Month Gift Keeps Giving All Year Long
September 15, 2009
Want to give a gift that keeps on giving month after month? A wine of the month gift club membership will do just that. This wine gift will impress your special friends, family, or business acquaintances, for as long as the club membership lasts. Because this gift extends over a period of months, it will send a little “reminder” each month of how much you care as a new bottle of wine is delivered to the lucky recipient.
The gift of sending wine every month is not a new concept – fruit of the month clubs have been very popular for decades. However, the latest trend has been towards a gift that sends a little different message – the monthly wine gift. Many individuals have discovered the wonderful taste of wines; whether they are red, white or rose. A delightful wine experience, combined with the well published health benefits of red wines, has created today’s popular trend toward drinking fine wines.
Benefits of a Wine of the Month Gift Club
Purchasing a wine of the month gift club membership really enhances a gift of fine wine by making it a year-round event. Each month, a new and exciting wine is delivered to the gift recipient’s front door, reminding them of your thoughtfulness.
Receiving a different wine each month is infinitely more exciting than getting a case of the same vintage and brand as a one-time gift. Most wine of the month clubs provide 12 unique vintages, each one carefully chosen to represent the season in which it is sent.
One of the major benefits of giving a wine of the month gift is that you need not worry about buying the bottle yourself, having it wrapped, and presenting it to the lucky recipient. Sending someone a membership, or subscription, to a wine of the month club means that the excitement of receiving a gift is not a once a year event, but a monthly celebration as a new, unknown vintage is delivered right to their home.
A Wine Gift Membership is Elegant – And Easy!
The beauty of giving this kind of wine gift is that all you need to do is make the initial choice, based on the wine costs and delivery charges, and leave the rest up to the wine specialists at the membership club. The difficult task of selecting the right wines is in the hands of the membership experts. If you choose a monthly subscription from a reputable club, you can be certain that their wine specialists will choose an appropriate wine within your selected price range. It really doesn’t get much easier!
Most wine of the month gift memberships are paid for up-front and cover the length of the subscription period. You may also be able to specify the recipient’s wine preferences and they will do their best to accommodate their specific wine tastes. No need for you to become a wine “expert” to ensure that the selections will be appreciated.
And don’t forget – a monthly gift of wine is a nice reminder of how much you care about the person receiving the wine. They will know that you thought enough of them to provide them with a special gift every month of the year, not just a gift quickly forgotten once opened.
Bill Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/a-wine-of-the-month-gift-keeps-giving-all-year-long-126477.html
Growth of Wines From Their Origin
September 6, 2009
Wine is one of the few things for which the people in every part of the world are crazy and it has remained as one of the most popular beverage throughout the history. The facts reveal that people have been enjoying this extremely tempting beverage from the last four thousand five hundred years.
The first sip: Since 6000B.C people have been drinking this incredible drink. The wine residues were found during the Neolithic era in the present day sites of Iran and Georgia. The first drops of wines as per the research have shown that the wines existed in Iran from 5400 B.C to 5000 B.C. no one yet is much sure about the history of the wines, we all know that the wines were drunk by many people in the middle east in 2500B.C. Egyptians have specified in the Old Testament about the usage of grapes in the wines.
Wines in Egypt
Wines were popular in the ancient Egypt and they were used in many of the rituals and ceremonies. They usually drank red wine however a recent discovery has shown that they even drank white wines. But red wines were more popular than theWhite Wines. In the Ancient walls of the Egyptian tomb, there are scenes depicted about the process of wine making plus there are the lists of the different types of the wines available during their regime.
Wines in Greece and Rome
The Greeks have initiated many wine traditions that are been followed in the modern era of wine culture. This drink was so important to them that there existed a deity of wine and revelry called as Dionysus. They also had a festival in the honor of the deity which was called as the Anthesteria where in the Greece had several wine related contests. There are many references about wine in the Greece culture they are mostly reflected in the writings of Homer and Aesop.
Wine has been a very popular drink even in the ancient Roman Empire; it was an integral part in the Roman diet. This was the time when the process of wine making was transferred as a big time business and the methods also improved during this tenure. This was the first time when there was usage of bottles for the storage purpose and barrels huge barrels were used to shift them or in other words ship them.
Dark ages: During the dark ages the environment in the world was not much stable, there was chaos all round the world. Because of the existence of different cultures the uniform methods of wine making were no more. Different people produced wines with different methods. However this tenure did not see much growth in the wine industry.
Wine in modern days: During this time wine has become more popular than ever. There has been an increase in the retail sales of the wines from 30% to 50%. Thus wines have become the talk of the day and people are consuming them more and more. They are pairing wines with food and enjoying this crazy drink to the core.
Shijina
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/growth-of-wines-from-their-origin-695850.html