New Year's Resolutions & Wine
New Year's Resolutions
Here we go again. It's a new year and much like Punxsutawney Phi -- the groundhog who predicts a long winter or early spring by his shadow -- we collectively measure the hedonism of the holidays and prior year by the shadow our figure casts on the windows we pass.
Hardcore diets and new memberships to the local gym ensue, as well as an all-or-nothing severing of ties to our friends at Mondavi & Penfolds.
This shouldn't be the case. There are plenty of reasons to keep a moderate amount of wine in your new relationship with food & beverage.
Sure, wine has some calories (about 100 for a five ounce pour). But, did you know that wine serves as a digestive aid? Or that wine may help prevent food poisoning by killing harmful bacteria (according to a 2003 study by the American Journal of Gastroenterology).
Those are some of the immediate effects of pairing wine with your food. But, there are some fantastic long term effects associated with moderate wine consumption.
Scientists have long known that a moderate intake of alcohol, and red wine in particular, is associated with a lowered risk of heart disease and other benefits.
Resveratrol is a chemical compound found in the skin of grapes and in red wine and is conjectured to be a partial explanation for the French paradox, the puzzling fact that people in France enjoy a high-fat diet yet suffer less heart disease than Americans.
There's also promising results from studying women who drink wine regularly. Carotid arteries, which carry oxygenated blood up through the neck to the brain, benefit from the alcohol in wine. When plaque builds up in the carotid vessels, it acts as a kink in the fuel line, and the lack of oxygen to the brain can lead to a stroke, causing symptoms such as blurred vision and slurred speech. According to a study in Stroke and Neuroepidemiology, moderate wine consumption can lead to improved cognitive performance by helping to keep the carotids clear, just as other studies have found that red wine helps keep the arteries around the heart clean.
Sold? If so, let's talk about what to drink. Maybe it's time for a resolution to break the "comfort zone" you use in wine.
Stuck on Chardonnay? Try a beautiful Viognier (pronounced "VEE-ohn-yay") from Paso Robles like the stellar 2005 Calcareous Viognier ($20). Viognier is a French grape that originates in the Rhone Valley. It's responsible for some of the most exciting (and expensive) wines in France, but the global market penetration of this varietal is still tiny. Values abound in New World plantings of this grape. Viognier is an incredibly aromatic wine -- usually with scents of fresh flowers, orange blossoms, and a crisp minerality. Its feel in the mouth is very similar to Chardonnay -- creamy pear & honey, with a biting citrus component. It pairs extremely well with food. And best of all -- it's not Chardonnay! You'll have something new in your wine toolbox the next time you entertain friends!
You don't need to cut out wine to begin a healthy new you in 2008. Just like anything in life, moderation is the key. Enjoy the New Year!
Here we go again. It's a new year and much like Punxsutawney Phi -- the groundhog who predicts a long winter or early spring by his shadow -- we collectively measure the hedonism of the holidays and prior year by the shadow our figure casts on the windows we pass.
Hardcore diets and new memberships to the local gym ensue, as well as an all-or-nothing severing of ties to our friends at Mondavi & Penfolds.
This shouldn't be the case. There are plenty of reasons to keep a moderate amount of wine in your new relationship with food & beverage.
Sure, wine has some calories (about 100 for a five ounce pour). But, did you know that wine serves as a digestive aid? Or that wine may help prevent food poisoning by killing harmful bacteria (according to a 2003 study by the American Journal of Gastroenterology).
Those are some of the immediate effects of pairing wine with your food. But, there are some fantastic long term effects associated with moderate wine consumption.
Scientists have long known that a moderate intake of alcohol, and red wine in particular, is associated with a lowered risk of heart disease and other benefits.
Resveratrol is a chemical compound found in the skin of grapes and in red wine and is conjectured to be a partial explanation for the French paradox, the puzzling fact that people in France enjoy a high-fat diet yet suffer less heart disease than Americans.
There's also promising results from studying women who drink wine regularly. Carotid arteries, which carry oxygenated blood up through the neck to the brain, benefit from the alcohol in wine. When plaque builds up in the carotid vessels, it acts as a kink in the fuel line, and the lack of oxygen to the brain can lead to a stroke, causing symptoms such as blurred vision and slurred speech. According to a study in Stroke and Neuroepidemiology, moderate wine consumption can lead to improved cognitive performance by helping to keep the carotids clear, just as other studies have found that red wine helps keep the arteries around the heart clean.
Sold? If so, let's talk about what to drink. Maybe it's time for a resolution to break the "comfort zone" you use in wine.
Stuck on Chardonnay? Try a beautiful Viognier (pronounced "VEE-ohn-yay") from Paso Robles like the stellar 2005 Calcareous Viognier ($20). Viognier is a French grape that originates in the Rhone Valley. It's responsible for some of the most exciting (and expensive) wines in France, but the global market penetration of this varietal is still tiny. Values abound in New World plantings of this grape. Viognier is an incredibly aromatic wine -- usually with scents of fresh flowers, orange blossoms, and a crisp minerality. Its feel in the mouth is very similar to Chardonnay -- creamy pear & honey, with a biting citrus component. It pairs extremely well with food. And best of all -- it's not Chardonnay! You'll have something new in your wine toolbox the next time you entertain friends!
You don't need to cut out wine to begin a healthy new you in 2008. Just like anything in life, moderation is the key. Enjoy the New Year!
posted by The Cask Room, Mike Kallay at
10:57 AM
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