THE WEEK February 6, 2009--Health & Science News:
"The Promise of Grape Seeds"
Grape seed extract holds promise as a potent anti-cancer agent, according to researchers at University of Kentucky.  They found natural substances called proanthocyanidins in grape seeds killed a high percentage of leukemia cells within one day without damaging healthy cells.  Previous laboratory studies found that grape seed extract also protected against breast, prostate and skin cancer.  More research nees to be done to determine if grape seed extract is effective against cancer cells in the body, not just in test tube.

• Stephen Taylor, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Queensland, after researching how Resveratrol in red wines gets absorbed by the body may theorized that it may happen via the mucous membranes in the mouth.  In which case, he suggests, sipping red wines slowly to allow them to linger in the mouth before swallowing could account for red-wine drinkers being generally healthier in epidemiological studies.
  
  Roger Corder, author of "Red Wine Diet" and professor at the William Harvey Research Institute-London, writes that younger red wines with more tannin than older reds may have greater potential for increasing health benefits.  As red wines age, polyphenols, such as tannins, will precipitate as sediment, while other polyphenols react with each other to form new compounds.  So the anti-oxidant power of red wine tannins is obviously higher in younger reds.

Wall Street Journal--June 22, 2009  www.wsj.com

In article titled "Ah, A Cold, Refreshing...Red?", wine writers Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher wrote that certain red wines in summer and hot climates taste better straight from the refrigerator.  Heavier varietals and more expensive reds did not benefit from being served cold, but inexpensive, informal reds became summer fun drinking when chilled.  In particular, they found that Malbec from Argentina, Beaujolais-Villages from France, Inexpensive Rioja from Spain, and light Sangiovese wines from Tuscany, Italy--all approx. $11 per bottle--actually tasted better refrigerated.  It's nice to know that these well-respected wine writers agree with Anita's promotion of "Cool Rouge" for the public good, i.e. even if red wines are better for your health, people won't drink them unless they taste smoother and less harsh at cool cellar temperature, or refrigerated when it's hot outside.

CBS--60 Minutes TV Program--May 24, 2009

Dr. Christof Westphal was interviewed by Morley Safer in an update to their story on Resveratrol--the compound in red wine that can forestall diseases of old age.  Dr. Westphal's ground-breaking research discovered that resveratrol in concentrated form activates the "Sirtuin" gene which prolongs life.  The only other way to activate this gene is by extreme dieting (calorie restriction).  But resveratrol--the natural substance in black grapeskins used to make red wines that protects grapes from bacteria & fungi--holds the promise of helping us beat the clock and get another decade of healthy life.  In fact, resveratrol alone was found to lower the glucose levels of diabetics and is now being tested against certain cancers.   

"New Research Explores the Benefits of Moderate Drinking" dominates the front cover and pages 46-61 of the Wine Spectator's current issue.  Summarizing a wealth of Wine & Health studies that have been posted on their website www.winespectator.com  they created a User's Guide to Wine Science with research findings that suggest a link between wine and and heart health, delaying dementia, preventing arthritis, heading off a cold, keeping flu away, lowering diabetes risk, reducing throat cancer, maximizing melatonin, etc.  And the visual guide they provide "A Body of Wine Research", travels from the brain to the colon to the legs summarizing the latest data.  

There is also a very good analysis of medical pros & cons of wine drinking for women who cannot drink as much as men because they have less of the enzyme that metabolizesalcohol--alcohol dehydrogenase--per unit of body mass than men.  Dr. R. Curtis Ellison, a professor of medicine and public health at Boston University--whom I had the pleasure of interviewing in Atlanta when CBS News first broadcast the French Paradox story--was quoted as saying that as long as women don't binge drink--or have more than 1.5 drinks per day--and have adequate folate intake and are not on hormone-replacement therapy, essentially the benefits wine provides of lowering the more common causes of death among women--heart disease, stroke, hip fracture & dementia--outweigh the slightly increased risk of breast cancer.

The last two articles in this issue discuss resveratrol-- and how scientists are in a race to figure out how resveratrol and other polyphenols can help us live longer--and what 6 medical doctors answer in a roundtable discussion of wine and health specifics.  

Whether you are a medical professional yourself--or a member of the public who wants the full story--please get a copy of this issue or go to winespectator.com    

Raising my glass of red to your continued Good Health!  ALL   

Red wines were always meant to be served at cool cellar temperature 55^o F., which is the average temp digitally displayed on wine vaults.  It's a myth, a mistake, that the public thought red wines should be room temperature. 

Blame it on old wine books written long before global warming and the availability of good reds in hot climate countries such as India.  Because of our need to save energy and reduce power costs, we've been forced to forsake air conditioning, and as a result room temps in summer can be too hot to enjoy red wines.  

And it isn't just old wine books either--I picked up a "wine 101" book the other day that actually--oh, horrors!--recommended putting everyday red wines in the microwave to bring them up to room temperature.  Never, ever put wine in a microwave--for the same reason putting wine in the freezer is a no, no--the bottle may explode.  

Heat makes red wines taste harsh by accentuating the alchohol.  Many people think they don't like the taste of red wines because they've been drinking them too warm.  Trust me, try them slightly chilled.  And read my other blog about drinking red wines--in moderation--for your health.

Collectors know to keep their red wines in temperature and humidity-controlled wine cellars--they last longer and are always at perfect serving temperature.  Better wines are also stored and shipped by importers and distributors in temperature-controlled warehouses, trucks and containers. They can't afford to have the wines go bad from exposure to heat--or extremes of cold either.

If you want a daily 5 oz. glass of red wine with your evening meal for health benefits--even if you don't have a wine cellar--you hereby have my permission to chill your reds!  How?  Five minutes in ice & water, or 30 minutes in the refrigerator.  Easy.  I wouldn't permanently store my red wines in the fridge, but when you have wine left in the bottle, put a regular beverage stopper in it (not the cork) and keep it refrigerated.  Studies show this preserves wines longer.  

Hot Climate--Cool Reds.  That's our motto, and the reason our name is Cool Rouge.  (Rouge is what the French call red wine.  I could have translated "cool" into the French word "frais", but that would be too ooh, la, la.)  I drink all the world's good red wines--and I encourage you to be adventurous and do the same.  Whether it's classic French, global Italian, Argentina Malbec--see my Recommendations on this website--or new reds from India wineries if you live in India--drink your cool reds!) 

Help us spread the word by joining Cool Rouge and sponsoring or attending events in your area.  A Toast To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!  Many thanks, ALL 

CBS News--January 25, 2009--60 Minutes television program presented an update of the "French Paradox" they first examined 17 years ago when researchers agreed there was something in red wine that offered protection against heart disease even for the French who consumed a high fat diet. 

Now scientists in Cambridge, MA acclaim the substance in red wine called resveratrol might do more than just protect the heart, it could significantly extend life by preventing a number of age-related illnesses--including possibly cancer and Alzheimers disease.  In the ultra-pure, very concentrated pill form of resveratrol they studied, this natural compound found in red wines seems to switch on the survival genes, keeping internal organs young, and providing energy to exercise--even without low-calorie dieting.  Oh, those lucky lab mice!

The results of this resveratrol research--done by Dr. Christoph Westphal and his partner Dr. Sinclair--was so valuable that GlaxoSmithKline just paid $750 million for the rights to it.  Meanwhile, we have the pleasure of sipping red wines in a real toast to our health!