Health benefits

[Bonita]

I'm wondering if all red wine have the same health benefit? I once red an article that said that the grape used for Pinot Noir is the grape containing the ingridient that lowers cholesteral.

[Thomas]

bonita, the grape used for Pinot Noir is Pinot Noir. There was a report that Pinot Noir had higher levels of resveratrol (the good chemical) over other red grapes in the study. The reason: resveratrol is natural to grapes for fighting various potential diseases, and Pinot Noir is a grape that is subject to many potential diseases.

[Bonita]

Thanks for the info. as you can see I don't know all there is to know about wine but I'm learning. I'll have a 2nd glass of Pinot Noir for my health.

[pyf789]

Still on the topic of healthy benefits of red wine, people said drinking in moderation is good to unclog the blood arteries and lower high blood pressure. Is it really true? Then, which type of red wine to choose? I have quite high blood pressure myself and I have been staying away from anything that has alcohol in it.

[Innkeeper]

All red wine is good, but as Foodie pointed out pinot noir is best. Varietal PN can be found in most New World (in wine parlance) wine regions. Burgundy (From France) is made from pinot noir. It is also found in the Alsace and Loire regions, as well as in the Baden region of Germany. In Italy it is known as Pinot Nero.

[pyf789]

Innkeeper, New World means where?

[Innkeeper]

Wine regions located outside of Western Europe.

[sonny]

Hello Foodie,

You mentioned that the grape used for Pinot Noir "is" Pinot Noir. Does it also mean that Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlots, etc. are the "names" of the grapes used in those wines? Does this hold for all wines? All the while I thought these were just "romantic" proprietary names dubbed by the wine makers.

just learning,
Sonny

[Innkeeper]

1. Yes.
2. No.

In the New World (see above), wines have both varietal names (pinot noir, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, etc), meaning the wines are named after grape varieties; and proprietary names (Long Flat Red).

In the Old World, wines are most commonly named after regions (Bordeaux, Chianti, Rioja), but varietal and proprietary names are also sometime used (Riesling d'Alsace, Guado Al Tasso).

[wondersofwine]

Sonny,
If you want to gain a better understanding of wine labels, you might buy a book like "Wine for Dummies" (no insult intended). This is a good basic book to which I still sometimes refer when I have a question about wines.

[MuddyOne]

pyf789, If you are taking medication for high blood pressure, I would recommending consulting your doctor.

[Thomas]

Sonny, the law also states that when a label says Zinfandel or Pinot Noir, 75% of the volume must be from that grape variety--the remaining 25% can be any other grape variety the winemaker chooses, and unless the label stipulates, or you know the winemaker, you will not know what that 25% represents.

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 09-10-2002).]

[Innkeeper]

In California, varietal wine must be 75%. In France it must be 100%. The percentage varies in other states and nations. In most cases it is mostly the name of the grape. Responsible producers let you know on the label when other grapes have been added to the blend.

As a rule of thumb, we prefer blends to varietals. Most, but not all, blends give you the exact mix on the label.