Plato may have been wiser than he knew when he said, "Nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the Gods to man." With increasing frequency, we have people coming in the store with instructions from their doctors to drink wine.  How does wine affect your health? Among more than 13,000 men and women aged 30 to 70 who were tracked from 1976 to 1988, wine consumers had half the risk of dying of those who never drank wine. As the Washington Post reported, a label approved by the BATF gives some indication that wine can be a healthful drink. According to them on Feb 6, 1999, 'One label, approved yesterday by federal regulators, makes this suggestion: "The proud people who made this wine encourage you to consult your family doctor about the health effects of wine consumption."' How does one drink wine healthfully? First off, wine, like any other item ingested, should be taken in moderation. Just like eating 8 pounds of chocolate a day is unhealthy, and 15 bags of potato chips for lunch will give bad results, so would drinking 8 bottles of wine a day. Wine, like anything else overdone, can harm your body in large quantities. The key is moderation.

The French Paradox - Helping Fight Heart Disease
So, assuming a glass of wine with dinner every day, what benefits will this wine bring to your body? Research by UCA-Davis has shown that the wine is reducing coronary heart disease incidence. This was known as the "French Paradox" for a while, because doctors couldn't figure out why cream-loving French weren't dying from heart attacks frequently. Wine, it turns out, was the answer.

What is wine doing? The wine is altering the blood lipid levels. It lowers the total cholesterol count, and raises the high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. In essence, it keeps the blood vessels clean. In fact, research in Dec 2001 showed how wine, especially red wine keeps the arteries clear.

Wine and Ulcer Prevention
Newsweek reported in May 99 that a study showed how wine helps prevent ulcers. In a study of 1800 people, the scientists tested for the presence of helico bacterpylori, which causes ulcer infections. Compared to non-drinkers, those who had one glass of wine a day had 7% fewer of these bacteria. Those who drink two glasses a day had 18%, and those who drank 3 or more glasses had 1/3 fewer bacteria.

Wine and Cancer
Studies show that wine helps fight cancer. Wine contains resveratrol which helps suppress cancer. The red grapes that go into red wine also have bioflavonoids, which are antioxidants and help prevent cancer to begin with. Third, as a stress fighter, wine is also shown to help cancer patients by relaxing them and helping them fight their disease.

Wine and Strokes
Studies show that wine helps prevent strokes! Scientists figure that the alcohol breaks up blood clots and increases HDL ("good") cholesterol in the bloodstream. This keeps the arteries clean.

Wine as a Soother
Wine is a calming influence, something which may seem incidental but should not be forgotten. The fact that a dinner is accompanied by a drink which helps the body relax and unwind can help the mental transition between work and relaxation. Also, people fighting other illnesses can combat them better when calm and focused.

Wine and General Health
Researchers have found that those who drink 1-3 glasses a day regularly are healthier than those who drink none, and also than those who drink more.

The television program, Sixty Minutes has aired two programs on The French Paradox.

The most recent program replayed some of the earlier footage, introduced with the comment by Safer that "the good news for those of you who like to have a glass of wine with dinner is that science has not changed its mind. In fact, the evidence now, four years later is even stronger."

A major highlight of the recent segment was the results of this year's Copenhagen City Heart Study, "perhaps the most significant study to date on the relationship between health and alcohol," according to Safer.

"In conclusion," Morten Gronbaek of the Institute for Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen and colleagues state, "our study shows that light and moderate wine drinking, in contrast with beer and spirits drinking, is associated with a strong dose-dependent decrease in all-cause mortality, attributable to a decrease in mortality from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease as well as from other causes."

Here are a few delicious wine recommendations selected for their slightly higher tannin content.

CLINE RED TRUCK, CALIFORNIA, 2002, Approx., $13

"Ripe and intense, with a refreshing burst of pomegranate,

 mineral, cherry and pine tones, with firm tannins and a

lively structure.  Debut vintage of this blend.  Mourvedre,

Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Alicante Bouschet

and Pinot Noir.  Drink now through 2007."

RATED "BEST VALUE",

88 POINTS, THE WINE SPECTATOR

RENWOOD BARBERA SIERRA SERIES,

CALIFORNIA, 2002, Approx., $15

“A lively and juicy red, with cranberry, cherry vanilla and

spicy anise.  It has only moderate complexity but the

flavors are soft and supple.”

RATED BEST VALUE, 86 POINTS,

THE WINE SPECTATOR

RAVENSWOOD VINTNER’S BLEND CABERNET

SAUVIGNON, CALIFORNIA, 2001, Approx., $12

“Sweet chocolate and blackberry flavors make for charming

window dressing, supported by an underlying

herbal quality and gutsy tannins.”

RATED “BEST VALUE”, 85 POINTS, THE WINE SPECTATOR

DOMAINE DE LA JANASSE COTES DU RHONE

VILLAGES, FRANCE, 2001, Approx., $23

“For starters, this wine is a GREAT VALUE.  This is a gorgeous

effort with loads of black cherry fruit intermixed with touches

of pepper, spice, and lavender.    This Cotes Du Rhone

Villages is pure black cherry and blackberry fruit presented

 in a medium to full bodied, supple style.”

RATED 90 POINTS, ROBERT PARKER,

THE WINE ADVOCATE