5th strongest beer is the “Double Black”, which is about 26% strong. The beer is brewed in Belgium by Dr Struise Brouwers. People that had a chance to taste it say, that the beers aroma has some dark chocolate notes, wood as well and that the taste is dried fruit and chocolate up front with some high abv notes.
4th strongest beer is the “Samuel Adams Utopias”, which is about 27% strong. It is made in Massachusetts, United States by Boston Beer company (Samuel Adams). Reviewers say that it has the aroma of sweet maple syrup, caramel, toffee, malt, earthy and definite alcohol with a hint of chocolate and that it is one of the sweetest beers that they had.
3rd strongest beer is the “Dave”, which is about 29% strong. It is brewed in Oregon, United States by Hair of the Dog Brewing Company. The smell of it is woody and earthy, leather, tobacco, almost spirits-like, raisins and light soy sauce. The taste, well Dave shows much of the same character that it does in aroma.
2nd strongest beer is the “Schorschbräu Schorschbock 31%”, which is about 30.86% strong. The beer is brewed in Germany by Schorschbräu. People who tried it say that it has complex fiery-alcoholic aroma and the taste is incredibly strong, very alcoholic, like fire on the tongue and shows interesting fruity notes, like apricot.
1st strongest beer is the “Tactical Nuclear Penguin” which is around 32% strong. It is made in Scotland by BewDog. There aren’t any reviews yet, because the beer has just been released, but it is known the it will be sold at the price of £30 each and the warning on the label states: “This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. In exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost.” Which makes us really interested in trying it out.
Hope this was interesting for you to read as it was interesting for me to write and hopefully someone will go on tour to try out all of these beers and gives his personal favorite
In the field of culinary arts, one of the keys to success is in knowing how to combine wine with food. High-end restaurants and hotels often hire sommeliers whose main job is to understand the very best combinations for the customers.
For those with keen taste buds, a good meal can be disaster if the food and wine combination is wrong. Of course, a chef or a sommelier will know how to do this since their professions require that knowledge, but for the average person it may not be so readily apparent. If this is the case for you then the following basic guidelines may be of help:
The food should not overpower the wine, but the reverse is also true, the wine should not overpower the food; a balance is the best solution.
Avoid pairing strong with delicate. There is the oft-repeated mantra–red wine for red meat, white wine for white meat. This is a good basic rule to follow since you want to avoid combining a strong taste with a delicate taste. For example, a heavy meal like stew would go well with an equally heavy red wine but not so well with a lighter tasting white wine. Also, fatty dishes combine best with the sharper taste associated with red wines. This sharpness is a result of the red wine having more tannin than whites due to being produced by a different fermentation process.
As you might expect, sweet wines work best with sweet foods.
When planning a meal remember that as the wine’s alcohol content goes up, the food’s palatability decreases more often than not.
Culture and tradition may also play a very important part in the process. For example, it may come as no surprise that Italian wine is well suited for Italian food. Nobody has come up with a valid explanation for this but perhaps the food and the drink have acquired an affinity to each other over time.
These guidelines, once considered sacred rules, are now only basic suggestions. Many people today match red wine with fish or whites wines with steak. While in the past this would have been unthinkable, today anything goes. In the end, it is really up to you but you will never go wrong by following the basic rules above.
Have you ever considered visiting a US winery?; there are many to choose from. Once you have taken this trip, and your wine collection is growing, you should consider using wine software to manage your collection.
The martini is a strictly American drink. The original martini is a drink made with gin and vermouth and usually garnished with an olive or a lemon peel. Although today there are many different martini variations. In this article we are going to talk about the origins of the martini, the original recipe, and how the modern martini has evolved.
There are a couple different versions of the origins of the martini. One of these stories dates back to the gold rush in 1849. There was a minor who struck it rich and he was on his way back to San Francisco. He arrived in Martinez and wanting to celebrate he went to a bar and the first drink he ordered was Champagne.
They didn’t have any Champagne. So, the bartender suggested a drink called the Martinez Special. This drink was made with one part dry wine and three parts gin it was then stirred with ice and garnished with an olive.
After the minor returned to San Francisco and continued to celebrate his success he would enter bars and order a Martinez Special. Even though the bartenders had never heard of the drink they would ask him what the ingredients were and comply with his wishes. Over time this drink evolved into the martini. At least that is one version of how the martini was created.
Another version of the origin of the martini revolves around the use of vermouth in the drink. In 1863 Martini and Rossi introduced dry vermouth to the US. Some historians believe that the use of vermouth in the drink, evolved into the drink being called a martini.
Either way the martini is a strictly American drink. In fact, in some European countries when you order a martini you will get a glass of iced vermouth. Because of famous people who have been known to drink martinis, and the coolness factor, associated with shows such as Sex And The City and Mad Men, the martini is known to be a very hip drink.
So, the original martini, is made with gin, and a little bit of vermouth, and shaken or stirred with ice, and strained into a stemmed class, and garnished with an olive. Other common variations include substituting vodka for gin. There are also variations on the amount of vermouth used. The less vermouth used the more dry the martini will be.
There is also controversy about whether to shake or stir the martini. Some purists believe that shaking a gin martini will bruise the gin. Others believe that the shaking will help mix small ice particles into the drink and create a chemical reaction which will actually improve the taste.
However you like to make your martini it is really a matter of taste. There is no wrong way or no right way. It just depends upon your personal preference. The best martini is a martini created distinctively by you. Please drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive.
A great wine collection represents an investment of time and money to procure each bottle. For many, the idea of collecting may conjure images of a cellar containing hundreds and hundreds of dust-covered, century-aged bottles. People new to the world of wine will start with much smaller collections, and such lavish amenities are not necessary. Wine is a perishable food, however, and exposure to fluctuations in light, heat, temperature, or humidity can result in spoilage. Most collectors store their prized possessions in a wine cabinet, a unit that provides storage at an ideal temperature and humidity level.
As with any other home purchase, wine cabinets can range from economical to extravagant. Though there are several manufacturers of these cabinets, two stand out for their exceptional and unique quality - Marvel and Vinotheque. Both produce a high-end cabinet, but each carries a unique style. Marvel wine coolers have been around for over seventy years, and they are known for staying on the cutting edge of design. Marvel cabinets are ideal for a home of modern luxury, with their sleek and simple image. On the other hand, a Vinotheque wine cabinet will likely reflect a more “old world” charm. These attractive wood cabinets are handcrafted to fit customer specifications. The artisan workmanship of these pieces allow them to function as beautiful pieces of furniture as well as wine storage.
Because they are sleek and modern, a Marvel wine cooler is often found under a kitchen counter, as part of the lower cabinetry. They are intended to be versatile, ideal for any room - indoor or outdoor. For this reason, they typically store twenty-five to fifty bottles, although they do have models that hold up to 108 bottles. For larger collections, a Vinotheque cabinet can accommodate hundreds of bottles; many of their models will hold over 500 bottles. Bottle for bottle, the cost is comparative between Marvel and Vinotheque.
In addition to the number of bottles stored, the racking options vary between the two models. Marvel coolers are marked with their ebony interiors and sliding racks. Almost all models also include an interior light that can remain on at all time. Most racks hold the bottle at a slant, which still maintains cork moisture. The Vinotheque offers a traditional horizontal rack, though some models offer both horizontal and slanted. Racking options with the Vinotheque range from Standard, Universal, Progressive, and Display, depending on the types of wine in the collection.
A wine cabinet is more than storage. It is a statement of the owner’s love for his or her wine and should reflect the style of its owner as well as the quality of the wine. Whichever model you choose, a Marvel or Vinotheque cabinet will be a worthwhile investment.
Pat Michael writes about wine cabinets at squidoo.com/vintage_keeper_vinotheque_wine_cabinets.
“Come quickly! I am tasting stars!” It is with these words that the discovery of champagne was announced, and a truer description of this beverage was never spoken.
Champagne is a sparkling wine that is produced by inducing a secondary fermentation in the bottle to create the carbonation effect. True champagne is produced only in the Champagne region of France, a treaty which is respected and honored today throughout most of the world, but most people freely call any sparkling wine champagne anyway.
Champagne is the undisputed king of beverages. It is the most common choice to celebrate holidays, it launches marriages and steam ships, the mere popping of its cork raises the spirits of all within earshot, and the French originally saw it a fair beverage for the purpose of nothing less than anointing kings. The history of the beverage reaches back into the 1600s, with Pierre Perignon (you can call him “Dom”!) figured prominently in putting together the techniques that would lead to the champagne we know today.
Officially, champagne can only be made from three varieties of grapes: the Pinot Noir, the Pinot Meunier, and the Chardonnay. Furthermore, only one out of every three years is a vintage year; champagne to be labeled “vintage” may only be made with grapes from that year. Otherwise, the bottle carries the mark “NV”, which stands for “non-vintage”. The Champagne region covers the northern-most tip of viable vineyard territory in France, and the very finest of these grapes are said to be those which grow on chalk slopes, which ensure good irrigation. So deeply rooted is the region in wine-making that the area is divided into over two hundred parcels of land, most of which has been handed down through families for centuries.
The white juice is extracted from red grapes quickly, before the skin can have much contact and taint the juice with tannins. Then the normal process of fermenting wine is carried out here, exactly like any other wine. But the extra steps make it champagne: the wine is bottled together with a second dose of yeast and sugar. Then for months the bottles are rotated so that the yeasts gather at the top of the bottle, in a process called “remuage”. After this process is complete, the top of the bottle is frozen and the yeast and lees removed. The bottle is under pressure at this point, and it must be quickly corked and sealed to keep the carbon dioxide (the fizz!) inside and building.
Incredibly, the carbonation of champagne was originally seen as a flaw! This was because 17th century technology produced very weak glass. The bubbles would build up and cause the champagne bottles to burst in their racks; sometimes one bottle going off would set the others off, resulting in a chain reaction that wiped out up to 90% of the stock! So in fact, contrary to common belief, Dom Pérignon was originally charged by the Abbey of Hautvillers to get rid of the bubbles. Fortunately, he didn’t change the nature of champagne and instead the glassblowers got around to making a stronger glass by the 19th century.
To clear up one more common misconception: champagne corks are not made cone-shaped. Instead, the ordinary cork is quite cylindrical at the inserted portion, but pressure from the bottle spreads the base of the cork around the inside, making it cone-shaped when it is popped. This is easy to see when you consider that the pressure inside an unopened bottle of champagne is the equivalent of 80 pounds per square inch!
Today, champagne enjoys a permanent spot as the number-one most treasured beverage. It is the stuff of poem and song, and the sparkling magic within beckons drinkers year after year to this most celebrated potable.
Wine tasting is one of the many amazing discoveries you can luxuriously explore to your heart’s content. There are absolutely countless ways on how to spend quality time with your family or important persons in your life, and going on a tour of tasting is surprisingly an exciting and rewarding venture to embark on. The moment you see the importance of such activity, you may jumpstart your tasting journey, invite friends and loved ones to be your company and be ready to enjoy the trip.
The Benefits of Wine Tasting
You may enjoy a bottle of wine every now and then, yet you are bound to unfold other remarkable truths associated with this activity. There are several benefits you can get from tasting wines which you can readily share with others along the way.
• Vineyard tours. You may embark on a wonderful journey of visiting nearby vineyards where you can do tasting. You will discover just how beautiful and extraordinarily superb the vineyards of your neighbors and friends are, appreciating your very own venue and treasure.
• Broadening your Horizon. When you go tasting, there are several changes you may inevitably notice in yourself. You are no longer contented with just a simple and plain wine you can consume in any given day. You become more critical with your choices, keener and pickier with your taste. Think of how enriching your experience may be, giving you countless options whether to choose your most favorite and least liked version of wine.
• Quality time. Another amazing benefit you can get from wine tasting is the opportunity of spending quality time with your friends and loved ones for a worthwhile activity. Having a shift of the usual past time that you have, tasting wine is more laid back, relaxing and enriching given your innumerable adventures of visiting different vineyards and places.
• Great form of Relaxation. Unlike hosting parties and events in order to enhance your social life and interact more with other people, wine tasting offers the same level of socialization and interaction minus the hassle of entertaining guests and visitors. You may now enjoy your conversation with your friends in a totally stress-free condition and setting.
There is certainly nothing to compare with the rich adventures and even more enriching experiences you will surely get from your wine tasting endeavors. After each visitation to wonderfully created vineyards and places, you acquire more knowledge, more experiences and more great memories of leisure and recreation. Thus if you are in search of a quality activity you can do with your family and friends, search no more because wine tasting is certainly the perfect solution to your yearnings.
10. Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
After heavy renovation in 2003, the Burrowing Owl Estate Winery received new wine making facilities as well as a new wine shop and tasting bar. This makes for a more efficient wine-making process and a more enjoyable experience for guests.
The owners also took advantage of the Burrowing Owl’s dramatic landscape by constructing a brand new restaurant, called the Sonora Room. This restaurant features a fireplace, large outdoor patio area, and serves the winery’s own wine.
The Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s wine shop is open April to November daily, from 10:00am to 5:00pm.
9. Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
Sitting unrivalled atop the “Golden Mile,” a former gold mining creek, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards uses sustainable practices when farming their vineyards. Guests here can take in views of the 150 acre vineyard as they sample the different wines.
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is open during all months of the year from 10:00am to 5:00pm.
8. Twisted Tree Vineyards & Winery
Hand crafted and family owned are the two phrases that best describe Twisted Tree Vineyards and Winery. Producing only a small amount of wine every year, the winery will only sell the best wine it is capable of creating. These hands on wine-makers consider their product to be an expression of their regional terroir and passion for winemaking.
Like most wineries in this reigon, Twisted Tree Vineyards & Winery offers breathtaking panoramic views of Osoyoos and the lake. The tasting room is open daily from 10:00am to 5:00pm between May to October.
7. Inniskillin Winery
Located just north of Osoyoos in the nearby town of Oliver, the Inniskillin Winery offers table and icewine for sale. Inniskillin may be more a more recognized name for Canadians as they also have a winery in Niagara Falls which shares the same commitment to excellence.
Inniskillin has three large vineyards in the Okanagan providing enough room for discovery harvests where the winery tests new technologies and harvesting methods. Due to the harvesting of icewine, the winery is open all year round from 10:00am to 5:00pm during the summertime, and 10:00am to 4:00pm during the wintertime.
6. Hester Creek Estate Winery
Also located along the Golden Mile, Hester Creek Estate is one of British Columbia’s most awarded wineries. Guests can relax, shielded from sunlight, on the vine-covered patio with views, snacks, and refreshments to enjoy. The Hester Creek Estate Winery is open from May 1st through Canadian Thanksgiving weekend from 10:00am to 5:30pm. From then on, the winery is still open up until April 30th, however they close earlier at 4:00pm.
5. Le Vieux Pin Winery
Named after a historic pine tree on the northwest corner of the vineyard, Le Vieux Pin is a fairly new winery first opening its doors in 2006. This winery has taken many design inspirations from the property where an old French barn and railway station are situated. Wines here are made in the French tradition while still taking advantage of modern day farming technologies.
Le Vieux Pin Winery is located just north of Osoyoos in the town of Oliver.
4. Blasted Church Winery
Blasted Church Winery gets its’ name from a church which was re-located from a deserted mining camp. In 1929 a small crew set out on a mission to bring the deserted church back to where it belonged, the Okanagan Falls. Before physically moving the church, the crew used sticks of dynamite to “loosen the nails,” which eventually led the church to its current location high along a cascading hillside peering over Skaha Lake.
Blasted Church Winery is open 7 days per week from 10:00am to 5:00pm between May 1 and October 31.
3. Nk’Mip Cellars
Nk’Mip Cellars is accredited as North America’s first aboriginal owned and operated winery. Since 2007, Nk’Mip Cellars has garnered over 40 prestigious awards for its wines. This winery also has a small restaurant for guests to enjoy after a tasting session. The winery and restaurant is open from May 1 to October 31 between 9:00am to 5:00pm, however their gift shop is open all year round.
2. LaStella Winery
LaStella Winery is a newer winery to the Okanagan Valley first opening its doors in May of 2007. LaStella Winery has a gorgeous view of the lake which actually provides functionality by helping cool the air at night. This makes for less harsh conditions and allows the grapes to grow to their fullest potential. This winery also has a very distinct soil composition which gives its grapes a unique taste. LaStella’s wine shop is open 7 days per week from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
1. Jackson-Triggs Vintners
Situated across a 410 acre site on the Osoyoos Lake Bench, Jackson-Triggs Vintners features stunning views of the Okanagan lake and exemplifies the beauty of the Okanagan Valley. Starting wine production in the Niagara Falls area, it wasn’t until 1998 that Jackson-Triggs Vintners decided to start production in the Okanagan. Currently, the Okanagan winery takes advantage of advanced wine-making technology and produces a multitude of different wines. The wine gallery is open from 10:00am to 6:00pm during the summer, and 10:00am to 4:00pm in the winter.
Devon O’Malley is a staff writer for alluraDirect, a vacation rentals website featuring an advanced property search tool, credit card payment option, and instantly confirmed reservations. Book Osoyoos Lodging directly with the property owner and save!
Wine is one of the world’s earliest drinks next to water and beer of course. One Thousand Thousands of masses enjoy experiencing the fine tasting of wine. The best way to enjoy wine is through the role of glasses that have going projected specifically for this spectacular liquid. Wine Glasses can make drinking wine a enjoyable experience or they can severely obstruct the quality of the wine. What this means is that the experience of drinking wine is best achieved through the use of great wine glasses. It’s no private that wine glasses are compiled from glass or crystal. The wine glass is normally fabricated in 3 pieces. These pieces are the bowl, the base, and the foot of the glass. The bowl is very essential because this is the piece of the glass that supports the delicate fluid. The base is where the consumer handles the glass when they drank the wine. Last is the foot which sustains the glass and allows it to stand up. The three parts are the common composition of a wine glass and each piece must be given great consideration when making wine glasses. Some Other aspect of wine glasses that cannot be overlooked is the shape of the glass. A wine glass must be fashioned to give the consumer of the wine the greatest oral savoring capacity. Numerous glasses are fashioned around the wines tasting it. For instance, wine glass architects have solved that champagne is best savoured through the use of long narrow glasses. This is why champagne flute glasses were produced to look the way that they do. They concentrate the wine directly into the mouth in a more focused way. This allows the savor buds to be bombarded with the unique flavor of the champagne. Expert wine glass construction begins with the material of the glass itself. Normally glass or quartz glass is used in manufacturing wine glasses. The glass must be constructed in a way that enhances the particular type of wine that is being drunk. Good wine glass construction takes in consequence the elements (air, oxygen, heat) and it also deals with how people’s body chemical science affects the wine. There are standard types of wines. They usually fall into two types of classes and they are red or white. Red wines are bold in savor, color, and they can either be delicious or dry. White wines tend to be lighter in savor, and they too can have a sweet tasting or a dry flavor. Glasses for red wines are normally made to point the wine to the back of the mouth where the hearty flavor is best enjoyed. For white wines the glasses are constructed with a smaller bowl area. The bowl area of the wine is usually slim but the glasses do come in all sizes.
Keep in mind too that Good wine glasses will be constructed to be thick or thin and again it counts on the type of wine that is being taken. White wines are normally thinner in manufacture and red wine glasses are stronger than this. Wine glasses that are Right in fabricate will take with not only the wine itself but they will take into other conditions of the elements and the particular characteristics of the people who consume this exhilarating drink.
If you’re not only going to get into wine, but venture into the heady sphere of gourmet pairing of foods with wine, you’ll have a pleasant hobby which is nevertheless a lot of study. You’ll find yourself intrigued by foods in a new way, wondering what sort of wine would go best with them. After awhile, it provides as much intellectual stimulation as a good crossword puzzle.
The following is a list of taste sensations not to miss, by wide consensus of the gourmet wine community.
Chicken Cacciatore and Chianti - One of the most classic examples of matching ethnic region for region. And we’re also flying against conventional wisdom here with the “white with poultry” rule. Chicken is fatty, more savory, and stronger than other poultry, so it asks for a stronger flavor to accompany it. The rule which trumps here is matching the strongest flavor in the food; Cacciatore is a rich, tomato-based, spicy sauce, so it wants a dry red to wash it down.
Goat Cheese and Sauvignon Blanc - One of the least intuitive matches, since the old “match wine with region” rule goes out the window with the kind of goat cheese you usually find at the market, which will probably be Greek Feta. But this pairing features high acidity in both the cheese and the wine, so this is a great compliment. Neither overpowers the other.
Mushrooms and Pinot Noir - Matching wines with vegetarian dishes is another puzzle of the wine world. In the case of mushrooms, we need a bold choice to stand up to the distinctive earthy power of the mushroom, and also a meaty flavor to compliment it. So they say that mushrooms are the “red meat of the vegetable kingdom” and there’s our answer! For a nice variation, a dry, red Burgundy is also a good choice. This carries over to meat prepared with a mushroom sauce as well.
Shrimp and Chablis - Of all the delicate tastes of seafood, it is shrimp that is the most puzzling match for wine. It’s difficult to find a wine that compliments it well. But the one key that unlocks shrimp’s potential as a wine food is Chablis: it has more acidity and is less fruity than the Chardonnay wines, being from the far North, and typically has no oak overtone. So it’s the perfect compliment, provided that you didn’t smother the shrimp in an overpowering red sauce.
Mozzarella Cheese and Zinfandel - Another surprising match. Mozzarella, being a rich, creamy, buttery taste, balances out the tangy, strong Zinfandel taste, and the two go together to create a third, unique taste experience. When we say “mozzarella” here, we mean the softest, moistest kind you can find. The kind that’s pure, milky white.
Grilled Salmon and Pinot Noir - What? Not matching a white wine with fish? Preposterous! Yes, but consider that grilled salmon. It really eats more like a steak than it does like a fish, doesn’t it? A thick, meaty slab of salmon is to not only be prepared more like beef than other fish, but the wine that goes with it is also the kind you’d pick for a delicate beef cut. Even with a little age on the Pinot Noir. Trust us, the salmon can stand up to it!
Some final notes: In all of the above cases - and when recommending wine with any food - we recommend that the food be simply prepared. If a sauce is served at all, make it light. Some simple seasoning and light preparation is even better. The problem with pairing wine with food is when you have a complex, full-course meal with lots of sauces and embellishments, and then we wonder why we can’t find a wine that goes good with all of it. For matching wines with a meal, make the meal a simple entree with a couple of side dishes at the most, without anything too spicy or saucy. After all, complimenting the food is what the wine is for!
Ian Love is the owner of Online Wine Specialist, West Valley Wine which specializes in premium Fortified wine sales online.
“Is wine good for you?” - perhaps one of the top 10 most regularly asked questions in our wine tasting events. It’s always interested me that this question is at the forefront of many wine drinker’s minds, and it’s clear this is linked to the increasing interest in what goes into wine, and how it is produced.
It’s regularly notedthat wines (particularly reds), when consumed in moderation help combat cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and even Alzheimers. Epidemiologists for instance have consistently shown that the moderate consumption of alcohol and wine helps lower cardiovascular events such as heart failure. Why? Well although alcohol is a toxic substance, in moderation amongst other things, it is an anticoagulant (which in turn prevents blood clots).
It’s not only alcohol however - phenolic compounds present in wine are also known to be beneficial. One of these, Resveratrol (seemingly the wonder compound) seems to have an extraordinary breadth of benefits, from attacking cancer cells, protecting the heart and brain from damage, reducing inflammation, and lowering the instances of diabetes. Resveratrol has even been credited with reducing age related illnesses. Interestingly, 100 times more resveratrol is absorbed by the mouth than by the stomach. Because of this, it’s recommended you sip wine, rather than knock it back.
On this point, it’s not just how much you drink, but how you drink that matters. A further study (in Italy) has shown that consuming wines with a meal significantly reduces the risk of a heart attack.
THE FRENCH PARADOX
The perceived benefits of wine drinking are not new however. The well known French Paradox (essentially the observation that the French have a relatively low incidence of coronary disease, despite having a diet rich in fat) was first brought to light by an Irish doctor by the name of Samuel Black in 1819.
This phenomenon was revisited in 1991 on 60 Minutes, a CBS news program in USA, with the suggestion that red wine decreases the incidence of cardiac arrests. The follow-on? A 44% increase in red wine consumption, with US based wineries lobbying for the right to label their wines as “health foods.” The reaction from the American public was so great that wine brand Gallo had to put their Hearty Burgundy wine on allocation.
Inevitability, there have been dissenting voices, not least the statistics collected between 1990-2000 by The World Health Organisation who have shown coronary disease in the French may have been underestimated, and may be similar to those of neighbouring countries in Europe.
Despite all the research, as usual it’s all about moderation. Moderate drinkers have been defined by some as those who consume two 5 ounce glasses of wine a day, although sex, age, build, and general health all make generialisations risky. We know where the limits are - go overboard and all the adverse effects of excessive drinking are yours for the taking (liver disease, pancreatitis, cardiovascular disease..).
The future for wine and health? Well just last year in 2008, Philip Norrie, a Sydney based winemaker, created a wine with 100 times more resveratrol than standard wine. He calls it a “vascular pipe cleaner” - watch this space.
Pip Martin manages and produces International, UK-wide and London wine tasting games and other specialist events for the corporate events industry.