www.tryontraminette.org

Indiana's wine industry recently uncorked Traminette as the state's first signature wine. A fragrant, floral white wine that pairs well with poultry, pork loin, seafood and Asian fare, Traminette comes from a Gewurztraminer hybrid grape that flourishes in Indiana.

More than 20 of Indiana's wineries bottled the varietal last year and five won medals for it at the Indy International Wine Competition in June, one of the largest wine competitions in the world.

Bill Oliver, owner and vintner at Bloomington's Oliver Winery, whose Traminette was selected the best of the varietal from Indiana at the competition, described the grape as robust, adaptable and forgiving.

"What I find to be the greatest thing about Traminette is in a good year, it makes a great wine, (and) in a bad year, it makes a great wine," Oliver said.

Purdue University horticulture professor Bruce Bordelon said Traminette's 30 acres make it the third most widely planted grape in the state, and the acreage could double over the next few years. Indiana wineries produced about 20,000 cases of Traminette last year.

Indiana's wine industry has grown from about 12 wineries in 1989, when the council was created, to 43 today, with seven more scheduled to open in 2010.

A Spanish study has found that long-term moderate drinking decreased the risk of heart disease by up to one-third in men and to a lesser degree in women.

The type of alcohol -- beer, wine or spirits -- made no difference, the researchers reported in the Nov. 19 online issue of Heart. The Spanish analysis used 10-year data on 15,500 men and nearly 26,000 women who were participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer study.

The rate of coronary heart disease for non-drinking women in the study was 56 per 100,000. For women listed as low drinkers, averaging less than 5 grams a day, it was 42. For women who were moderate drinkers (5 to 30 grams a day), it was 36; for high drinkers (30 to 90 grams a day) it was 12; and for heavy drinkers (more than 90 grams a day) it was 12.

The rates for men were 398 per 100,000 for those who never drank, 318 for low drinkers, 255 for moderate drinkers, 278 for high drinkers and 334 for heavy drinkers, the researchers reported. Researchers say a number of well-done studies have shown that people who drink have higher levels of HDL cholesterol which is the "good" kind that prevents formation of artery-blocking plaque deposits.

The American Heart Association recommendation is that "if you drink, do so in moderation." That means one to two drinks a day for a man, one drink a day for a woman, with a drink defined as 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.

New Day Meadery fans take note. The popular Dry Raspberry Mead is back on The Wall of local wine shoppes. Made from Indiana honey and raspberries it is fragrant, dry, rich, delicious and perfect for holiday parties. The Dry Rasp was also juried into the Indiana Artisan Program. Support Local! www.newdaymeadery.com www.indianaartisan.com