I recently found this article and thought it was worth sharing. It talks more specifically about WHY wine in moderation is good for our health.

Resveratrol has long been cited as the key component in red wine that benefits cardiovascular health by dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies from around the world. But a new study conducted by Harvard Medical School and published in Science provides major breakthroughs in understanding how resveratrol works to keep cells healthy, which in turn is a big step toward developing effective drugs to treat diabetes, cancer, and other diseases.

Senior study author David Sinclair, PhD, called it "the killer experiment" because it verified that resveratrol was the sole source of the benefits; identified the exact location of a protein (SIRT1) which helps fuel the power-producing parts of cells that fight age-related illnesses like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes; and will allow the development of new treatments. In effect, resveratrol helps to slow aging.

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring fungicide on the skins of grapes to help ward off plant disease, and is also the most potent naturally occurring chemical for combating heart disease. It is found predominantly in red wine because of the prolonged skin contact in producing it, whereas white wines with virtually no skin contact contain very little.

Years ago, former Cornell researcher Dr. Lee Creasy showed that red wines from humid winegrowing regions generally contain more resveratrol than those from dry regions because more resveratrol is needed to protect the grapes during the growing season. Indiana summers are most certainly HUMID which means it might be worth a visit to one of the 60 some Indiana wineries to get a heart healthy taste of the red wine grapes grown here including Chambourcin, Chancellor and even Concord.

In the meantime here are two big, bold reds found in Indianapolis area wine shoppes that are brimming with flavor and resveratrol. Bon Sante!

Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red, Washington State-Lush, bold dry red wine with enticing aroma's of black cherry, plum and currants. Smooth creamy finish. Fire up the grill and enjoy a glass with a cut of lean beef.

Fiddletown Cellars, Old Vines Zinfandel, California-WOW. In your face aromas and flavors of blackberry, mulberry, black pepper. Chewy tannins and long lingering finish. Another great glass for grilled beef or wild game.