Red wine

I had studiously avoided drinking red wine for the first 24 years of my life.

Whilst in New Zealand on a work trip, I was forced into a situation where my dining partner had ordered a bottle and it would have been impolite to not have partaken. The first glass was a bit of an ordeal, an unfamiliar, almost nasty taste. But by the third gulped-down glass, it was beginning to have more than just an effect on my sobriety. My god, I thought, I'm actually starting to enjoy drinking this!

I had found my drink. Beer would no longer cut it for me. Spirits, while still enjoyable in moderation, were too harsh for the level of consumption I enjoy.

I've not looked back. Red wine makes me feel like the artist I so desperately wish I was.

I do so wish I hadn't ruined myself for the taste of red wine.

As a kid, my friend and I decided to get drunk one night and the only thing around was Taylor Burgundy. Several bottles. I had gotten wasted on cheap white wine before, the 20 per cent alcohol stuff. That hangover came and went. But I drank 2 bottles of this Burgundy and then drove home, through several front yards.

I woke up in the middle of the night and had to puke. I couldn't go in the bathroom 'cause my mom would have heard me. So I climbed out my bedroom window and was out in the back yard heaving my guts out when she turned on the back porch light.

The next day, and the day after that, I was within an inch of my life, I think. Ever had the dry heaves for 36 hours? Maybe it wasn't that bad; it was a long time ago. I just know this: Any time I even smell red wine now, I get queasy.

So, now, unlike Electricsound, I am not able to sit around and swirl my red wine in my glass, pretending to be an artist. I have to swill (you can't swirl beer) my beer and realize I'm just a redneck. All because of a bad youthful decision. It could have all been so different.

Strangely enough, people who drink red wine in moderation may lower their cholesterol and have some manner of protection against heart disease or cancer. Studies are mixed on the subject but resveratrol, a compound found in red grapes, apparently has some beneficial properties.

I'm particularly fond of sweeter Southern red wines such as muscadine wine. These are sweet dessert wines that are best served chilled. They are not highbrow wines by any stretch of the imagination, and I would not suggest you order them at a fancy restaurant or drink them accompanying red meat. However they are perfect for sipping on a hot summer evening. In particular, try Carolina Red from the Duplin Winery in Rose Hill, NC.

• Alcohol: high alcohol cunsumption results in a higher blood pressure and may cause hypertension. It has a positive correlation with mouth- throat- and gullet (med. oesophagus) cancer; under certain circumstances with liver cancer and liver cirrhosis. But what is "high" or "too much"? This defenition depends on the country you live in as well as you physiological condition. E.g. in the northern European countries, 2-3 glasses a day is considered more than enough, whereas the Mediterraneans think 5 glasses is still acceptable. Differences on a physiological basis: your body weight, dayly energy intake and the presence of ADH (= alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme in the stomach that degrades the alcohol before it can enter the blood stream).
• Tannin:
these compounds are plant polyphenols and may cause headaches. Tannins tend to bind starches while being digested. These starches are needed by the body to produce serotonin. In some people, who are extremely sensitive to their serotonin levels, it appears the lack of serotonin can lead to a migraine. It sort of "starves" the body for this type of raw material, much as not eating for many hours might lead this person to have the same migraine. Tannin sensitivity is also now thought to be cumulative - a person who begins life with no tannin sensitivities may yet develop one as he or she ages. People who are sensitive to tannins need to moderate their intake of tannins in all forms, and also be sure to eat a reasonable amount of food while ingesting tannins, so the binding affects of tannins do not cause undue stress.
But see also below at the positive aspects.
• Sulfites:
some people are sensitive to it.

1. Reducing coronary heart diseases: the wine is altering the blood lipid levels. It lowers the total cholesterol count, and raises the high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. This is supported by epidemiological studies: the polyphenols may be involved in this cardioprotective effect because of their antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties, resulting in decreased generation of oxidized lipids. The tested red wine extracts (cabernet-sauvignon grape variety) elicited enhanced NO generation, cyclic GMP accumulation and endothelium-dependent relaxation in rat aortic rings. Both anthocyanins and oligomeric condensed tannins appeared to be involved. Among the anthocyanins, delphinidin, but not malvidin or cyanidin, produced endothelial NO-dependent vasorelaxation (aka: it smooths the muscles of the blood vessels), indicating that only some specific structures are able to cause endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, independently of their antioxidant properties. To achieve this effect, extracellular Ca²⁺ (=calcium ion) is needed for activation (of endothelial NO synthase activation). Summarizing: their findings suggest that one of the mechanisms of the cardioprotective effects of red wine and other plants containing polyphenols may be the increase in endothelial NO production induced by oligomeric condensed tannins and anthocyanins.
2. Red wine maintains the immune system: According to a study published by the University of Florida, red wine does not supress the immune system like other alcoholic beverages. A two month study on mice has been performed to examine what immune system reactions red wine caused on mammals. The team examined mice of various drinking levels - non-drinkers, red wine drinkers, and heavy alcohol drinkers. They found that those who drank the red wine had a normal level of immunity, the same as that of the non-drinking mice. (The level of red wine consumption for the mice would equal that of a human drinking two or three glasses a night. But at the moment of writing they don't have a clue which compounds in red wine is causing this, but I'd go for the tannins.
3. Polyphenols in wine: like the tannin mentioned above, do have a positive effect on your body as well: they are excellent antioxidants. In short: they lower total cholesterol and blood pressure, lessen risks of cancer, stimulate the immune system, and have anti-bacterial properties. See the above mentioned aspects for morte detail.
4. Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene): is a naturally occurring antioxidant too that decreases the "stickiness" of blood platelets and helps blood vessels remain open and flexible. It is said that it inhibits the enzymes that can stimulate cancer-cell growth and suppress immune response. A series of laboratory experiments suggests the proof of this statement. However, this was only tested on animals. In another set of animal tests, resveratrol was shown to inhibit both the acute and chronic phases of inflammation (yet again the immunbe system). Wine is the primary dietary source of resveratrol, and red wine contains much greater amounts of resveratrol than does white wine, since resveratrol is concentrated in the grape skin and the manufacturing process of red wine includes prolonged contact with grape skins. Resveratrol has been used in connection with atherosclerosis too (a reduced risk of course).
   Resveratrol is a phytoestrogen (= similar to estrogen, but from plant origin, and is known to inhibit tumors in the breast and uterus), but it differs from other phytoestrogens in that it acts as an estrogen agonist and stimulates ERE-driven reporter gene activity in CHO-K1 cells (I couldn't get access to ERE gen information, nor the exact description of CHO-K1 cells, but the context of the abstract implies increased DNA transcription activity of specific ERE-gene sequences in genetically modified(?) cells in rat uteri).
   A brief calculation: a glass of red wine provides approximately 640 mcg of resveratrol, while a handful of peanuts provides about 73 mcg. The amount used in animals to prevent cancer, however, would exceed 500 mg per human adult. This equals about 2.5 bottles of wine... So there must be at least one other component, or a mixture, that contributes to the decrease in occurence of cancer and high blood pressure prevention.
5. Flavonoids: Red grapes contain flavonoids, also powerful antioxidants that work as cancer preventives.
6. anti-bacterial activity:
In a study of 1800 people, scientists tested for the presence of Helicobacter pylori, 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. On the conto of tannins maybe?
7. Anti-stress: wine does have a calming influence (surprise, surprise). 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.

How to remove a red wine stain.

First off, don't get any. If you are having a party, and you need to serve wine, for god's sake serve white wine. White wine is quite tasty, and much friendlier to carpets and tablecloths than red wine.

If the red wine stain is still wet, dump a lot of table salt upon the stain. The salt will absorb the wine, leaving you with a much more manageable stain.

Once that has been done, or if you have not had a chance to work on the stain for a day or two (recovering from a hangover perhaps?), you should use either tonic water or white wine on the stain. If the stain is on the carpet, don't soak the carpet. You don't want to be getting the matting wet. Don't rub at the stain, instead blot it with a paper towel. Repeat this process until you're not getting any more wine on the paper towel when you blot it dry.

Stain still not coming out? Time to pull out the big guns. Apply a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution to the stain, and let it stand for four hours. Come back and blot it, and apply more solution, this time letting it stand for a full 24h. Come back and blot it, and then let it air dry.

If that still doesn't work, you might have to resort to some commercial products. The one that seems to be recommended the most is called Wine Away. You should be able to find it at a local shop that deals in wine accessories, any place that you can find home wine making kits should have it. If not, I recall having seen it in a few liquor stores, or you can order it online from various liquor accessory supply sites.