Table of Contents
Red Wine Definition
Red wine stands out from other options for its rich pleased antioxidants and polyphenols, such as resveratrol.
Which, together with its little caloric intake, make it an opportunity full of beneficial properties.
What are the Health Benefits of Red Wine?
1. Slows Aging
- A compound creates in the skin of red grapes delays aging, always with moderate consumption.
- It seems to be one of the causes of longevity in areas with high red wine consumption, as the southwest of France or Sardinia.
2. Lose Weight
- Red wine activates a gene that stops creating new fat cells and stimulates the existing ones to purify them and slowly eliminate them.
- To see this result reflected in our silhouette, recall that you should not drink more than one glass a day, and obviously.
- The results will be more noticeable if we escort it with a balanced diet.
3. Enhancer for our Brain
- Many studies display that drinking red wine in a moderate but constant way makes it possible to prevent dementia and degenerative diseases.
4. Treat Gum Infections
- If you are one of those whose gums bleed, don’t hesitate to accompany your suppertimes with a glass of red wine.
- There are compounds current in grapes that, when agitated in wine. It has the virtue of preventing the appearance of streptococci and bacteria linked to cavities. And it is very effective against gingivitis.
5. Protects against Severe Sunburn
- Flavonoids, found in grapes and wine, assistance reduce the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays on the skin.
6. Fight Tiredness
- It is precisely the resveratrol current in grapes itself that improves our situation on those days when we are more listless or tired.
7. Increase our Endorphins
- According to a study, when we enjoy this rich and healthy wine, we release endorphins in our body, relaxing us and enjoying the moment more.
8. Cleanse our Palate
- Curious but faithful, drinking wine while eating makes its astringent properties, the taste of food is perceived more intensely.
- It reduces the taste of fat and gives us a gratifying feeling when cleaning our mouth.
9. Good for Lowering Cholesterol
- Red wine is a natural treasure ironic in polyphenols, one of them being the resveratrol above, a chemical-rich in antioxidants.
- It helps us take care of our blood vessels since it prevents clots’ formation and reduces the call of lousy cholesterol.
10. Reduce the Risk of Depression
- They found that those who sipped between two and seven glasses of wine a week were less likely to be diagnosed with unhappiness.
11. Excellent for our Heart Health
- Also, to the polyphenols mentioned above, red wine is rich in vitamin E.
- It helps clean our blood and blood vessels, protecting our cardiovascular health.
12. Reduces the Risk of Cancer
- As an excellent antioxidant, it is a natural resource capable of blocking the growth of the cells responsible for breast or lung cancer.
13. Prevents Diseases that cause Blindness
- Wine can stopover the angiogenesis process (opening new blood vessels in the eye area), leading to blindness.
14. Increases the Levels of Omega3 Fatty Acids
- According to a study of adults and their eating habits, moderate red wine drinkers had higher blood levels of Omega3 fatty acids.
15. Fight Urinary Infections
- Its antioxidant and astringent goods manage to prevent bacteria from adhering to our bladder or kidneys and optimizes these organs’ filtering and purification.
- The benefits of white wine for health are also numerous, and you can discover them on our blog.
- For all this, mainly for the enormous enjoyment of tasting that glass of red wine. We encourage you to continue learning and annoying any references for our physical and online stores for all tastes.
What are the Types of Red Wine?
The variety of red wines depends on the types of grapes used in the production process. These eight types of red wine overwhelmingly dominate the world market.
1. Tempranillo
- The Tempranillo grape is originally from Spain, is also called the “country ink” and the “noble grape.”
- More than 60% of the vineyards in La Rioja are Tempranillo, born from the Albillo mayor varieties and Benedict.
- It receives its name because its maturation is several weeks ahead of other Spanish inks.
- Tempranillo wine (almost the same as saying Rioja) is dark, light, long-lived, and with a smooth flavor, reminiscent of cherries.
- It can consume young, although it improves with several years of aging. Leaves aromas of plums, blackberries, raspberries, coffee, and smoky touches on the nose.
- The Spanish uncork it at will with lamb, roasts, fish, sausages, soft cheeses, and pasta with no heavy sauces.
2. Grenache
- It is a late-ripening grape, so it requires a dry and warm climate. For these reasons, it is originally from Spain, although it could be Sardinian since it grows very well in Sardinia.
- It also does well in California, Australia, and southern France. The wine leaves a mild and slightly spicy flavor on the palate, and the grape frequently uses in blends for making rosé wines.
- Grenache wines pair well with main dishes, such as meat and fish with penetrating flavors, long-maturing cheeses, and robust salads.
3. Merlot
- It is the so-called “chameleon variety” later. It can grow different personalities, depending mainly on whether the vineyard locates in warmer or colder.
- The strain emerged in Bordeaux through the crossing of Cabernet Franc and an old Gallic variety called Magdaleine Noire des Charentes.
- Its prominent world landmarks are Saint Emillion and Pomerol, in France, and Italian Tuscany. The fruit is of fast maturation, originating wines of tall alcoholic content.
- It offers aromas of blackberries, currants, and red fruits on the nose and leaves a taste of plums, raisins, and mint.
- It is an intense wine, frequently used to initiate beginners in tastings. And also, it goes well with game, stews, aged cheeses, vegetables, and sweets.
4. Pinot Noir
- Although Pinot Noir cultivate since the first century of our era, it became the foremost world reference of French Burgundy.
- Thanks to a creative propaganda strategy of the House of Valois, particularly Duke Philip II of Burgundy in the second half of the XIV century.
- The vineyard produces almost black clusters (hence the “Noir”) with the grapes tightly packed into a pineapple shape (hence the “Pinot”).
- It is a grape that grows finest in cold climates, and its wines are among the most elegant in the world.
- The vineyard requires the utmost care but can offer a sublime harvest in return if the optimal conditions meet. Its symphony of aromas includes moist leather, grapefruit, strawberries, berries, and vanilla.
- It pairs exquisitely with white meats, lamb, soft cheeses, mushrooms, and fish and is the favorite of gourmets to accompany pan Asian food.
5. Syrah
- The Syrah grape, also called Shiraz, arose from a cross between hardness and mode use Blanche, two dark grapes from southeastern France, according to a 1999 DNA analysis indisputably confirmed.
- This scientific investigation dismantled the myth that the strain had come from Iran, where a wine called “Shirazi” produce.
- It is a robust grape that communicates floral, fruity, and smoky aromas.
- The wine is deep red, very ironic in tannins, and combines wonderfully with grilled meats, game, healthy stews, stews, and character cheeses. It also goes very well with chocolate.
6. Zinfandel
- The Zinfandel grape is European and arrived in California in the mid-19th century, absorbing a fair share of American wine production. However, it less useful in the rest of the world.
- Zinfandel reds are robust and intense in flavor, and the always practical Americans bottle a semi-sweet pink broth, White Zinfandel, which sells much better than the classic red.
- The Zinfandel grape is somewhat unruly, and contingent on the climate, it can offer markedly different flavors.
- It leaves a peppery flavor in the mouth in hot climates, while in colder regions, it is reminiscent of a raspberry.
- It is trendy for its versatility in pairing, combining well with meats in different preparation, pasta, pizzas, and other foods made with tomato sauce.
7. Malbec
- What would the Argentines be without football, their tender meats, and the Malbec grape? Malbec was born in the old French province of Quercy, near the commune of Cahors, by Monsieur Malbeck, from whom it took its name.
- It is a dark-colored fruit with abundant tannins, whose strain adapted very well to Argentina, originating the most popular varietal in tango.
- A frost in 1956 devastated the Malbec vineyards of Bordeaux, and since then, the leading French producing center of the grape is Cahors. Malbec is an inked wine that leaves a flavor of blackberries and black plums in the mouth.
- The Argentine grape is slightly different from the French one, with ripe tannins and more fruity flavors. Malbec wine pairs very well with beef, lamb, and vegetables.
8. Cabernet Sauvignon
- One of the most significant successes in the wine industry’s history occurred in southwestern France in the seventeenth century, when the Cabernet Sauvignon grape emerged through an annoyed between Cabernet Franc Sauvignon Blanc.
- The new straining turned out to be very flexible to different climate types and highly resistant to humidity and insect attacks.
- Currently, Cabernet Sauvignon is the best known and most famous wine from Bordeaux and other wine regions in Europe, America, and Australia.
- The Cabernet Sauvignon reds feel grassy on the palate due to their tannins level and go very well with pasta, lasagna, poultry, game, roast meats, and a wide range of cheeses.
- The Cabernet Sauvignon grape widely uses for blends with a great personality.
Classification of Red Wines According to Aging
According to the aging time of the wines in barrel and bottle, red wines are classified as follows:
Young or year: It has not spent any time in the barrel or not enough time to be considered aging.
Aging: It has spent between six and twelve months in the barrel (as indicated by the various denominations of origin), remaining in the bottle until the third year after its production, before being marketed.
Reserve: At least one year in the barrel and rest in the bottle until the fourth year after its production.
Great reserve: At least two years in the barrel and three in the bottle, and can market after the sixth year. Only exceptional harvests reach this stage.
Fermentation of Red Wine
- Right after the fermentation begins, in the case of red wines, two fermentations take place.
- In the first fermentation, called alcoholic, the must be obtained from the fermented grape together with the pulp, the skin, and the seeds to acquire the desired color and the necessary tannins in charge of providing astringency to the wine.
- This fermentation is the most virulent – that’s why they call it “tumultuous” – and in it, the sugars are split from the alcohol with the release of carbonic anhydride while the coloring matters of the skin melt with the must.
- This carbonic gas pushes the skins upwards, accumulating, forming a mass called a cap. It is necessary to cover it with must (pumping over) and breaking it (punching down) regularly to acquire color and tannins in the required quantities.
- When the must has the desired color, the concrete parts are separated (uncovered).
- The second fermentation begins, called malolactic, in which malic acid is transformed into lactic acid, giving the fineness and smoothness characteristic of red wines.
Adverse Effects of Red Wine
- As much as alcohol consumption is socially accepted and is legal, alcohol is a psychoactive drug. Wine, being an alcoholic beverage, is also within this group.
- Excess alcohol can generate addiction and significant problems for the body. It is why self-control is essential.
- Wine is an alcoholic drink and, as such, has its contraindications.
- For example, alcohol produces euphoria since it releases endorphins and dopamines in the brain, causing disinhibition and unconsciousness in abuse cases.
- Both the heart and the muscles can severely affect the continuous and excessive use of alcohol.
- It is that it tends to weaken them and hinder the normal functioning of blood circulation.
- But without a doubt, the digestive system is the one that can be most affected by the use and abuse of wine.
- Especially the liver, filtering this substance, is in charge. In it, long-term excessive consumption can lead to alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.
- But it also causes stomach irritation, ulcers and can even cause colon cancer.
- Also, the continuous consumption of alcohol can generate addiction. For this reason, the ideal is to enjoy these drinks in moderation and with caution.
- If we know how to keep control of the situation, we will enjoy the wines accordingly.
Conclusion
Research suggests that drinking a chance glass of red wine is right for you.
It provides antioxidants, may endorse longevity, and can aid protect against heart disease and harmful inflammation, among other benefits.
Interestingly, it likely has higher levels of antioxidants than white wine. Still, more research wants to understand better which types of wine provide the most benefits.
However, it’s vital to recollect that drinking wine is not healthy for everyone, nor is it necessary. You can earn the same benefits by consuming a healthy diet.