Thursday, October 22, 2009

Wine, Digestion, and Climate Change

Good news and bad news today from the world of wine.

First, the good: Wine Spectator recently reported on yet another benefit of red-wine consumption, and in this case it has nothing to do with those much-publicized antioxidants that are supposed to keep you young and healthy forever. The Spectator writes:

“Red wine not only goes well with a nice meal, it helps the stomach convert potentially harmful chemicals into less dangerous molecules before they're circulated in the body, according to a new study slated to be published in an upcoming journal of Toxicology. A team of Portuguese researchers found that specific polyphenols in red wine trigger the release of nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes the stomach wall, helping to optimize digestion.”

Most wine drinkers have known for a long time that red wine settles the stomach, or, at the very least, somehow seems to lessen the burden on it both during and after a meal. Now, the science seems to back this up with chemical and biological evidence. Click here for the full story.

And now, the bad news: We’ve been warned about it for years, but now, it appears, the predictions might actually start to come true sooner rather than later. Decanter.com reports that, “Climate change could force Australia's Hunter Valley to plant alternative grape varieties to combat rising temperatures, spring frosts and a higher risk of disease, according to a new study.”

The full article is here. Scary stuff, indeed.

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