Who knew... today is National Drink Wine Day (in the US), but what’s the proviso for the health-conscious wanting to raise a glass in celebration of this day? Opinion has always been somewhat divided on the advantages of occasional, moderate alcohol consumption. One day, we’re told to make like the Mediterraneans and tipple our fancy with a daily dash of the red. The next, the general consensus is to abstain at all costs if we know what’s good for us. Confused? You’re not alone! Between the two schools of thought is, however, a widely accepted middle ground that grants the freedom to celebrate all that is great about ‘good’ wine, particularly on days like today, which offer the perfect excuse!
Championing the case for the ‘wine a little’ camp are many studies attesting to the benefits of compounds called anthocyanins, found mainly in grape skins.
Thought to be a particularly rich source of these, is a product called Cannonau De Sardegna , made from the Sardinian Cannonau grape. This grape accounts for about a fifth of the wine made on this Italian island, where the population famously has the most people over the age of 100 than anywhere else in the world!
Theory has it, that the quality of the soil where these grapes are grown lends to them developing naturally thicker skins. Since the skins are where the health-giving anthocyanins and polyphenols reside, this goes a long way to explaining the the reputation of Cannonau as one of the better health-giving wines, assuming of course that it is drunk in moderation as part of a balanced diet and active lifestyle.