Bonjour. Je suis le renom mondial Marcel, qui reconsidère de vins spéciaux, les vins qui sont plus de l'étiquette que le vin. C'est juste. Vins de Nouveauté. Et comme l'expert... Oh, forgive me. I forgot...(More people speak Bengali than French, so sad.) I am Marcel, Le Wine Monkey....( "This is your sister? No? Your daughter? Sacré
bleu! Is this possible?)... and my specialty is reviewing special wines, wines that are more the label than the wine. That is right. Novelty Wines. Any one can review the others, peew! So easy. Le Bob, Le Suckling, Le Kyle and all the rest of them... Not so brave. They don't even attempt. My life is so much more... dangerous! Recently when combing the dark jungle where the Vins de Nouveaute' lurk ... (Supermarkets and 99 cent stores), I came across this intriguing example. Mad Housewife, 2008 Cabernet Savignon. No wonder she's mad. She's drinking this! Novelty wines often have a suspicious provenance. The back label says bottled in Napa... but the front label just says, "California". So... the juice could be from... Tarzana? I shudder. (Le reste dans la paix, Cheetah, mon frère.)On the tongue it's a bit muddled, fruit and cheap leather notes. BUT, for a party or gathering of non-snob imbibers, the price works. Around $6 bucks. On my Marcel's TOP BANANA scale, Five being a Novelty Label Wine that astounds for the price, this surly Mrs. Cleaver gets Three Bananas. I'm a kind monkey. Mad Housewife Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 - $6.00
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Stealing... er, I mean borrowing pictures and graphics is pretty prevalent on the web. Bloggers, webmasters, art appreciation sites (porn) seem to steal willy-nilly from each other for use on their own websites. Mea Culpa. I admit I have on occasion when not having a picture or graphic that fits my story, I've wandered over to Google Images to see what I can find. I rationalize it's OK by giving whoever created the pic or graphic a credit. Works for me. Now others may reel at this laissez faire attitude, but the nature of web is to garner as many viewers you can and my attitude just supports this. PLEASE use my pictures and whatever, BUT give me credit. A link is even better. Case in point. I was looking for a picture of the recent Wine Spectator cover with Manfred Krankl on the front. We did a series of videos with Manfred about his craft and I'm going to mention our videos in this venue so folks can come see him alive, talking and such. Didn't find it. But I did notice a picture on the same Google page. I took it, and the name/website below wasn't me. HA! Someone has "borrowed" a picture. A guy named Brad Coelho in Brooklyn, NY runs a blog called, " Unidentified Appellation". (Notice Brad, I've already mentioned/credited you.) and he was using a picture from my site of Justin Smith of Saxum Vineyards. Now I have no problem with that EXCEPT he "borrowed" it without my permission and more damning without CREDITING ME! Is there no honor among thieves?This unapproved, nay...ILLEGAL use of my property is so disturbing, mainly because in reading his blog, I liked it and then reading his "info", we share a lot in common. (My oldest son lives in Brooklyn for god's sake!) If you'd like to see the picture in question, go to: http://unidentifiedappellation.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.htmlI took that. It's was early morning at the James Berry Vineyard, my partner and I had driven 300 miles up from L.A., brought camera gear, paid for a motel, etc. It cost money and time. Ol' Brad didn't pay for any of that and I know he didn't pay for the picture, my picture, he used. Now if he'd just put our website name in there, or god forbid, a link to us, I'd have no problem what so ever. BUT he didn't. Yes it's been 20 months. (Foot tapping...) I'm waiting. Thieves are a patient lot. Brad?
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MAGREZ TIVOLI 2005 MEDOC (CLOSEOUT)
ORIGINAL RETAIL $60!
WA 92 $24.99
From the Wine Advocate: "500-case lot sold only at
Magrez’s retail shops
in Bordeaux and Paris, this blend of 58% Merlot
and 42% Cabernet
Sauvignon exhibits notions of cedarwood, spring
flowers, black currants,
and sweet new saddle leather. Spicy, rich,
opulent, and full-bodied, it is
an atypically fleshy example with high
glycerin. Drink it now or cellar
it for 12+ years."
Available from Winex.com
A Wine Thief opportunity! Not quite a steal... but a very
good French wine at a very good price.
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 REIGNAC
2006 BORDEAUX SUPERIEUR $16.99 (WA 91)
Chateau Reignac's owners, Yves and Stephanie Vatelot, are innovators
and pioneers when it comes to making world-class wines. In fact, the
process Vatelot incorporates in the making of his wines is essentially
the same used at those uber high-end Bordeaux estates where no
expense is spared. It starts with the grapes, which are picked at
optimal ripeness and then go through three lines of sorting. The grapes
that make it through the sorts are then placed in small oak tanks and
stainless steel vats in which they undergo a one to two week cold
maceration at temperatures of 50° F or lower. Alcoholic fermentation is
carried out at 80° F, during which time the cap is manually punched down
and the must gently pumped over. The malolactic fermentation
takes place in new French oak barrels while the lees are kept in
suspension by rotating the barrels (one of Vatelot's innovations). This
process generally lasts until February. After that, the wine is racked
for the first time and allowed to continue aging a total of 16 to 20
months in barrel, depending on the specific character of the vintage. Now
while all those techniques mean something in the winemaking process and
take the grapes to their optimum level qualitatively, a wine is still
ultimately dependent on the grapes it is made from. Reignac’s terroir
is quite remarkable, consisting of deep gravelly clay and, in the
southern part of the vineyard, limestone. This great individual terroir,
pretty unique for the area where Reignac is located, along with old
(35+ years) vines, produces grapes that are extremely complex and high
quality when farmed rigorously. So why is Reignac not recognized
as being on par with the finest classified growths? Certainly the
Bordelaise rely a lot on location, and Reignac is not "technically" in a
superior appellation. But when the 'bags are on', Reignac receives
critical acclaim far above its 'station.' Which matters more? The
question remains open and we'll always give the nod to what's actually
in the bottle. What Reignac does offer is a unique peculiarity of
uniting the best terroir profiles of both the Left and Right 'Banks' in a
single estate. That, friends, explains the qualitative consistency of
their wines year in and year out. Of course another important
factor is what you pay and, on that score, Reignac is a superb
performer. $16.99. Purchase now from WINEX.COM
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Let's see... I've got around $650 dollars left over
after paying the bills. What to do with it. Put it in my Savings
account? Nah. Un-American. Buy Bordeaux futures? Maybe. Nah, still
Un-American. How about following the American Way of Celebrity Worship?
YES! Give me a name tag stamped with VIP and backstage pass! Charge
$650 for the privilege? Out of my way, where do I pay!
Gary
Vaynerchuk and a group of "entrepreneurs" are part of some "conference"
being held here in Los Angeles, read: "dog and pony" show, for rubes
that are wannabe Donald Trumps and don't mind parting with their $$$ to
meet celebrities with books to hock. (Shouldn't be the other way around?
Hmmm.) Don't misjudge me entirely, I do respect Gary for his
accomplishments. He has opened the world of wine to a whole new class of
wine drinkers... oh, did I say class? He's had someone write a book for
him and put his name on it. He still sits in the basement of his
father's business and rants about wine and some football team. And he's
one of the short-shelve life darlings of the cheesy and cracker set that
other "entrepreneurs" are using to make money. God bless America and
our penchant for celebrity. (For you fans of Jersey Shore and The
World Wrestling Foundation, that word entrepreneur is French! Totally Un-American.) (À
mes amis français, je parle aux gens qui regardent trop de télévision.
Comprenez ?)
Here's my suggestion on how to save money
and still get all the knowledge and bling value a meeting with Gary
could possibly bring. Sure, buy his book. Watch him on his website if
you like. I owe him that much. Now we're in about $30. Take the rest of the $620 and buy
some really good wine. California! Oregon! Washington! Italian!
Australian! New Zealand! South Africa! French!! Wine you haven't tried.
That's how you get a wine education. Cheers!
No book or celebrity handshake
beats a glass of a great wine in your hand. - The Wine Thief
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Bill in Congress could limit direct wine shipments
FROM THE AP WIRE----
LOWDEN, Wash. — Try to be a wine connoisseur in Dickinson, N.D. Gordon
and Sandee Schnell had a hard time until the state changed its rules in
2001 and allowed wineries to buy permits to ship directly to residents —
one case of wine per person, per month. But now Congress is
considering legislation that could limit wineries' ability to sell and
ship directly to consumers. The wholesale distributors who proposed the
legislation say it will keep wine from minors, limit alcohol consumption
and ensure states control sales. It's left the Schnells puzzled. "The
argument against it was that young kids would be buying wine," Gordon
Schnell asked. "Young kids aren't going to pay $30 for wine." Added
his wife, laughing, "Or order it two weeks in advance and wait." They're
not laughing at L'Ecole No. 41 winery in tiny Lowden, just outside
Walla Walla, Wash. Owner Marty Clubb estimates he ships half his
family's wine directly to retailers and consumers, bypassing the
distributors who make up a large and deep-pocketed lobbying group. Wholesale
distributors buy wine, beer and other alcoholic drinks from wineries
and brewers and then sell them to grocery and liquor stores, which
resell them to consumers. Direct sales let consumers buy wine that isn't
available at a wine shop or grocery store, but they cost wholesale
distributors more business each year. Thanks to lobbying by
wineries, 38 states now allow some form of direct shipping. Clubb
and other winery owners fear the gains they've made over the past decade
could be lost if Congress approves the wholesalers' bill. "This
is an anti-consumer bill," Clubb said. "This is about wholesalers trying
to entrench their monopoly." A grass-roots group established a
website to fight back with help from consumers and retailers. The site, freethegrapes.org, posted a
lobbying letter to Congress, and within days, more than 12,000 followers
had sent it. (By SHANNON DININNY
(AP)
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2005 St. Jean du Barroux Cotes
du Ventoux L'Oligocene $14.99
(It's a RHONE)
Let's take a wine with a horrible name from an
obscure appellation and try to sell a bunch of it! From the outside
looking in it sounds like a horrible business plan. But to us it's par
for the course, especially when the wine we're offering is available at a
monster discount!
This wine is awesome, encapsulating all that is
right about cool climate, high elevation Grenache from the Ventoux, an
area that doesn't get enough respect even though folks like St. Jean du
Barroux and Pesquié are making great wines from this dirt. It has more
character, class and ageability than most 'little' wines from the
southern Rhone, it's appeal more like a great Chateauneuf du Pape from
the northern part of the sector. It was a heckuva deal at its inital
$25-$30 retail, really a flashy Chateauneuf look-alike. But at $14.99,
with bottle age, from an outstanding vintage, this wine is an absolute
must-have for Rhone aficionados, or anyone else for that matter.
Just an engaging bottle of red wine. Buy Now from Winex.com
Yo Leprechauns, Happy St. Paddy's Day
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The Bordeaux Wine Council aka Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux, in partnership with SOPEXA USA (Food and Wines from France), presented the 2010 Selection of 100 Classic, Contemporary, Affordable wines this last Monday at the Skirball. If you think that info is daunting, now imagine a beautiful room full of representatives of 100 wines from France and all those bottles waiting to be tasted. I joined Tristen Beamon, wine buyer for the Wine Exchange in Orange and co-host of the new TV series, "Wine Geeks in Paradise" in a valiant attempt at accommodating all the chateau reps. Our first stops were along the tables with barrel samples of the Primeurs 2009 vintage from thirty top Bordeaux producers. This is where a palate schooled in wine tasting shows its stuff as you're tasting are directly from the barrels the rest of the vintage is aging in. So knowing what a great wine will taste like when tasting it mid-development is the trick, and it's one that Tristen is well acquainted. These wines will be offered in "Futures" sales starting late spring
2011 and are at least 3 years from being released Among the presenters was renowned winemaker/ consultant Alain Raynaud, sharing barrel samples from Chateau La Fleur de Gay 2009. The consesus appears to be among most wine experts that the 2009 vintage promises to be one of great ones in recent times. Tristen found many if not most of the barrel samplings to be extraordinarily promising. The largest part of the floor was dedicated to 100 wines that retail from $8 to $35. These were selected from 400 wines nominated by importers across the U.S., the 100 picked by a expert and independent jury in blind tastings. French winemakers acknowledging the market today have been reacting to their wine drinkers taste by creating more accessible wines. Blending both the heritage of French wine with modern viticulture and producing ready-to-enjoy wines for the dinner table. The increasing diversity and availability of quality wines, is good news for us wine drinkers. Lots a great wine being made this side of the pond, this side of the
U.S. and competition is the high tide that floats all boats, this time
in a sea of fine wine. Ahhh.... there's were I want to sail off into the
sunset. Among the 2009 barrel tastings to make note of were Clos L'Eglise, Barde Haut, La Dauphine, Fleur Cardinale, La Fleur de Bouard, La Fleur de Gay, La Vieille Cure, Moulin Haut-Laroque, Fonplegade,Roi Valentin, and Clos de Jacobins.
Of the bottled wines, the 2006 Montviel and 2005 Reignac were notable.
100+ wines to taste... almost too many... almost.
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Since we're
people first, wine drinkers second, responding to disasters as in Haiti
and Chile with humanitarian help is job one. As a California native,
I've first hand experience of what it's like when the ground rocks and
rolls, so when I hear about shakers hitting 7.0 and 8.8 on the Richter
scale, Haiti and Chile respectfully, the hair on the back of my neck
jumps up! Living 10 miles from the 6.4 Northridge Quake epicenter, let
me tell you ... you don't want to experience any thing greater. So how
do you help? Money always good. The Red Cross and such staunchly legit
groups are the place for cash. For Haiti and beyond, I like a group called Soles4Souls that collects good shoes for folks in
need across the world. (Who doesn't have at least one pair of sport
shoes you never wear?)
 Chile has a much
stronger government infrastructure and was considerably more prepared, so even
with a monster 8.8 earthquake, they are doing, well... better than
Haiti and international help appears to be on board. The Chilean wine
industry was hit hard, losing hundreds of thousands of liters in broken
tanks, etc. Fortunately it seems that overall wine
losses are under 15% of their yearly output and although that's enough
for a nasty smack down, it does open a wonderful way for us to help.
Let's give their wine biz and national economy a
nice jolt of U.S. marketing power, ... GO OUT AND BUY SOME CHILEAN WINE
TONIGHT!
Its not hard to find
good Chilean wine even at your supermarket and certainly your favorite
wine seller can make numerous suggestions. So grab those Nikes
you never wear, locate a drop off near you by checking the Soles4Souls
website, and head for the wine store.
A little exercise, wine buying
and helping the world in one little trip out? Sweet.
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LOS VASCOS 2007 RESERVE CABERNET $12.99 (from Chile!)
Hard to believe it has been
almost 20 years since the Domaines Barons de Rothschild group took the
bull by the horns and completely renovated this Colchagua Valley estate in Chile. Fine wine takes time to build from scratch, and two decades in
we are seeing some impressive results. ‘Pauillac in Chile’ is not too
crazy a concept, especially with the gang at Lafite helping to make the
wine. Elegant, refined, there are bigger Cabs from Chile right now
(think Marques de Casa Concha) but you’ll find none more polished and
classy than this little number from Los Vascos. Buy Now from Winex.com
Support Chile's economy, Drink wine. That's my kind of politics!
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Our wine buddy Kyle Meyer is a pretty savvy cat. Taste zillions of wines. Has a palate that we follow where ever it goes. So when he gets a little excited, we pay attention.
His wine bell rang when Tikal's 2007 Patriota, the Argentinean cult
winery's old vine blend of their native Bonarda and Malbec showed up. The 2007 is just a terrific, giving, plush, balanced bottle of red wine that
had everything in its right place. And they dropped the price!
Previous year's offerings sold for $20 or more, but now it's a measly $16 a bottle, making it one of the
best value reds we've tasted in the last 12 months! Needless to say, a
real no-brainer... WA 92
Grab a couple now - Winex.com
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Dang! Some days are tough, but here's a surefire way to take the edge off evil reality and treat yourself right. Three Wines... All $10 or less and they are really good. Apothic Red - $9. Okay, here's the deal, the folks that make this are GALLO, BUT you don't have to tell your snobby friends. Parker called it, ”one of the greatest bargains I have ever tasted from
California. ... it is a blend of 45% Syrah, 44% Zinfandel, 9% Merlot,
and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from primarily Lodi as well as
Sonoma, the Central Coast, and Napa. A hedonist’s dream, this fruit-bomb
exhibits loads of berry fruit, pepper, and spice, silky tannins, and an
attractive mouth feel.” Rocinante 2006 Syrah - $9. This beauty first came in the door at $35 a bottle. Bad timing. Lots and lots of $35 bottles coming out of Northern California. Hard to sell with all that competition, so they did the next best thing, lowered the price so we all could enjoy it. Probably work out to be best marketing move yet. Get known, then charge $35. Aguijon de Abeja 2008 - $9. What? Pardon me? What's that? WELL, it's really good. It's Malbec. Plump and easy to drink, pretty friendly for its
youth... A sensational value. The name? It means Bee Sting in Spanish. Must be a local thing as there's no pain in this engaging red.
Now, let's go get some cheese!
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THE REBEL 2007CABERNET SAUVIGNON $14.99 Feeling a little rebellious? Hop on the back of this bad motor scooter
and get some Wahluke Slope Cabernet religion. The latest installment of Darryn O'Shea and Travis Scarborough's value Cab from eastern
Washington is a knockout. We love the wine making touches here
with this young duo's creamy, supple wine making polish tightly wrapping
itself around the cool climate Cab flavors in this remarkable 'little'
wine. It over delivers for sure, providing a big blast of cassis, black
cherry and varietal leafy notes along with more than enough size, and
sweet, plentiful tannins that make you think you're drinking something
a bit pricier...Nicely done! "Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress! WHAT?! That's me kilt you maroon! Big flavor, little price. Buy now from Winex.com
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You look in the mirror and you've four ears and an eye on the end of your tongue, then you wake up. Deep breath, it was just a dream. What brought that on? Then I remembered I'd read an article about ORGANIC FARMING, and somewhere in there was a "joke" about what affect some pesticides and chemical fertilizers might have on the body. The eyeball on the tongue was actually pretty cool, but not the sort of thing you'd want to share on a first date.
It was however plenty a good enough reason for me to consider including more organically grown foods and WINE in my diet, particularly since wine is a rather large part of my diet. The move to "organic" wine making is on a increasingly fast track as people and winemakers realize that letting nature take it's course will benefit both the body and the nature of wine. But it's not new to a small number of family-run wineries that have been practicing organic methods for a long time. Ed and Deborah Wallo, owners and winemakers at YORKVILLE CELLARS in Mendocino County, California, have been a certified organic winery since 1986.
If you've never traveled past the Sonoma/Napa areas, you owe yourself a couple more days on that get-a-way to make it to the Mendocino area. Cruising up 101, past Healdsburg, you'll come to State Highway 128, hang a left, and soon you'll see the vineyards of Yorkville Cellars, home to a little slice of Bordeaux. They specialize in growing and producing wines from eight of the main varietals of that famous French region, including Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Did I mention the free tasting? That alone is a rare winery treat, but not the only feature you'll enjoy. Family wineries are always my favorite as you meet the folks whose craft and passion are in the wines produced.
If getting up to Northern California is on the list but not happening quick enough, check your local wine dealer or visit the Yorkville Cellars website to order and try their award winning wines. Reasonably priced under $30.
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 My tongue is purple, streaked with Sauternes gold. Did L.A. seem just a little more sophisticated yesterday? Might have been the hundred or so French winemakers and chateau owners that descended here for the annual tasting for buyers by the Union of Gran Crus de Bordeaux.On the 5th floor Annex of the Renaissance Hotel more than 75 chateaus shared their 2007 vintage offerings. From across the Bordeaux region, wines from Pessac-Leognan, St. Emilion Grand Cru, Pomerol, Listrac Medoc, Moulis-en-Medoc, Haut-Medoc, Medoc, Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac, St. Estephe, plus makers of Sauternes & Barsac, were poured. Hundreds of buyers from west gathered, among them all the major wine retailers such as the Wine Exchange, plus Costco, K&L, Traders Joes, all had their reps present.
Following our "Wine Geeks of Paradise" hosts, Kyle Meyer and Tristen Beamon with cameras in hand, we did our best to taste them all. The 2007's in general had a challenging year weather-wise, but the Bordeaux-lese have managed to take what they harvested and create some very nice wines across the board. The Sauternes are especially worth trying. My fav among several there is a lovely Sauterne from Chateau Coutet... balanced, sweet with orange. A super value. Enjoy as the 2007's will be lower in price than previous years, and there are some gems.
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 Yes, it is what you think it is. Somewhere in China, a guy at a USB factory sits around with catalogs of everything else they make in China and figures out what they could stick a thumb drive into and sell to Americans.The possibilities seem endless. Just look around your desk. Paper clip puller USB, magnifying glass USB, Mini-beer can USB. Shot glass USB. Cigarette/cigar/hand-rolled Lighter USB. (That one for sure is already available.)I'm however waiting for one that implants in my finger and acts like the Alien Hair connector in Avatar. Let me set the scene. It's not too far in the future and you're in a bar. (Pray the have bars in the future.) You meet a person. "May I buy you a drink?" She says yes. Hour later... "Would you like to hook up... finger to finger?" YIKES! Don't forget to activate your personal firewall to separate your libido from your Id.
Until then you can just pull this cork out and show it off. Good luck.
Available at http://www.geekstuff4u.com/cork-usb-memory.htmlThe Future is getting scarier and scarier. Pour me some wine quick!
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TABLAS CREEK 2006 ESPRIT DE BEAUCASTEL (WS TOP 100 2009)
Landing smack-dab in the middle of Wine Spectator's TOP 100 is not a bad spot. (Any where in the 100 is not a bad spot.)The Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Beaucastel 2006 is a
blend of four estate-grown varietals, propagated from budwood cuttings
from the Château de Beaucastel estate. The wine is based on the dark
red fruit, earth, spice and mid-palate richness of Mourvedre, with additions of Grenache for forward fruit, approachability and lushness, Syrah for mineral, aromatics, and back-palate tannins, and Counoise for brambly spice and acidity. The 2006 Esprit de Beaucastel is delicious and unusually
approachable right now, with a complex nose of red plum, ripe cherry,
fresh figs and candied orange peel, a velvety, layered palate with
spicy plum and cherry fruit, pepper and nutmeg spices, and excellent
breadth. The finish shows more mineral, plum, and spice, and a little
gentle oak from the foudre aging. It is delicious now, if very young,
and should evolve elegantly in bottle for 10-15 years or longer. And we agree. It garnered a WS 93, and made #50 on the list and it's $34.99. The numbers are right. Enjoy now. Buy now from Winex.com
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German researchers claim to have just found that drinking wine in either blue or red ambient light tricks your brain into thinking the wine is of a higher quality and more expensive.
The researchers gave their subjects a bottle of Reisling,
and asked them to drink it in rooms with different lighting. It was
perceived to be one and a half times sweeter in a room with red light,
than in a room with green or white light. And its fruitiness was more highly rated in red light. Drinkers in a red or blue lit room also said they would pay more for the drink. But connoisseurs are warned to be wary of unscrupulous bar owners who try to pass off cheap plonk in trendy lit bars. Dr Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel, of Mainz University,
said, 'We already know that the colour of a drink can influence the way
we taste it. We wanted to see whether background lighting made a
difference as well.' He believes it is all to do with how colours
influence mood. (MarieClaire.co.uk)
I have a picture in my head of Dr. Twistel, sitting in his laboratory drinking wine with his head wrapped with strands of red Christmas lights. Scientists get paid to do this research? Where do I apply?  This may explain why every time I stroll down certain streets in Amsterdam with a glass of wine, it always tastes great. Weird eh?
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 La Croix St. Georges 2005 Pomerol
You
read it right. We're featuring the 95 Point 2005 La Croix St. Georges,
one of Pomerol's top wines in this spectacular vintage at the insane
price of $59.99! It's been hard to find any top drawer Pomerol for
under $100 among the highly touted 2005's, and we thought our previous
offer over a year ago was a pretty great deal at $89.99. But we found a
nice chunk of wine in the hands of a motivated seller and, as the
French say, voilà. Located in the high rent district
neighboring 'big-dog' estates like Le Pin and Vieux Chateau Certan,
this gem of a property is owned by the young, innovative superstar
Jean-Philippe Janoueix, who along with winemaking guru Michel Rolland,
has put this chateau on the map. In fact, it's easy to say the wines
from this 'petite' estate have now reached that 'elite' status both in
reputation and taste... and it has the scores to prove it! You don't
have to be a rocket scientist to know this is a once-in-a-lifetime buy
on this stunning and rare (only 1200 cases produced) wine. Don't miss
out...$59.99 for a 95 pointer. Purchase from Winex
CLICK HERE to watch The Wine Geeks with owner Jean-Philippe touring the vineyard and chai of La Croix St. Georges)
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In research, which will be published in the British Journal of Nutrition this
week, a team led by Dr Jeremy Spencer of Reading University, found that
champagne has the same health benefits as previously found in red wine.
It contains polyphenol antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the effects
of cell-damaging free radicals in the body. In particular, these
antioxidants slow down the removal of nitric oxide from the blood, lowering
blood pressure and therefore reducing the risk of heart problems and strokes.
Dr Spencer told a Sunday newspaper: "We have found that a couple of
glasses a day has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels – which
suggests champagne has the potential to reduce strokes and heart disease. "It is very exciting news." And the benefits are not limited to alcoholic drinks. Dr Spencer has also
found high levels of the antioxidant in cocoa beans meaning a mug of hot
cocoa before bedtime is just as good, but, as he points out, "it
doesn't seem as much fun somehow". Cheaper champagne alternatives such as cava and Prosecco have also been found
to contain the antioxidants.
The research was undertaken following a question mark over polyphenol levels
in champagne. The antioxidant was known to be present in red wine and absent
from white wine, but as champagne contains both red and white grapes there
was uncertainty over polyphenol levels. Champagne is made from a mixture of two black grape varieties, pinot noir and
pinot meunier, and one white grape variety, chardonnay. reported by Amy Willis - Telegraph.uk.com This may be my healthiest New Years yet.
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