White Wine's Influence on the Lungs

For years now, we've been praising the health benefits of red wine, raising our glasses and toasting Merlot as bottles of white wine sit in the corner, fermenting with jealously. Because red wine has been known to have a positive impact on the human body, with particular profits to the cardiovascular system, we drink it and we heart it.

Not to be outdone by its colorful adversary, studies have recently found white wine to be beneficial to health as well. While both red and white wine aid in lung function, white wine has a more positive impact on lung health.

According to a study by the American Thoracic Society, a positive link between white wine and lung health was found for people who drank between one and three glasses a day. These people possessed overall better lung function than those who drank red wine, or other alcoholic beverages. This study also took into account several other variables such as the wine drinker's general health, age, and whether or not they were a smoker.

Because white wine contains higher levels of flavonoids, a group of plant substances known for their antioxidant activity, researchers believe that white wine soaks up the toxins in the blood, like a "mop and glo" for the thorax, reducing inflammation of the airwaves in the process. This helps protect the lungs.

Drinking white wine may also be beneficial because of the presence of free radicals lurking in the human body. If antioxidants are the "peacekeepers" of the chemical compound world, with their main goal being to keep the body void of disease and destruction, free radicals are the bad seeds, often caught red handed spraying graffiti of cancer and illness on internal organs. Consumption of white wine, however, possesses the ability to stop the creation of free radicals, taking away their can of spray paint and leaving them enervated.

All of these factors add up to better lung function, with each glass increasing respiratory performance. According to a study at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, one glass of white wine produced 1.5% higher lung function. Three glasses of white wine produced 3.0% higher lung function. 

This is not to say that people should be chugging gallons and gallons - huge amounts of white wine won't give people the ability to breathe underwater - but drinking white wine in moderation may make a human's lungs operate at a higher level of performance. This can, on average, add one to three more years to a person's life span.

With red wine bragging about its ability to lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure, white wine has been left in the shadows, unable to boast about a benefit of its own. But, with new studies, people are learning that white wine may be as beneficial as red, its benefits just involve a different organ. If our hearts belong to red wine, our lungs belong to white, allowing both white wine drinkers and bottles of overzealous Pinot Gris to breathe a little easier. http://ezinearticles.com/?White-Wines-Influence-on-the-Lungs&id=266266

Grapes That Make the Best Wine

The wine making process can make wine out of any fruit that contains residual sugar after harvesting. I can guarantee that many of these wines will have some alcohol in them, but most will not be very tasty since they are usually sweet and poorly balanced. The grape has emerged as the champion wine making fruit over the years because it contains the highest sugar of most other fruits and yields about 11 percent alcohol. The tartaric acid and tannins found exclusively in grapes is responsible for its unique tastes. There probably is also a little snob appeal since grapes have royal origins, and fruit wines are more associated with home brews during prohibition.

The variety of grape is the most important factor in your wine's style and taste. Of course red grapes make red wine and white grapes make white wine, but many other factors such as levels of sugar, acidity, and tannins make a huge difference in taste. The varieties discussed below have proven over the years to make the best wine and are the most popular. Any new research in developing new vines looks at tweaking these varieties to be more disease resistant, more productive, and to grow in colder climates. Most of these wines originated in Europe, but now are planted around the world in temperate climates.

Top White Wines

• The Chardonnay grape variety is a classic white wine grape grown all around the world. Origins are in the Burgundy and Champagne regions of France. It makes a full bodied, complex wine that is often aged in oak.
• The Sauvignon Blanc grape from Loire and Bordeaux can be grown in warmer regions and are higher in acid that most whites. It is often identified by its grassy flavor, and is often called Fume Blanc.
• The Pinot Blanc grape is used to produce light, dry, pleasant white wines. It originated in Alsace region of France.
• The Pinot Gris grape variety is known as Pinot Grigio in Italy and Rulander in Germany. In general it produces wines of average quality except in Alsace and Tuscany.
• Riesling makes wines from very dry to very sweet but are usually made in semi-dry styles that accent the fruity flavors. They are originally form the Moselle and Rhine valleys of Germany as and the Alsace region of France.
• Gewurztraminer originated in Germany and Alsace and is known for its floral fragrance and spicy flavor. It grows well in cool climates..
• The Viognier grape from the Rhone valley is becoming more popular as more is planted in California. It makes wines of medium body with a fruity flavor..
• Chenin Blanc is a white grape from the Loire Valley (Vouvray). It makes white wines that are fragrant and high in acid, and is often used as a base for jug wine.
• The Muscat family makes wines that are generally sweet and very floral. It is known as Moscato in Italy and Moscatel in Spain and also is often used for sparkling wines.

Top Red Wines

• The premier red wine grape is Cabernet Sauvignon and is the dominant grape in the Bordeaux region of France. The Cabernet Sauvignon grape produces distinctive wines that are tannic and full bodied. They are always barreled in oak and may age for up to 10 years in the bottle..
• The Merlot grape is very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but makes a wine lower in tannins that matures faster and is softer in texture. Merlot is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to make the famous "Bordeaux Blend" which is know as Meritage in the US.
• Pinot Noir is the top wine in the Burgundy region of France. It is also a major grape in most fine quality Champagne and sparkling wines. It low in tannin and relatively high in acid and produces a medium body wine with exceptional flavor.
• Known as Syrah in France and Shiraz in Australia, this grape originated in Persia. It produces full bodied wines of intense color and flavor.
• Zinfandel's origin is unknown and it is grown almost exclusively in California. It probably arrived in the US from Italy or Croatia. This grape makes solid red wines with good fruit and structure. It was popular with home winemakers during prohibition and were the only vines that survived those "dark ages".
• Sangiovese is the primary grape grown in Italy's Tuscany and is used to make Chianti. Sangiovese wines are spicy, have a smooth texture, medium body and good acid levels,.
• Barbera is a red wine grape grown mostly in Italy. It has some of the flavor characteristics you would find in Cabernet Sauvignon but with higher acid levels
• Cabernet Franc is a grape most often used in Bordeaux blends to add acidity and aroma. It is lighter and fruitier than Cabernet Sauvignon and was first planted in the Loire region of France.
• Carignane grapes are widely planted throughout the world. They originated in Spain and grow well in Mediterranean climates. Wines are full bodied with strong fruit and tannin characteristics.
• The Gamay grape started in the Beaujolais region of France. These wines are light, low in alcohol, high in acidity and very fruity. They should not be aged very long
• Grenache grapes are a sweet grape that started in the Rhone valley. It is one of the most popular because its wines are fruity, full in flavor, and have overtones of spice. It is often the base for jug wines. http://ezinearticles.com/?Grapes-That-Make-the-Best-Wine&id=2042383