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

Red Vs White Wine Glasses

Take a sip of wine from a quality glass, and you'll notice flavors, aromas, and even colors that would escape you if the same wine sat in a plastic cup. Though many practical wine lovers have one mid-sized glass at home for reds, whites, and roses, glasses come in an array of shapes and sizes to complement the characteristics of particular wines. The basic glass types are:

• Red Wine Glasses: Red wines are generally served at room temperature, often allowed to "breathe" in a carafe before serving to improve flavor and depth. A red wine glass tends to be fairly bulbous and short, with broad bowls and narrower lips, in order to trap aromas while giving the wine plenty of space to spread out and breathe. The glasses are designed to be held by the bowl rather than the stem.


• White Wine Glasses: Most whites (and many roses) are served chilled. White wine glasses are taller and slimmer, with longer stems and narrower bowls. Holding the glass by the stem keeps the wine colder for longer, since body heat from your hand doesn't directly contact the vessel. The taller, slimmer shape protects the delicate flavors of whites from exposure to too much air while keeping a chill for longer.


• Champagne Flutes: Designed for sparkling wines, which are carbonated to contain delicate flavors and effervescent bubbles, flutes are tall and slim with long stems. Most hold 6.5 ounces or more. The design traps more bubbles and keeps delicate flavors protected from the air.


• Stemless Wine Glasses: In the last two decades, stemless wine glasses have become popular. These glasses take a range of shapes designed specifically for reds or whites. Most keep the traditional rounded bowl shape, but sit on a flat bottom rather than being elevated by a stem. These glasses must be held by the bowl, and so may not be ideal for chilled wines.

Other Factors to Consider

In addition to shape, color also affects the wine drinking experience. According to the acclaimed Wine Spectator magazine, "the clearer the glass, the richer the wine's color." Glasses with thinner rims also distract less from the flavor of the wine as it slips over the lip into your mouth.

Specialty glass sellers often have extensive lines of glasses designed for particular grapes or varieties. Tall, smaller-bowled Bordeaux-style glasses and squat wide Burgundy-style glasses are both red wine glasses, for example. Despite the near-endless variety, a single mid-range glass can work well for most wines in a home setting.  http://ezinearticles.com/?Red-Vs-White-Wine-Glasses&id=7645906

Setting Up a Successful Blind Wine Tasting Event

There is nothing like an evening at home with friends and one good way to make the party truly memorable is to have a wine tasting. You do not need to have a very elaborate set-up, and if it is your first attempt at having one, then it might be a good idea to start small, just until you get the feel of it and how it works. If you are a regular wine drinker, and have hosted wine tasting events in the past, then you may want to look for a new twist on the tried and tested, and one way to do that is with a blind wine tasting.

The set-up for a blind tasting event and the only real difference is in what you do with the wines that you are presenting, which we will get to in a moment. The items that every wine tasting event should have start with plenty of water and soft drinks for the guests, as well as snacks like crackers and mild cheeses, as well as other food items that will help cleanse the palate between each wine. You will also want to make sure that there are buckets where the guests can spit out wines that are not to their tastes. Do not be alarmed if this is your first attempt at hosting a wine tasting, as the spitting out is actually a common practice. You can offer a bucket or a spittoon, which is the official piece of accessory used in tasting events.

If you are offering wines that are of different types of taste for tasting, then it's best to start with the white wines first, before moving on to lighter reds, and finishing up with the boldest of the red wines. It is also a good idea to have paper and pens available for your guests so that they can take notes on all the wines they taste. You can then all compare your thoughts and feelings about each one, keeping in mind that everyone has a different palate. This means that others in the group should never judge any one else's opinion, even if it wildly differs from the rest of the group. A wine tasting event is usually set up as a relaxed event where everyone feels comfortable.

When it comes to a blind wine tasting, you should remove all labels or marking from the bottles, and then assign them a number. You can buy special bottle covers that cover each bottle so that you are unable to see the wine. Paper and pencils are essential for this sort of tasting, as it becomes a little more difficult to remember which wine is which, and taking notes will really help. There is a great opportunity to have fun with a blind wine tasting, and you can actually make a number of games out of the event. It could be as simple as giving points to those who correctly guess the type of wine being served, or even throwing in a couple of cheap wines, and seeing if your guests can spot the difference. Again, this should be fun. So, now that you know what is involved, why not organize a wine tasting today.

The Many Health Benefits of Fine Wine

I enjoy a glass of wine, but is it actually good for you? Read this interesting article and find out.

When it comes to family celebrations and gatherings, a bottle of wine should always be present. You can't have a toast without everyone's favorite wine. Apart from that, it's always been a tradition to include different kinds of wine during outings and parties. All over the world, the custom of drinking wine after a hearty meal is very popular and have been done by civilizations from all over the world. And now, there's a new reason why you should start drinking wine after meals.

Health experts have found out that resveratrol, an antioxidant that helps in cellular growth and structure, is a main component inside wine. Resveratrol comes from the skin of red grapes, which is the main ingredient for red wine. It's interesting though that health buffs always recommend red wine, since, it's undoubtedly, a great source of resveratrol and other beneficial goodies. It is still a hot topic for research for now, but it has been proven that if taken moderately, red wine helps prevent arterial wall damage, clogging arteries, and raising HDL, otherwise known as "good cholesterol".

According to old folks, this liquor also serves as a good way of fighting depression. Well, I do see a lot of people get a few glasses of it whenever they have problems, but studies does show that people with depression feel better after a few glasses. But this is where I tell my friends about the fine line between drinking in moderation and drinking in excess. As they all say, drinking too much wine is bad for you. In fact, one of the leading causes of most diseases is related to alcohol abuse. Liver problems, hypertension, and diabetes are just some of the many problems associated with alcohol abuse.

What's the good practice of drinking this liquor? It actually depends on you. If you'd like to drink a few shots after dinner, then that's fine. It is usually acceptable to drink red wine after eating dinner, since it helps with digestion. Also, don't just limit yourself with the usual red-colored drink. There are other kinds of wine that are healthy as well. More importantly, always remember that wine is still alcohol. Don't drink too much to the point of getting drunk because you'll definitely regret it.

There are many types of wines as well. Red wine is just one of the many types available in the market. But why is it called "red wine" anyway? During the fermentation process, the skin of the red grapes are mixed together with the juice, therefore the reason for its appearance. As for white wine, it comes from white grapes, but the skin of the said fruit is not mixed with the juice.

Choose the kind of wine you want to get for your loved one or family member. Whether it's for weddings, anniversaries or for the holidays, these alcoholic drinks are sure to bring good cheers to your parties and events! http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Many-Health-Benefits-of-Fine-Wine&id=7400882