Wine is one of the oldest beverages known to humankind with a legacy of almost 6000 years. You sure must have come across some of the studies proving the marvellous health benefits of wine shared by some of your wine enthusiast friends on Facebook. However, that’s not all to know about wine, and there’s plenty of lesser-known facts about wine that is quite fascinating and interesting.
For instance, did you know that the number of antioxidants one could get from twenty glasses of apple juice is equivalent to one glass of red wine?. Interesting isn’t it?. So let’s further discuss in detail about the top six fascinating and interesting facts about wine.
1. Young red wine has more health benefits than old red wines
One thing all amateur and pro wine enthusiasts know is that wine tastes better with age, which makes the old red wines have more refined taste and flavour than the young red wine. That makes most people choose old red wines over the younger ones. However, if you look at the health point of view, the situation may be reversed.
Young red wines offer way more health benefits than old red wine such as the condensed tannin (a healthy polyphenol) contents are much higher in young red wines compared to old red wine. Not only tannins, but young red wines also have higher contents of antioxidants than older ones, according to research in China. That is mainly because of the volatility of the antioxidants that lose around 90% of the anthocyanin content present in red wines within the few initial months.
Here is another fact that red wines offer exceptional health benefits and are a healthy select in contrast to the white wine. While one of the common causes for that is the high contents of antioxidants such as resveratrol and polyphenols found in red wines, the other reason is that red wines have lesser sulfite levels compared to white wines.
2. Some of the red wines are specifically better than others
It is evident that red wines offer more benefits in the health point of view compared to the white wines. However, even in red wines, there are some of the healthiest ones that you can get your hands on if you are planning to stay healthy and fit. For instance, dry red wine is an excellent option as all the grape sugar converts to alcohol during the fermentation process, whereas, some amount of residual sugars are leftover in sweet wines. Though sweet wines have a better taste, they don’t do any good for your health because of the high sugar levels.
3. Red wines become lighter in colour along with age
Here is another fact about red wine. If you are a wine enthusiast, then you might have come across a bottle of red wine that looks pale and with less intense red colour. Probably that is because it’s one of the oldest red wines. So, the next time you order an old red wine like Barbera LA Court for yourself make sure you get it right.
4. Tannins are the chief source of almost all health benefits of red wine
Everything except the alcohol and water contents in red wine is nothing but a kind of polyphenol such as resveratrol, colour pigments, tannins and around five thousand other plant compounds. Out of which a form of condensed tannins known as procyanidins reduces the risk of high cholesterol in your blood vessels and improves the overall cardiovascular health.
5. Red wine consumed in moderation is more beneficial than not having it at all
Yes, that’s right. Several studies suggest that it is healthier to consume red wine in moderation than bypassing it completely, thanks to all the health benefits it has to offer. That is because red wine promotes better cardiovascular health, also reduces Type – 2 diabetes and the risk of cancer. That does not mean a green signal for wine enthusiasts to indulge in overconsumption because any wine consists of alcohol as well.
It’s better to drink red wine in moderation and pair it up with meals that are abundant in vegetables and fish. It’s better to consume only one or two glasses of wine according to the standards of moderate consumption in the United States. Remember that red wine is as bad as it is beneficial for your health when you consume in excess amounts.
6. The shape of the wine glass matters
Did you know that almost 20 types of wine glasses are all curved in shape rather than flat for a reason? The reason behind the shape of the wine glasses is to preserve the aroma and taste of the wine for each sip serving. Almost all the types of wine glasses have a slight inward curve at the top towards the rim that differs for both red and white wines. Usually, the curve tends to hold the aroma of the wine securely in the glass designed for the purpose of wine tasting.
Pairing the proper type of wine glass with the wine you’re drinking can affect the aromas and the taste. Additionally, food and beverage photographer Rob Grimm Photography explains that when photographers are hired to take photos for wine brands, it’s very important they know which glass shape to use, otherwise the photos can look unprofessional. A wine enthusiast will surely agree that the smell and aroma of the wine are equally important as its taste. That is one of the reasons that people serve the most intense and strong alcohols, and cocktails in glasses with an outward curve loses the aroma quickly. So choosing the right wine glass for the type of wine is also essential to enjoy and relish its finer taste and aroma.
Those were the top six fascinating and interesting facts about wine. Despite the health benefits of red wine, it’s better to consume in moderation to stay healthy and fit.
