KOSHU WINE PROJECT

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WHITE WINE BENEFITS

A GLASS OF WINE A DAY, KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY

Recently, many people have been amazed with the research that supports the health benefits of wine. Some studies indicate that wines reduces the risk of heart disease while other studies show that a protein in grape skins can kill cancer cells (University of Virginia Health System, 2004).

Other health benefits include:

There are a variety of compounds in wine have been identified to provide many health benefits…

Gallic acid

Gallic acid is a component in wine that is known to have antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory qualities.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a flavanoid found in grapes that is responsible for pigmenting the fruit. It is mainly found in red grapes but is also be present in whites. The compound has many health benefits that include reduction of allergy symptoms as well as anti-oxidative qualities.

HDL

HDLs, high-density lipo-proteins, are not found in wine but play a very important role in our bodies. HDLs are considered to be “good cholesterol” that reduce “bad cholesterol” levels in the body. Some studies have found that wine consumption can increase the levels of HDL in the body that can contribute to decreased risk of heart disease.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is the protein that is found in grape skins and therefore mainly is present in red grapes but can also occur in white or pink skinned grapes. Studies suggest that this compound literally starves cancer cells. In its natural environment, Reservatrol protects the fruit from fungus deterioration. It has been identified to have antioxidant, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory qualities. This compound can also be found in many other plants such as raspberries, peanuts and green tea.

The heath benefits to wines have been attributed to levels of polyphenols found in the skin of grapes. Extensive research over the past years has found that polyphenols in wines are antioxidants with many potential health benefits. Tannins are a subgroup of polyphenols which are textured, sometimes bitter components found in wines. Although the tannin content is substantially higher in red grape varietals, a significant amount of these polyphenols is also found in many white grape varietals.

The origin of the term tannin was derived from the Celtic word for oak because of oak tannins that were used in the process of making leather from animal skins. It only makes sense that oak barrels used in wine aging also contain similar tannins that are released into wines.

In grapes,tannins are derived from the skin and the seed of the fruit and sometimes from the stems if they’re used in the winemaking. Tannins are more abundant in red wines because during the wine making process, the fruit is fermented while in contact with the skins. In white wines, the grapes are pressed gently to extract aromas from the area between the fruit and skin; afterwards the skin is typically removed to avoid bitterness.

When skins are not used to ferment grapes into wine, there are still substantial amounts of beneficial compounds found in white wines. Recently, technology has been developed at the University of Montpellier France to increase these components by up to four times. This new discovery is called Paradoxe Blanc and raising the temperature of the juice prior to fermentation creates this Chardonnay wine. This process results in higher extraction of polyphenols closely equivalent to the amount in red wines.

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