This time the beneficial focus rests with the eyes in preserving vision (even in instances where there has already been some deterioration). This made sense to the researchers who cited the anti-aging properties of the compound so eye degeneration issues formed a natural fit. Let’s see if I have this right: Eat and drink some of these special foods and beverages and your heart and eyes benefit from the consumption. Nothing too difficult about this concept.

Wait, there’s more. Another study also just released addressed the obesity-fighting properties of resveratrol. This quickly brings to mind the French Paradox: A phrase employed with the earliest resveratrol studies that questioned how the French can remain so thin while they consume such large quantities of wine. As Yogi would say, deja vu all over again.

Nothing wrong with either of these studies. They point us in the right nutritional direction, and they have the seasonal advantage of information. Peanuts for the baseball game; grapes and blueberries as new seasonally ripe fruits, and wine anytime.

This makes sense to me!

Check it out:

–A new study from the Netherlands found that coffee and tea drinking in moderation reduced the risk of heart disease. Too often we find studies with a particularly small sample size. Not this time. They followed almost 40,000 coffee and tea drinkers for 13 years. Impressive. Those that consumed 2-4 cups of coffee daily had a 20% lower risk of heart disease than those consuming less coffee. Tea drinkers: You’ll love this. Those who drank 3-6 cups of tea daily reduced their risk by 45%. Even those who drank more than 6 cups daily were able to reduce their risk by 36%. Wonder about the mixed drinkers: The coffee-tea-coffee-tea routine folks?

–More interested in the positive news re: wine? Got you covered. We’ve talked a lot about the health benefits from red wine and its major property, resveratrol, and now, not one, but two studies indicate the positive powers from the compound in red wine and grapes. Drink and be skinny one study finds (fat cell reduction protects against heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s). The other study reaffirms the overall heart-healthy benefits from red wine. Of course, the researchers point out additional research is needed, but these results are in the right column.

–Soft drink consumption down. Well, that’s not totally accurate but in a study at Harvard’s Brigham & Women’s University, researchers found that if they created a “soda tax” more people would forgo the sugary sweet drinks. They raised the price of the beverages by 35% for a 4-week period and watched sales drop while coffee and diet beverage increased by 20%. Not so sure about the diet drink approach but believe taxing sugary drinks may provide some of the positive health results (less diabetes, obesity) than relying completely on individual decision-making.

So it’s a hot week, this first official week of summer, cool yourself down with an iced coffee or iced tea. Enjoy dinner with a glass of red wine, and hydrate sufficiently with water. Your body will thank you.

–Giving Dad something for the grill is like giving Mom (on Mother’s Day) a new kitchen tool or a handy cooking device. Another day. Sure he loves to grill and everyone likes the post-grill kitchen clean-up, but another spatula, another day.

–Taking Dad out to eat on Father’s Day just means lots of people, lots of lines, and potentially less than stellar service. Make it yourself: That’ll be a better treat. Go ahead, you pop it on the grill! Remember, clean-up’s easy.

Dad might prefer a trip to a winery: Every state now produces wine. Lots of ‘em figured out how to make it a family affair so Dad gets to do what he wants, and the family is occupied with arts ‘n crafts, food vendors, and activities for the underage set. Check out your neighboring vineyards.

Maybe he could catch a ballgame in person or via television. Sorry, Strasburg fans, he’s not pitching today.

Repeat the Mantra: Give Dad a break; let him decide his Day.

I’d begin with a Graham Beck Brut. Not overly expensive but wonderfully light and summer bubbly. Start the game with this pour, and you’re off to a good start no matter which team is playing!

If you prefer whites for the matches, then here’s a name to remember: Ken Forrester. The Petit Chenin Blanc or Chenin Blanc can begin any event, sporting or otherwise. A wonderfully drinkable, refreshing pair. The Forrester brand will not disappoint in reds, either, as their Shiraz Grenache will have you thinking of French Rhones.

Not just the Forrester label, but many kindred spirits make South Africa well-known for their Shirazes or as the French say, the Syrah grapes. Sometimes just knowing a region helps you focus: Think the Stellenbosch region and you’ll have no trouble finding a wine to suit your mood and menu.

As for food and wine pairing, that depends somewhat on time of day or when you play the match tape, but one thing is certain, you can end the match/meal with a perfectly paired dessert wine. I go back to Ken Forrester for a Late Harvest Chenin Blanc.

As they say, I’ve been a fan for a long time. The Games just get us refocused on the bounty.

Salud to the country and its well-established wine regions.

An interesting side-note is that women seemed to fare better with this beverage link than their male counterparts. Just a few weeks ago we found that women are increasingly the largest purchasers of wine in this country but still are often ignored when a wine list is presented at a restaurant. Maybe someone will start to note that women are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about wines and are not afraid to walk into a wine store or order wine in a restaurant. Have you noticed that wine stores are hiring more women! Pay attention, restaurants!

A beverage at a totally different part of the spectrum has demonstrated positive results as well. Not that long ago we discovered that coffee drinking counted as part of our daily hydration endeavor. Now a study demonstrates that tea which had been considered a dehydrating beverage actually rehydrates better than plain water as it provides the positive, heart-healthy antioxidant effects.

Just one more bit of health news to ponder today. Again we look at the heart-health link and this time we toss out much of what we previously considered about the dangerous factors in dairy food contributing to higher cholesterol and possible weight gain. A new Swedish study demonstrates the opposite result between dairy foods and cholesterol. Again, women fared better than men; this time with improved heart-cholesterol numbers. Women who consumed the most milk products had an improved cholesterol profile.

If one study says go to the right, an author awaits to disprove the notion. That’s a possible end result of the dairy-cholesterol link. Call me a skeptic!

As with all studies, these are beginning pieces of welcome news for lifestyle changes and improved health benefits.

Stay tuned.

Those who plant vines in soil without chemicals and adhere to the pesticide-free guidelines are bringing an ever increasing new crop of flavor-rich, intense terroir to market. In California’s Mendocino County, there’s Frey Vineyards, a winery devoted to the sustainable, organic, and sulfite-free production since its first plantings in the 1960s. Maybe a better known and more easily attainable wine comes from Fetzer. Their  view on sustainability impacts every part of their wine operation. They admit that there are still a shortage of grape growers producing strictly organic grapes, but see the number steadily increasing. More oenologists are moving in this direction and various organic certified sustainable wine organizations are advocating the message. Grouping these wines together with an easy to recognize stamp or label helps consumers sort through the myriad of wine selections.

So as you go green and think green today, consider the ever-growing Organic Wine market. If your wine merchant does not have an organic section, help educate him to the positive possibilities.

Sip responsibly, go green.

The school lunch program continues to be under the microscope. Numerous reports are out indiciating the postive effects of removing sugary drinks from the building and replacing them with less sweet choices including bottled water. With the First Lady so heavily focused on obesity issues, watch the attention grow on the lunchbox issue.

Spices are under scrutiny this week with more pepper recalls and an FDA focus on the number of spice recalls over the past few years.

On the trend side of the spice world is the annual Flavor Profile from McCormick, the 10th annual forecast of pairings and new, emerging flavors. Here’s a good example: Pumpkin Pie Spice and Coconut Milk  with an accompanying recipe to make the pairing easier: Caribbean Chicken with Mango Coconut Sauce.

Now for the most important news of the week: to celebrate the first day of Spring, Rita’s will be hosting its 18th annual First Day of Spring Giveaway, next Saturday from noon til 10P. Those who visit one of the 500 franchised operations that day will get to choose their favorite flavor and get a free regular sized Italian ice. Don’t forget that Rita’s has partnered with PEEPS from March 20-April 4 for a perfect combination. Just so you know, you’ll have lots of company, Rita’s gives away about 14 million ounces in this annual promotion.

Bring your Saturday paper and enjoy a true Spring welcome!

Non-drinkers gained the most weight, and weight gain decreased as the alcohol intake increased! Those who drank 15 to less than 30 grams daily had the lowest risk of obesity or weight gain. They studied liquor, beer, white wine, and red wine and found that red wine was the most effective in terms of consumption v. weight gain.

Here’s the perfect combination: A diet plan and a glass of wine to help tolerate the stress of dieting!

We definitely need more studies like this even if they seem counter-intuitive. As with all health studies, not all information works for everyone, but there seem to be no shortage of possible studies to match your lifestyle!

Wine, coffee, chocolate: Bring ‘em on.

The leaders of the Chilean Wine Industry call the loss limited which is astonishing. This week’s numbers indicate a financial loss of $250 million (125 million liters), but the industry last year proved itself a strong contender in the international wine world with over a billion liters of wine.  They feel fortunate that the loss is not greater, and, of course express their concerns for the overall devastation that the earthquake caused. This information is, of course, still in the estimation period as the infrastructure at individual wineries has not yet been fully determined. Daily updates have become the norm.

If you are looking for a way to help Chile during this devastation, drink Chilean wine.

Do your part: Support a strong, growing wine industry with so many wonderful, affordable, and delicious choices!

OK, it can be; it doesn’t have to be super sweet or even sweet as the significant number of dry Rieslings attest. No longer do you need to avoid a great grape. There’s basically a Riesling for every type of white wine drinker. You can trust the Riesling Taste Profile and make a decision based on the graphic on the back label. You will be in for a pleasant wine surprise if the profile matches what you plan to eat or what you like in a wine.

Over a million cases already include the profile graphic and additional wineries are expected to come on board as this particular grape is the fastest selling white grape in the United States. Imagine its numbers if consumers who suffer from Riesling Phobia would look at the graph and be comfortable with the grape!

There are so many foods that favor a Riesling pairing. Or, the other way to think about this versatile grape is that there is a food-friendly Riesling ready for you to try.

I need no convincing: I’ll start with one from the Mosel.

Consider this: Wine prices continue to drop as more distributors have become knowledgeable about less expensive wines. Is the Cabernet rush over? Some would say it has been toned down considerably for its price escalation and our newly-found interest in the under $20 and under $10 bins. Have you seen the latest strategy: Plenty of 2nd label wines are appearing in our markets and are filling up consumer carts as they are averaging $7. Hard to beat a price like that for an everyday drinkable product! If you don’t believe me, study the crowds at Trader Joe’s filling their baskets with $4.99 bottles!

Yes, the California Cab has proven an expensive luxury for many while European and South American wines are having a front row seat at the wine bar.

Time to take care of your heart. Enjoy the requisite number of fruits and vegetables, eat the right proteins, choose fats carefully, and take out your favorite glass.

Wine works wonders to soothe the soul and keep the heart healthy.

Salud.

Artisan beers became a craze, and big brewers needed to step down into the craft market. Wait, for many that became a significant financial step upwards. Look at the popularity of Blue Moon and the significant number of brewers making Hefeweizens. Slice of lemon, please.

Remember expensive bottles of French wine? OK, they still exist as do the reserve wine lists, but as the recession took its toll on our dining out and dining-in budgets, we learned to embrace new regions of the world and become familiar with other wines and sparklings such as Malbec, Cava, and Prosecco. What was being poured in Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa became of greater interest to us as we scoured those regions for our new vintages.

No longer were we limited to American wines from California, Oregon, Washington, and New York. We learned Thomas Jefferson was right: Virginia became an established wine region with award-winning wines from Barboursville, Chrysalis, and Jefferson Vineyards.

We even became fascinated by different wine glasses for different wines. What was once limited to high-end stores and fancy restaurants became more commonplace on the shelves at Target as Riedel moved into the consumer space with its 4 and 6-boxed items. A glass for red, one for white, and the emergence of the flute instead of the floating half circle for sparkling! Of course, those who follow every trend knew they needed a specific glass for a specific pour. Stop, not that one, that’s for Zinfandel only!

We even bought the whole wine lineup including the darling of the opening set, the Rabbit, and the multitude of decanting carafes. We became serious wine drinkers, and as we traveled wine regions, we became more knowledgeable, and less intimidated, by what we drank!

As we look forward, we’ve gone back to the old cocktail routine and elevated the bartender to a drink specialist who has studied the chemistry, or alchemy, of an ingredient-shaken beverage. Specialty cocktail menus re-emerged and the high priced, fun-sounding cocktail helped many restaurants survive.

We became caffeine freaks with an almost unstoppable fascination with coffee drinks, both hot and iced. It was clearly the Starbucks decade, a title the company hopes to regain in the upcoming year. Grocery stores proudly introduced coffee bars. We decided one double espresso was too limiting and added caffeine-based energy drinks to our daily consumption routines. All these steps hit soda sales as they plummeted, and the old brands started to lose the high fructose corn syrup and explore cane sugar drinks.

We were a thirsty group and little has quenched our thirst as we reach for the next tantalizing trend.

They did not study red v. white wine nor light beers v. heavy lagers, but the study author believes that lighter beverages fare better in the overindulgence headache department.

You’ve been warned.

Now admittedly they used a Riesling, I imagine a German Mosel, which has quite distinctive flavors and a recognizable color. Individuals in a red room gave it higher marks than those with the same wine in a green-painted space! The red and blue wine tasters said they would pay more for the wine than those in the white or green room.

As long as your walls are red or blue, you might be able to serve a lesser priced wine for your next party!

Seriously, some of these so-called tests are just too good to ignore!

What about a deep purple Syrah from Santa Ynez in California in a red room?

What a clash of colors!

Am a little flummoxed by the quantity claim that the WineTime Bar contains as much resveratrol as 50 glasses of red wine! Now you understand my problem. Love the health benefits from resveratrol and the fact that the company sourced the Rhone reds, but am just a little confused by how much is too much.

Should we be drinking 50 glasses of red wine at a time? Should one bar which we will willingly enjoy for its fiber-rich, low-calorie, dark chocolate taste be a substitute for those many enjoyable sips of dinner reds? There’s something fundamentally wrong with this picture.

Who is doing the science to question how much resveratrol we should consume in one sitting? How much is too much? How many bars should we have daily? Three? 150 glasses?

Those who jumped on the early bandwagon and consume resveratrol pills may want to enjoy a bar instead. A glass of water and a pill is one approach, but a chocolate bar certainly sounds more appealing. We just have a few unanswered questions.

Personally, I prefer to have my cake and eat it, too, or in this case my chosen glass of red with a small bar of 71% dark chocolate and then my double espresso!

When you go to a good restaurant or one considered top tier, it’s OK to order the least expensive wine if it is the type you like or think you’ll like and it is the one that matches your budget. Remember that a good restaurant takes pride in its wine list and has no need to put inferior wines on the list. The old rule was always order the second least expensive one because you can’t trust the least expensive one. Not true. Trust the fine quality restaurant to care about its wine choices. You’ll not be sorry or if you are, they are making the major mistake!

If the restaurant explains its specials and the price is in range with the other menu items, then consider that the chef got excited from going to market or seeing what was the freshest item he could buy today. Sometimes the specials are so good they deserve to be considered as regular menu items; assuming they are available and match the price points. Trust the specials (if they are within the regular menu range).

If you have allergies or certain ingredients seem to cause problems, specify that when ordering. A good server will double check with the chef on specific ingredients and together with the chef will offer suggestions on more suitable selections. If you have major allergies, it is always good to call ahead and make certain you have made a reservation at a restaurant that can accommodate your specific needs.

A good restaurant seldom fails you. They want you to be pleased; to return; to spread the word. It’s a mutual bond: You want to be pleased. Let the praise begin.

Trust the restaurant, and you will be rewarded.

Here are other facts to sip:

Health articles that speak volumes about the heart-healthy benefits of red wine positively impact consumption. There’s a possible spike in grape juice consumption, too, as it possesses the same ingredient, resveratrol. How about the impact of resveratrol on fighting off viruses. Right now with the fear of the devastating effects of the flu, the Italian study could not be better timed. I’m starting to feel really healthy.

With all the employment anxiety affecting so many of us, how about the study that suggests red wine helps with digestion. Now we’re talking pairing: a good dinner and a glass of red wine. This has true promise.

Sure some wineries have not survived aspects of the downturn, and the Julia Child/Robert Mondavi food center, (The American Center for Wine, Food, & the Arts, COPIA in Napa) is up for sale, but as far as an industry, many US regions are reporting strong sales. Wines from South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand  are strong contenders for a re-tailored wine budget. It looks as if France is back in favor as the world’s number one wine producer, taking the crown from last year’s winner, Italy.

Wine tastes and budgets are all over the map. Maybe you’re drinking more Malbec than Merlot now than you were 2 years ago, or more Beaujolais than Bordeaux, but you’re enjoying the swirl. Some patterns could be in flux as big bonuses are back again on Wall Street. Maybe some of those redefined New York restaurants are rethinking their tailored-down lists. Time will tell. I hope those days of wine and roses are left to the novelists.

So many wonderful wines.

Raise your glass high and enjoy the bouquet while your heart, digestive system, and virus-fighting agents smile at your beverage selection.

A lot has changed since the dreaded Recession/near Depression and economic slide of 2009. We are definitely different shoppers, consumers, diners, cooks, and lest we forget, different drinkers. The specialty wine industry of high-priced labels may be truly limited to the top 1% of the population.

It’s the 99% pf the Universe that has felt each bump in the road, each change and bit of negative news. Restaurants have clearly felt the impact–the naked eye shows more empty tables at once crowded hot spots (Search the blog under “restaurant,” and you’ll see a history of change). Grocery stores (a similar search) are tripping over each other to show how low their prices are. The wine industry has not been immune to these shopping trends. Not that everyone is drinking Two Buck Chuck which is often closer to three bucks, but the Under $10 bin is getting more competitive.

We could have always supported that bin if we had just focused on our neighbors to the South: Chile and Argentina. They both offer many fine, wonderfully drinkable wines that have been consistently affordable: Think Casa LaPostolle Sauvignon Blanc and Alamos Malbec. Likewise, many wines from Australia and New Zealand (Think Wolf Blass Shiraz or a Yalumba Riesling) have always offered top value add wonderful flavor profiles. Wines to pour.

The question is: Will the high-end winemakers be able to win back customers? Are we better educated now in our drinking habits and quicker to abandon the Big Labels in favor of our new finds?

The Champagne industry has long struggled with a marketing perception problem: They want to be all-round beverage rather than just a special occasion pour. Now its price point receives significant competition from sparkling wines such as Cava (Spain’s traditional Champagne Methode sparkler) and Italy’s contribution, Prosecco, both in the more affordable category.

Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Wegman’s have figured out how to capture the new wine drinker. Expensive wines are still available, but the crowds gather around the more drinkable, affordable, wines to go with their scaled-down price-sensitive shopping list.

Just serve my red a little chilled.

Salud!

Here’s a hearty protein to start with: National Chicken Month. Lotsa ways to celebrate this one from finding new recipes to supporting producers of organic and heritage birds.

It’s also a sweet month: It’s National Honey Month. The Honey Board’s website makes it easy for parents and youngsters to find teaching activities about honey or bees, and some easy recipes.

Now my new food weakness: Mushrooms. September is National Mushroom Month and Kennett Square, Pennsylvania (considered the Mushroom Capital of the World) celebrates with the 24th Annual Mushroom Festival. Maybe one of the best nutritional tidbits about mushrooms is their natural Vitamin D content. With everyone screaming about testing for low Vitamin D levels: Do yourself a favor, enjoy mushrooms.

The list goes on, and some foods are celebrated for a week or a single day. (Starting on the 6th is National Waffle Week). The possibilities for a week or a day’s celebration are only limited by your imagination.

September, a back-to-reality month, is just a warm up for October’s great party: Virginia Wine Month.

These are tough economic times, but that is irrelevant. You never forget that the right thing to do is to bring it to his attention so he can graciously thank you for finding the error and helping him. 

That’s the dream world. The reality more often than not is the following response: Oh.

Not a thank you. Not a recognition of error. No appreciation for honesty. Actually it’s more complicated than that: It’s a response without a hint of responsibility, forget the appreciation angle. Potentially, he has everything to gain as in a higher tab should improve his numbers and his tip. Duh. 

I’m not sure restaurants can teach this skill.

I can. It’s quite simple: Graciously, thank the customer and be appreciative of the fact that their attitude is a whole lot better than yours! This is one of those times you want someone in the back room monitoring the staff so they can figure out how much money they’re losing from forgetfulness or just overall carelessness.

It’s OK to admit a mistake. 

It’s not OK to be casually dismissive.