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Archive for the ‘Health Benefits’ Category

Making Wine From Apples

Friday, September 26th, 2008

apple wine
Creative Commons License photo credit: funadium

Author: Gareth Meradith

Many different wines can be made from apples, either by themselves or in combination with other fruits. No one variety is known to be outstanding on its own but cooking varieties make better wine than dessert varieties.

Experience over many years has shown that a combination of cooking, dessert, crab apple, pears and quince make the most attractive wine of all. Apples respond well to most yeast’s but especially to champagne yeast.

Although perfect fruit is desirable for most wines, windfall apples make excellent wine. The apples do not need to be peeled or cored, but naturally any badly bruised parts that have turned brown should be cut away, with any parts infected by a maggot.

Apples are sometimes hard to crush but various answers have been found to this problem. Perhaps the easiest is to wash the apples in a sulphite solution of about 100 ppm, so removing dust, leaves and grass at the same time as killing off unwanted micro-organisms. Next, drain off the surplus water, pack the apples into polythene bags and place them in a freezer for 48 hours. When thawed they should be soft enough to crush with your hands.

If a freezer is not readily available, place the washed apples - a few at a time - in a polythene bag and hit them with a mallet, wooden rolling pin or steak hammer. When each bagful is crushed, drop the contents into water containing sulphite and citric acid to prevent oxidation.

A third method is to place the apples in a strong polythene or wooden bin and to ram them with a 10 cm. (4 in.) cube of wood on the end of a broom handle.

Another way is to liquidise them, and yet another is simply to cut each apple into about 16 pieces. Coarse mincing is not recommended unless it is known for certain that the metal, from which the mincer is made, does not react to acids.

Apples should always be fermented on the pulp. If you lack a big enough bin for this purpose, a heavy gauge, large polythene bag inside a cardboard container may be used very effectively. The neck can be gathered and fastened with a rubber band or a wire tie - not so tightly, of course, that the carbon dioxide cannot escape.

After pulp fermentation a press is needed to extract all the juice. Bale the pulp out of the bin into a freshly sterilised hessian, linen or nylon bag placed inside the press. At first the juice will run free, and then a little shaking-up of the bag will encourage even more to do so. When pressure is applied, do so intermittently rather than steadily; a better run is thereby obtained. When you are satisfied that no more juice can be extracted, the apple cake can be used to make a second-run wine.

Often elderberry, or blackberry, or damson, or plum, wine is being made at or about the same time. The addition of the applecake to the other fruit improves the body and flavour of that wine. Alternatively, the two pulp residues may be mixed together and added to a grape juice concentrate wine to improve its body and flavour. Spent apple and elderberry pulp mixed with a white grape juice concentrate can make an attractive rose.

It is always worth making the maximum amount possible of apple wine. It blends well with other wines, is useful for topping up jars that are not quite full - no matter what the wine they contain - and it makes an excellent base for liqueurs.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/making-wine-from-apples-426937.html

About the Author:
Gareth Meradith runs a Hotel in Blackpool and is sponsered by Karcher Pressure Washers and Snickers Workwear

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Purchasing Low Sulphite Wine

Monday, September 15th, 2008

Author: Andrew Roberts

Sulphur dioxide is used in the wine making process for fermentation as it can preserve the character of the wine including taste, flavour and colour. Sulphites are a natural byproduct of winemaking and has not been considered dangerous in small quantities. Over time, cheap bottles of wine have added sulphites to help enhance the flavour cheaply. However, some people are highly allergic to sulphur and therefore they should avoid anything that contains it. Low sulphite wine contains quite negligible amount of sulphites and therefore consuming it is normally considered safe even for people allergic to sulphites.

Though sulphur dioxide is used to preserve the taste of wine, if used in excess quantity, it can cause an unpleasant taste evident at very low concentration. Wines with high level of sulphur dioxide are known to cause some health issues including fatal allergic reactions and terrible hangovers. Another reason for people to look for low sulphite wine is that when sulphites are added in high quantity to wines, fewer grapes are required to make a bottle of wine, thus making it cheaper to produce.

Different types of wines contain different levels of sulphites and the knowledge about this factor will help a person in finding out a low sulphite wine for consumption. Red wines are having the lowest level of sulphites because they naturally contain anti-oxidants acquired from their stems and skins during fermentation. However, wine makers add some sulphites anyways to this low sulphite wine to maintain the flavour on the cheap. White wines and roses have higher levels of sulphites as they need anti-oxidants in the form of sulphur since they are not left in contact with their skins during fermentation. Sweet wines will be having the highest level of sulphites as sugar will combine with sulphur. Therefore more sulphur is added to get the same level of free sulphur dioxide.

The difficult task of finding low sulphite wine has been made easy by the Internet. You just need to do a quick search in the search engines to find a good low sulphite wine. There are a lot of online stores that provide the product and you can purchase it online as well.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/purchasing-low-sulphite-wine-518745.html

About the Author:

Find low sulphite wine at the online store of Good Wine Online, as well as further information on sulphite intolerance, and what you can do about it.


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Red Wine is Very Good for Health

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Author: Paul Rodgers

Red wine is very good for health and its keeping health condition. So drinking red wine is good for your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and more. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than is white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol. Red wine is a particularly rich

source of antioxidants flavonoid phenolics, so many studies to uncover a cause for red wine’s effects have focused on its phenolic constituents,

particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids. However, the evidence seems clear that regular, moderate consumption of red wine is beneficial to

your health.

If your goal is a healthy, fit body, a red-wine habit is not the worst vice in the world. Recent research has indicated a substance called

resveratrol, which is found in the skin and seeds of grapes used to make wine, has promising heart-healthy benefits. It has been linked with all sorts of health benefits over the years: the heart, the lungs, prevention of breast cancer, prostate cancer, tooth decay, longevity and just

general wellbeing. The main health benefit of moderate alcohol use appears to be related to its effect on the development of atherosclerosis or

the accumulation of fatty plaques in the blood vessels, particularly the coronary arteries that supply the heart. Recommendations to consume

moderate amounts of wine are limited to individuals with a clean bill of health. Similarly, in countries like Australia, the US and the UK, wine drinkers are believed to smoke less,exercise more and generally lead ‘healthier’ lifestyles than most beer drinkers. It could therefore be that healthy lifestyles associated with wine drinking are protective against heart disease, rather than wine drinking itself.

The so-called “Mediterranean diet”, which includes a larger intake of wine, has been credited with lower rates of heart disease in those countries, despite a higher intake of saturated fats. The pro-red wine studies suggest antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. It’s not yet known how beneficial eating grapes or other foods might be compared with drinking red wine when it comes to promoting heart health. It’s interesting to note that if I have a second glass of wine at the end of a busy week, my heart rate and blood pressure drop significantly. However, more research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than are other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits.

” One to 2 drinks per day of any alcohol type have been shown to increase HDL cholesterol by about 12%. Some researchers believe that resveratrol

might be the key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces “bad” cholesterol and prevents blood clots. Other

studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming.

One of the well-known and most studied benefits of red wine is its heart protective effect. The diversity of red wine is such that it can match any type of food. A succulent fillet steak washed down with a glass of fine red wine is one of the great gastronomic double acts. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail, and the medical findings that red wine is actually beneficial for one’s health will pave the way toward adopting the http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/red-wine-is-very-good-for-health-351541.html

About the Author:

Paul Rodgers specializes in marketing fitness, diets, health and beauty products and services. You are invited to visit Red Wine is Very Good for Health


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Wine - a journey to the man’s heart through the ages

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008


By: Vikas

Wine, a popular alcoholic drink across the world, is generally made from fermentation of grape juice. The drink has played an important role in religion throughout history. Used in Christian and Jewish ceremonies such as the Eucharist and Kiddush, the drink is popular in European regions of Greece and Rome since 6000 BC. In fact the Greek God Dionysus and the Roman god Bacchus is said to have represented Wine. Though the name Wine is derived from Latin word ‘Vinum’, it is indeed surprising to know that Archaeological evidences suggest the origin of Wine(s) to Iran in 6,000 BC.
Wines are mostly classified based on their appellation, i.e. classification done on the basis of the geographical location of where the grapes have been grown. Though this system of classification is the most popular, there are many places in the world where Wines are classified on separate characteristics.
Though originated in a Muslim predominant area, alcohol and wine are banned for people belonging to Muslim religion. Though alcohol(s) has been thoroughly discouraged both in many religions and medical science reports, there are many instances where clinical researchers have suggested that drinking wine in moderate amount can reduce the mortality rate. These reports gave rise to the ‘French Paradox’ where the French adopted the habit of drinking red wines believing that it is beneficial to their health. The concept was first noted by Irish physician Samuel Black who discovered that despite having foods high in saturated fats the French had a low mortality rate. He attributed this to the wine drinking habit of the French people.
On the contrary, in a report published by Daily mail of UK on 17th March 2008, researchers claim that Wine has adverse effect on brain and result in the loss in memory power especially for Women Drinkers. Good or bad will keep on changing depending on the ongoing medical researches, but doctors’ advice against starting Wine consumption only for its good effects.
In many families, dinner was accompanied by white wines or Italian Wines, which are light, enjoyable and enough to match the full flavored barbecued food. Vindaloo, a dish prepared by meat soaked in wine and garnished with Indian spices is so popular that it inspired the unofficial anthem of England Football Team in 1998 FIFA World Cup. As said by Anthelme Brillat Savarin and is popularly believed by many- “A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” Article Source: Free Article Directory - http://www.articleManiac.com Search And Submit Articles

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Drinking Red Wine is Good for Your Heart, Lungs, Kidneys, Brain and More.

Sunday, July 27th, 2008

Author: Paul Rodgers

Red wine benefits are numerous and plentiful. Red wine benefits are generally good for you, but it is important to know the specifics of these benefits because you can then employ them to serve your body better. Further research and studies have also shown that the red wine benefits are abundant, however it should also be importantly noted that in order to make use of the benefits red wine provides, a healthy lifestyle must also be maintained in conjunction with drinking red wine.

Although red wine is not considered a cure all and certainly not a replacement for visiting your doctor, you can find some widely agreed upon benefits to drinking red wine. There are a great many benefits that red wine brings, such as its ability to help lower LDL or bad cholesterol with the body ; this is a proven fact. It is commonly said that wine can be good for our health, but it is important to understand what the specifics are of these benefits in order for us to ensure that we make best of them.

One example of this is that not many people are actually aware that this applies only to red wine and that only red wine offers these benefits, because of the certain flavnoids in the red wine that is not available in white wine. This however does not necessarily mean that white wine is completely unhealthy, rather it is the red wine benefits that we particularly look for when looking for benefits from wine. However, it is important to remember that these benefits are based upon moderation rather than heavy or binge drinking.

The red wine you buy does not have to be the expensive ones if your budget doesn’t allow for it as there are a great many bottles of red wine for sale that are nominally priced which will give you options and not necessarily make your move to enjoying the red wine benefits an expensive undertaking, what is critical is that you maintain a good healthy diet along with drinking red wine. When it comes to drinking red wine for its health benefits, Cabernet sauvignon is the clear leader of the flavoid pack. If you want to reap the benefits of something such as wine, then you should also be eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and getting lots of regular exercise.

What are the benefits of drinking red wine:

Red wine benefits include cancer prevention.

The anti-aging property function which keeps your arteries healthy and aids in boosting the immune system.

Red wine benefits has been shown to help prevent heart disease.

Many other red wine benefits include the lowering of your bad cholesterol in the body.

It is well known that red wines are a rich source of flavonoids, especially of flavonols. Plenty of research and studies have shown us that the red wine benefits are plentiful, but it is also important to realize that you have to maintain an otherwise healthy lifestyle at the same time. As a matter of fact, most authorities consider that the red wine benefits are lost if wine is consumed to excess. With all of the recent news on the health benefits of red wine, there is more reason than ever to indulge in a glass each day.

While you sip your favorite red wine imagine all the benefits and then thank your lucky stars. More so if you are member of a wine club. Wine Clubs are a subscriptions in which members receive 2 bottles of wine each month, delivered to your door. Wine clubs are a great way to get to sample different types of wines picked by people who know about quality, vintages and what the labels mean.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/drinking-red-wine-is-good-for-your-heart-lungs-kidneys-brain-and-more-410576.html

About the Author:

Plenty of research and studies have shown us that the red wine benefits are plentiful, but it is also important to realize that you have to maintain an otherwise healthy lifestyle at the same time.

Paul Rodgers specializes in marketing natural health and beauty products and services.


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