There are more and more health studies piling up showing the powerful effects of Resveratrol. As we noted over 3 years ago (The Human Elixir), there are companies, such as Sirtris, in existence specifically to synthesize this molecule into an anti-aging drug. Supposedly Resveratrol helps the production of more efficient mitochondria, whereas most antioxidants only neutralize free radicals in the system. This is like creating a more efficient engine that pollutes less vs. sequestering carbon. Beyond this, there have been numerous tests showing Resveratrol’s ability to kill forms of cancer, help with caloric restriction, increase life expectancy through diminished probability of contracting diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes, and many say it is the reason for the famous French Paradox. As a result of all this press and consumer awareness, the market is flooding with Resveratrol pills and supplements, claiming to extend life and end all ailments.

However, interestingly enough, there is evidence that suggests that it is not the Resveratrol that gives red wine its health benefits…

There is supposedly such a small quantity of Resveratrol in red wine that it couldn’t have any type of significant impact, not to mention that the bio-availability is even smaller, meaning that most of the Resveratrol consumed is not absorbed into the blood stream. So where do the health benefits come from?

Roger Corder, professor of experimental therapeutics at the William Harvey Research Institute in London, has been studying the health benefits of red wine for 15 years and has written an interesting read called The Red Wine Diet. He proposes that it is not the Resveratrol, or even the anti-oxidants or alcohol that give red wine its magical benefits, but rather another set of special molecules called procyanidins. These procyanidins are showing to be powerful inhibitors of Endothelin-1, which is known to constrict blood vessels and lead to a build up of artherosclerotic plaque. Thus, a consistent diet of procyanidins will keep your body clean and functioning well. Most importantly, it is found that certain red wines produced from grapes grown in certain natural environmental conditions contain enough procyanidin to give you the powerful health benefits (such as those outlined in the French Paradox) in only 1 or 2 glasses of wine a day!

This is fantastic research continuing our alchemical pursuit of the elixir of life… and remember, it isn’t about living forever, it’s about living well. More research to come…

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Well, I guess we thought. That’s why we’re Grapethinkers… lol. Exciting for us, given that we’re a technology company focused on enhancing the health of our world. We always made a big bet that grapes and wine would become this icon for health, environment, sustainability, and even technology, who knows. As this magical little fruit becomes symbolic of so much more, so will Grape Thinking.

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I personally love smoothies and protein shakes. They give me almost everything my body needs. I get vitamins, anti-oxidants, and amino acids (whey protein concentrate and/or whey isolate protein), all of which are the key building blocks to growth, energy and vibrant health. Lol, add in a little metamucil and carbs, and I’m good to go.

However, this new way of eating would obviously take away one of life’s greatest pleasures, that of the taste experience. There’s really nothing better than eating a fresh piece of salmon or some creamy italian gelatto… it’s the texture variety mixed with the blend of tastes. Regardless, I have my juicer and I love my smoothies and  whey shakes. I could definitely see my diet moving more and more to liquid energy as the days go buy. Better for evolution? That’s for you to decide.

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I like to buy a whole Angus fillet and cook it first before cutting it into fillet steaks, this way you can keep the juices and really preserve a lot of the flavour. It also presents a perfect opportunity to do what any male wine millennial, or any male for that matter – likes most… marinade. Like making hot-sauce, there is perhaps no time more satisfying to a man than when given the chances to marinade something. There’s a certain feeling of alchemy in preparing the meat that really doesn’t come with other pre-preparation chores like peeling potatoes or rolling pastry flat.

The ingredients for getting a steak ready are quite simple: rock salt, English mustard, lemons, pepper, red wine, olive oil, chopped garlic and mixed spices. Adding lemon juice helps seal the steak and within minutes the pinkish colour will disappear and the fillet will start to gain a more cooked sort of colour. At this point I roll the fillet in a bed of rock-salt before smothering it in a healthy dose of English mustard mixed with spice and crushed garlic. Once done, leave it to soak in a pool of red wine on top of a bed of diced onions allowing the blood and fermented juice to comingle.

At this point it’s time to pour yourself a glass of wine and get down to preparing a simple salad (feta, tomato, cucumber, rocket, red lettuce and sesame seeds with a balsamic glaze always goes down well) together with some baked vegetables (onions, courgettes, egg-plant and butternut are perfect.)

After about 3 hours of marinating or so – once the guests arrive; you can chat and get the barbecue going for about half an hour. The veg will take about an hour to cook and the meat will take 15 minutes (if you like it burnt and bloody); 20 minutes if you want it medium rare… so stick the veg in in a pocket of tin-foil – and half an hour later gather people around as it’s always a bit of excitement to watch the meat go on.

Generally if the steak is sealed – leaving it on one side should do fine; and at a medium temperature it should cook through. At this stage you can heat the marinade up, add a lamb stock cube and a cup of water along with some diced mushrooms and pepper and you have a great red wine and mushroom gravy.

The perfect wine for steak on a summer’s day is a Shiraz Viognier – especially if you’ve used mustard, and garlic as they really complement and bring out the spice flavour. Some people would argue cab – but I think that that would more be for an evening event if there’s a chill in the air.

For our Angus Fillet I chose the Graham Beck Joshua 2003 – which turned out to be a perfect accompaniment. It may not have been March 14th, but any chance for steak and red wine is something to smile about.

Cheerz!

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This product represents so much, from the health benefits, to the social cohesion, to the lifestyle, to bioenergy, organic growing, and ecolistic spirituality that vineyards represent. Wine seems to be a unifier of the world in the emerging sustainable global economy. I like to call it the Human Elixir.

Travel & Leisure magazine recently contacted us about info on green wineries for an article they’re writing, which was really exciting for us. Mostly because we started this company with a passion for the sustainable movement. With our connections in the wine industry and our limited business experience, we found an avenue with wine to be a natural fit. Now, after a few years and a few brands, we’re ready to connect with companies doing amazing things to change our environment and change our health. We want to work with cutting edge wineries and vineyards above all, as well as other sustainable businesses to help create a new type of sustainable marketplace… a millennial marketplace… a taste marketplace.

Seriously tho, can’t you see vineyards and wineries becoming the poster child for the green movement? And not just a marketing ploy, but actually turning these beautiful places into the pinnacle of harmonization between man and nature that can then spread around the globe. You’re already seeing wineries pop up in every imaginable country and state — lets heal the earth, right?

What if we started planting more than just grapes… organic fruits and vegetables… terraform the soil with mycelium making it ultra healthy and inhabitable. Algae farms and the power of solar and wind on the vast expanse of beautiful land that encompasses a winery… more so, create an explosion of tourism to these spiritual meccas, where people come to feel their oneness with nature… to have an experience and to embrace a new global spirituality we like to call ecolism.

With all the great liquid, energy, and tourism, these estates could be quite profitable and could help wine emerge as our world’s elixir of life!

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For those of you not familiar with Muscadet, it is a region within the Loire Valley in North West France. The grape is Muscadet, but if outside of this area will go by Melon, such as Melon de Bourgogne. This wine can be both white and red. Though the name is similar to Muscat, it is not related.

If you are looking to eat something with this, I would go with something light such as seafood. This is great wine with cheeses, possibly with contrasting characteristics, a strong nutty flavor, or a creamy rich cheese. I am eating hummus and crackers right now and it tastes delicious, but I also have a hummus problem and it would taste great with anything, but I’d rather not discuss that right now. If you are used to drinking sweet wine this is a great contender to transition yourself into a new world of wine. But get out there are try new wines, new grapes, and Wine Your Diet.

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As I was watching the Paris Marathon last Sunday I couldn’t help but think about this horrible rumor I had heard, that wine slows down the metabolism. Just the thought of it sends my mind spinning in twenty, that’s right, twenty, different directions. Let me take this time to set the record straight. As a medical professional, which I am not, I can honesty tell you that the enjoyment of wine does not slow down your metabolism.

We have red wine, say a delicious Côtes du Rhône, which is excellent for the heart. It’s a scientific fact; trust me. The heart is in control, the “boss” of the rest of the body. I think we all know that if the boss is happy then everyone else is going to work efficiently, including metabolism, who is the one in the office that’s usually late all the time, everyone likes him, but he also gets on everyone’s nerves. At this point if you don’t know what I’m taking about, then I’m sorry but you’re metabolism. If the boss doesn’t have her wine, then we all know how the boss acts and then everyone works differently as well.

I think the real lesson here is to make sure your boss is drinking on the job. But I know what you’re thinking, what about white wine? I too asked this question. I’m really glad we’re on the same page here. Well wine, as we all know comes from grapes. And grapes are fruit, which we need a daily intake of for a healthy lifestyle. So drink away, it’s good for you. Say goodbye to those fad diets, don’t milk your diet, but Wine Your Diet. It’ll sweep the nation just you wait. I’ll be on Oprah by the beginning of the summer.

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We love this because it’s one of the main influences in our brand name — we’re all about a healthy lifestyle and we think that wine is a vital component to healthy living. Once more research like this surfaces, it is going to be the key that blows wine into the mainstream and transforms it from simply a sophisticated alcoholic beverage into the holistic human elixir. Check out this post we wrote a while back after reading a Fortune article about Resveratrol. This substance is becoming a core component of what GrapeThinking is all about. There are going to be some very smart wine marketers that keep a pulse on this and will market their products accordingly — this is because it will be a rare marketing opportunity that has real merit opposed to just another way to sizzle the consumer.

Here are some stats on Resveratrol concentrations in wine and certain foods (peanuts and grapes). Resveratrol – Wikipedia

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For More Information contact:
Niki Scioli, Associate Producer
Zan Media
(415-897-8393)

The University of Rochester Medical Center yesterday, released research information concluding that the antioxidants in red wine not only enhance the effectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy treatment, but also appear to kill cancer cells.

The documentary film, “ A State of Vine” explores the health benefits of wine consumption in moderation in its entertaining look at the California wine industry. As one wine connoisseur noted about “ A State of Vine,” …

“Just a quick note to say that I think “A State of Vine” is a beautifully crafted work. It is, perhaps, the best documentary I have seen about our world of wine.”

Jayme Silva
Robert Biale Vineyards/Hill Climber

The DVD is available on line at http://www.astateofvine.com.

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In the Fortune article pictured left, it was discussed that wine, more specifically red wine, can slow down the aging process. It highlights Sirtris, a pharmaceutical company based out of Cambridge, that is working to synthesize the magical component in red wine known as Resveratrol, and hopes to deliver it in an anti-aging pill one day.

The process all starts right at the core of our life force… the energy producing components of our cells known as mitochondria, which convert sugars into energy and power the human body. Just like a coal plant produces energy and pollutes greenhouse gases that harm our planet, mitochondria also pollute in the form of free radicals that cause damage to our cells and our bodies. More so, these free radicals harm other mitochondria, causing them to become more inefficient and give off more free radicals, thus sparking the cell-degrading snowball effect that is thought to be the major cause of aging.

Wine may have an answer, however. We now know that wine has not one, but two ways to combat free radicals. First, it has antioxidants, which most people are familiar with. Antioxidants are found in green tea and orange juice and serve to soak up the free radicals produced in the body, thus eliminating their harmful impact. Secondly, and more importantly, red wine possesses this Resveratrol compound, which activates an enzyme that creates new and increasingly efficient mitochondria. To put this in perspective: Antioxidants will just make you feel better, whereas new efficient mitochondria can lead to weight loss, increased endurance, and even disease prevention, including cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimers!

Could wine become the human elixir?… More on this later

UPDATE: 1/7/2009

Grapes Kill Leukemia

UPDATE: 7/12/2010

The Truth About Resveratrol

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