Which Healthy Wine To Choose?



Professor Roger Corder, heart disease researcher at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, presents a few of his suggestions and recommendations.

At the top of his list are wines that originate from the Nuoro province in Sardinia, Italy, where the Cannonau grapes are produced, and from the Madiran region in South West France.
The wines produced in these two areas were proven to contain up to ten times more beneficial compounds than the same varieties of wines produced in countries like Australia, South Africa and the States.

"It's no wonder that the Madiran area has double the French national average of men aged 90, and this is despite regularly eating foods high in saturated fat", Prof Corder explains, adding that one small glass of wine from the Madiran region is healthier than two bottles of most Australian-made wine.

Corder's list of healthy reds also includes Cabernet Sauvignon and all wines rich in Nebbiolo grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon is also said to be better than Shiraz or Merlot, and the Chilean and Argentinean Cabernets are by far the finest choice. Pinot Noir is generally deemed a poor choice.

Don't ignore the whites

White wine is also rich in beneficial compounds

Despite the fact that white wine doesn't contain the healthy skin of the grapes, it's not wise to dismiss it as unhealthy. Keep in mind that there are other types of beneficial substances (such as polyphenols) that are contained in the pulp of the grape and which help lower the "bad" cholesterol.

Also, white wine is rich in both tyrosol and caffeic acid, two chemicals that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help fight osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The best whites come from the Friuli Venezia region in Italy and include the Tocai and Verduzzo brands. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are also good choices, but watch out for the Reisling and Pinot Grigio, as they are sweeter and contain calories.