Traditionally made wines?

[Tillergirl]

After watching the BBC series the truth about food so as to improve my eating habits for maximum health benefits. I would like to know what I need to look out for on the labels that would tell me that a wine has been made traditionally (soaked for two weeks with the skins and pips) as this seems to realease the maximum amount of antioxidants into the red wine giving the most benefit to the drinker.  Also how will I know if the grapes have been grown at a high altitude, again is there a specific word or is it just regional?[8-)]

Thankyou for any advice you bestow on me in advance as you can proberbly guess I am an absolute beginner when it comes to wine.[kiss]

[Clair]

The Telegraph ran a series of articles about this back in Nov last year. It was based on this book: The Wine Diet by Roger Corder (Little, Brown)

The recommended wines are made from the Tanat and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varieties. For optimum return they should be made by 'méthode traditionnelle' and be no more than 3-4 years old (2003 for 2007 drinking). You'll find a list of suggestions on this page: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/

I mentioned this link in a post I made at the end of Nov 06 [:)]... (call me a trend-setter!)

[chessfou]

Huh, I think Mr Corder has made the same mistake the plague hunters made.

One of my favourite true stories is that when the waves of plague hit Western Europe many people were smart enough to work out that it was carried by fleas. They knew that dogs had fleas, so they wiped out the dogs. Unfortunately for the populace, dogs ate rats and it was the rats that carried the fleas that carried the plague.

Mr Corder notes an effect in the region whence comes Madiran and that Madiran must contain 40% Tannat, therefore Tannat must be responsible for the effect.

It is more likely that it is the Fer Servidou (which he mentions under the names of Fer and Pinenc) that is responsible. There has been some research (mentioned below by Domaine Laurens, Clairvaux* - Marcillac) to back this up (incidentally, Marcillac is generally 100% Fer Servidou, a.k.a. Mansois,  Braucol in Gaillac ...):

A study conducted by the «Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique» and the «Institut des Produits de la Vigne»

showed that Marcillac wine is very rich in certain elements (catéchines

and procyanidols) that help lower cholesterol and prevent myocardial

infarction.

The regular consumption of one or two glasses of Marcillac wine a day

provides the recommended daily intake for a man (25 mg per day).*

*http://www.domaine-laurens.com/article.php3?id_article=133

NB.: Tannat from the Cotoides family, Fer etc. from the Carmenets family.

[Tillergirl]

Thanks for the link clair.

At least I know more about it now, all I have to do now is develop a taste for red wine and put into practice.

[Clair]

One of he points made in the book and during the TV program was that the wine had to be drunk with food to be at its most effective (food + wine = slower and better absorption of the useful nutrients)

[Gardian]

[quote user="Tillergirl"]

I would like to know what I need to look out for on the labels that would tell me that a wine has been made traditionally (soaked for two weeks with the skins and pips) as this seems to realease the maximum amount of antioxidants into the red wine giving the most benefit to the drinker.

[/quote]

Must remember to ask them down at the Co-op tomorrow when I drop by to stock up - "(Have they released the) maximum amount of antioxidants into the red wine giving the most benefit to the drinker?" - they'll die laughing.

Oh, if you like it, just drink the stuff.  High altitude / low altitude?  For goodness sake. 

[Tony F Dordogne]

I'm in the fortunate position of having my medics telling me that drinking red wine in moderation is better for my health than the general populace because it helps my iron intake/absorption rates, to counteract the effects of the chemo!  Apart from being a real result - but they wont prescribe it on my 100% (double rats) - when I asked my GP whether there was any particular type, method, organic etc that would improve my health and he just shrugged, drink what you like best says he.

"They're all as good as each other, method immaterial" so I explained about the tv programme "Ah"  he said "He was an author, explaining the theories in his book?"

I read the Telegraph article and showed it to my nutritionist - another gallic shrug.

I think the only way of pursuing this is probably go to the offices of the regional/local wine growers - like the big place in Bergerac for the Bergerac appelation - and ask there, I've never seen anything on labels like 'soaked for two weeks etc' just that some choices of wine are organic so they may qualify.