The Three Biggest Health Myths in Wine

This article by Jennifer Fielder from Wine Spectator, originally posted here, debunks three of the most prevalent wine myths.

Of all the health-related questions that end up in the Wine Spectator electronic mailbag, some get asked with a you-can-set-your-watch-by-it type of regularity. We've answered them before, and we'll answer them again, but I thought I'd address these topics here with the help of Dr. Andrew Waterhouse, professor of enology at the University of California at Davis, to weigh in on the three most enduring topics.

Health Myth No. 1: Wine contains a lot of sugar

It's easy to see where this theory may have started. Grapes have sugar. Wine is made from grapes. Therefore, all wine has sugar? Not so. "If a wine is considered dry, the amount of sugar consumed is quite small," said Waterhouse. The fermentation process for dry wines eliminates almost all the sugar and converts it to alcohol.

Let's go to the data: The USDA Nutrition Database lists the amount of sugar in a 5-ounce serving of red table wine at just 0.91 grams. Not to pick on orange juice, but an average 8-ounce serving of the stuff contains 20.9 grams of sugar, so 5 ounces of orange juice contains nearly 14 times as much sugar as the same amount of dry red wine.

However, if you're a diabetic looking to understand how alcohol affects your blood sugar levels, that's an entirely different question complicated by the rest of your diet, activity levels and insulin therapy. Even medical practitioners have divided outlooks here: Waterhouse pointed out that in the United States, the convention has been to discourage diabetic patients from drinking, but not so in the United Kingdom. (Recent research suggests that moderate alcohol consumption, which can temporarily lower blood sugar levels, is associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes.) If you're concerned about how wine affects your blood sugar levels, you should talk to your doctor to find the best approach for you.

Health Myth No. 2: Sulfites in wine cause headaches

Headaches caused by wine consumption are a real problem for some folks. Sulfites—which can occur naturally in wine and are also often added as a preservative to wine and foods such as dried fruits—incorrectly often bear the brunt of the blame. "There is no medical evidence that sulfites cause headaches," said Waterhouse.

Only a very small percentage of the population has a true allergic reaction to sulfites, and that allergic reaction ranges from rashes to breathing problems—not headaches. Wine-triggered headache research has identified many possible culprits other than sulfites, including histamines, daily stress, any number of compounds in wine or the alcohol itself.

But as Waterhouse noted, "Everyone is very ready to draw conclusions [about sulfites and headaches] from their own experience." For the true believers in a link between the two, he concedes no study has been done to address this query. Don't hold your breath, he said: "As far as we know yet, no one has died yet from 'sulfite headaches,' so the NIH [National Institutes of Health] is not rushing to study this."

Health Myth No. 3: We know what component of wine promotes health

Studies on the correlation between the consumption of wine (or a substance in wine) and disease X or disease Y seem to come out every other week  (See this round-up for examples.) As such, we get many questions that ask, "Which wine is the healthiest for my particular condition?"

But Waterhouse said, "These studies can't prove that a particular substance in a wine is the causal factor." The reason is that "the best data is epidemiological data"—from studying large populations of individuals over time and determining patterns of disease. You can imagine the number of variables involved with this type of study: how much a person exercises, what they eat, what else they drink, and how all those factors interact. So pinpointing whether health benefits are due to alcoholic beverages in general or wine in particular, much less a particular substance in wine, is a challenge.

So it's something of a moot point to try to determine what type of wine is "healthier" because it's rich in substance A or B. The amount of any compound in an individual wine can vary not only by grape or region, but by growing-season conditions, viticultural techniques or winemaking practices. And different compounds could have different benefits.

One relationship that the data shows? "Most experts are willing to say that non-drinking is a risk factor for dying from cardiovascular disease," Waterhouse said. "The effect is quite substantial. … If you look at 10,000 people, a mix of [moderate] drinkers and non-drinkers, half as many people will die in the drinking group. That is really clear."

Tools of the Trade

You've probably noticed bartenders break our various shiny tools while preparing drinks. What exactly are they, and what are they used for? Here are some items that are commonly found in bars, and you might want to pick up to make cocktails in your home.

Shaker: A shaker is used to vigorously shake the ingredients of a cocktail with ice to rapidly chill it to the coldest possible temperature. There are generally two types of shakers: A Standard shaker, which has the strainer built into the top, or a Boston shaker, which consists of the stainless steel cup, a glass cup, and a separate strainer.

Strainer: The strainer is the strange object with the coil. You use this type of strainer with a Boston shaker to separate the cocktail from the ice used to cool it. With this type of strainer, care must be taken to always use it to strain the cocktail from the metal end of the shaker, because the metal and coils could scratch or damage the glass end.

Barspoon: A barspoon is a teaspoon-sized spoon with a very long handle that is used for stirring cocktails durectly in their glasses. (James Bond would have no use for a barspoon.) The long handle ensures that the spoon will reach to the bottom of any glass. Another use for the barspoon is to layer different types of liquors in a glass. Pouring a liquor over a spoon lets it fall into the glass more slowly and steadily than pouring from a bottle.

Muddler: A muddler is simply a long, hard tool that is used to mash ingredients, such as fruit, sugar or herbs, for drinks. Muddlers come in a wide variety of materials, from wood, to acrylic, to steel. Some have knobs or spikes on the end for better mashing of fruits.

At Joe Canal's, we have a wide variety of bar tools and accessories to help you recreate your favorite special cocktails in the comfort of your own home. We also stock an incredible inventory of mixers, juices, sodas and garnishes, from bar staples like Rose's Lime Juice or Grenadine, to more obscure ingredients like Falernum. Spice up your martini with a jalapeno stuffed olive, or try something different and pick up some olives that are stuffed with blue or feta cheese. We've got salt for your margaritas, onions for your Gibsons, bitters for your Old Fashioneds, tabasco sauce for your bloody marys and lots more!

Super Bowl Party Planning

Today, Internet Manager Art Edge shows us how to throw an awesome Super Bowl party!

When planning a Super Bowl party the first thing you need to decide is how many people can you comfortably fit in your house or apartment and still see a TV! We have between 30 and 40 people every year for our party. Not everyone fits in our family room where we have the big flat screen TV so we have another, smaller flat screen HDTV in our kitchen since it always seems that people gather in there... after all that's where most of the appetizers and drinks are laid out! And one more thing, don't plan on watching much of the game as you’ll spend much of your time helping out your guests... sorry!

Of course, food is a big deal at a Super Bowl party. What we like to do is have our guests bring either an appetizer or a dessert, while we provide the main courses for dinner and the drinks. It's kind of cool to have everybody contribute, especially when other guests complement one another on their apps and desserts! Of course, you want to get the credit for the main courses, so do it up nice. We always have a couple of apps ourselves and add to them as the guests arrive. We serve dinner at halftime and desserts come out during the last quarter of the game; some folks wait until the game is over to indulge.

I always make chili. There are a million chili recipes out there so pick your favorite and go for it. I always make the chili the day before the game because mine is kind of labor intensive. My recipe is from The Whole Chile Pepper Cookbook by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach, . There are only three ingredients:

-8 dried New Mexico Chiles
-4 cups of beef broth
-2 pounds of meat, cut into ½" to 1" pieces (I use half beef and half pork)

I multiply this recipe by 6 for my party.

The preparation of the chiles takes quite awhile. I use half medium and half hot chiles that I get from the Hatch Valley in New Mexico, because I find their flavor to be superior to all other chiles. However, you can find similar chiles in your local grocery store. Start by roasting the chiles on a cookie sheet at 200 degrees for 5 minutes. Tear them apart (I use gloves to handle 50 chiles!) and empty out as many seeds as possible, but try not to lose the membrane... lots of flavor there! Soak them in some of the beef broth for an hour or so, then blend them in batches in a blender with the broth until smooth. It may take 5 or 10 minutes of blending per batch to get rid of all the little pieces. If you don't, you'll be picking them out of your teeth all night!

Brown the meat in some vegetable oil in a big pot. Deglaze the pot with some broth. Add the chile puree and the rest of the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for a couple of hours uncovered - you want it to reduce down. Just taste some, you'll know when it's done. I always put out some shredded cheese and sour cream for those who can't take the heat!

Whatever you cook for halftime dinner in addition to the chili, put it all in those serving racks that you see at a buffet dinner. You can get them pretty cheap at your local party store along with the fuel cans to keep the water underneath the pans hot. You can use the racks over and over again. Those same stores have all the foil pans too - the really deep, long ones for the water and the half-size, shallower ones for the food. I always get the covers too. Most of the food I preheat in the oven when the game starts and transfer over to the racks just before halftime. I usually start the fuel heating the water by the end of the first quarter of the game. Some suggestions for the other dishes are: Chicken with artichokes, eggplant parm, baked ziti, ravioli in vegetable sauce, penne in vodka sauce or sliced ham. And of course don't forget sturdy paper plates (small for apps and desserts and large for dinner) and plastic utensils. We usually get all this at our local party store along with the pans and fuel for the food. We lay it all out on our dining room table and it's buffet/self serve style.

Of course, there are also the drinks. You need to know your crowd so you know how much beer and wine you need. We usually have a cooler with ice in our kitchen and put the beer and soda in there. We set aside part of a counter in the kitchen for the mixed drinks and wine. We set it up so that it's self serve as much as possible... we at least try to watch part of the game! We usually provide vodka, gin, tonic, OJ and both red and white wine. Our guests also usually bring some wine and beer so we put those additions out as well. Don't forget the ice for mixed drinks and soda. I usually take it out of the icemaker a few days before the game so I have homemade bags of ice in the freezer. Also, don't forget some limes depending on your drink selection. What would be really cool is to get a couple of Growlers of beer at Joe Canal's and have them on your self-serve bar. If you need help with your selection, or planning the amount to have on hand, you can always ask one of the friendly wine managers at your Joe Canal's store.

The final item is the pool. We draw it on a large piece of poster board. Use a yardstick and marker to draw enough vertical and horizontal lines to make 100 squares. Each square can cost $1, $2 or more depending on the number of people coming. Number the squares from 1 to 100, because many people like to pick by a number that's important to them. Put one team's name down the left of the big square and the other across the top. Number 10 little pieces of paper from 0 to 9 and fold them over. Just before the game starts have somebody pick them and put the numbers in sequence across the top, so that they're in a random order. Refold them and repeat down the left side. We have a prize for each quarter end with the largest for the final score.

Have a Happy Super Bowl Party! Make sure to leave us a comment and let us know how it turns out!

Brewers See Opportunity In Beer-Wine Hybrids

Several years ago, a few craft brewers began experimenting with wine grapes and wine grape juice in their beers. Now the practice is becoming more widespread, as brewers see rising consumer opportunity in these beer-wine hybrids.

Portland, Maine-based craft brewer Allagash first started fusing beer and wine ingredients in 2006, adding crushed Chardonnay grapes to its mash to create Victoria ale. A sibling label, Victor, was launched the following year when Cabernet Franc grapes were added to the mash. Victor and Victoria, with the suggested retail price of $15 a 750-ml. bottle, are brewed just once a year and typically released in May.

Dogfish Head, meanwhile, has been producing beer-wine hybrids for a number of years. Offerings include Red & White, a Belgian-style wit bier brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice. First released in 2007, Red & White is available on a limited basis, as is Noble Rot, Dogfish Head’s newest beer-wine hybrid. Introduced to about 25 states for the first time in early 2012, Noble Rot is a saison-style beer blended with Viognier grapes infected with the fungus botrytis, or “noble rot”—the same method used in producing the sweet wines of Sauternes—as well as Pinot Gris must. Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione says the brewery had estimated sales of more than 8,000 barrels of beer-wine hybrids in 2012.

With the roll out of Blue Moon Vintage Blonde last year by MillerCoors’ Tenth & Blake division, consumer awareness of beer-wine hybrids is likely to grow. Vintage Blonde, which includes the juice of Chardonnay grapes, was first concocted by brewmaster Keith Villa in 1995. “It was ahead of its time,” he says. “There was a wall between wine and beer back then.” But by 2006, “the wall had crumbled,” and the brew began showing up at various festivals. Following test marketing in 2011, MillerCoors expanded Vintage Blonde ($9.99 a 750-ml. bottle) nationally in 2012, and the product will be available on draft this year.

Villa and others say the hybrids, while attracting craft beer consumers, also draw in wine drinkers. Beer-wine hybrids and sour beers “present a strong alternative to wine, especially for female consumers,” remarks Joe Camm.

New beer-wine hybrids will continue to hit the market. Calagione says Dogfish Head will release another hybrid this year. “It’s a category with a lot of opportunity,” Villa says.

This week's news, comes from Shanken News Daily and talks about one of the newest trends in the industry, Beer-Wine Hybrids. Stop in today to pickup a bottle of Dogfish Head Noble Rot while supplies last!

Eggnog and More!

This week Woodbridge Wine Supervisor David Rudd reveals some of his favorite beverages that use eggs as a primary ingredient.

The season is almost beyond us, but it is not too late!  Eggnog is known to cause a ruckus – and until the temperature goes above 50 degrees, it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy the creamy pleasures of booze and spices.  In fact history shows that eggnogs are a favorite of the celebratory minded.  The Eggnog Riot occurred at the United States Military Academy on 23–25 December 1826. Whiskey was smuggled into the barracks to make eggnog for a Christmas Day party. The incident resulted in the court-marshaling of twenty cadets and one enlisted soldier. What fun!

Cultures all around the world enjoy drinks based on cream, eggs, and booze.  So as you can see, it can’t be wrong.  Take a look at the recipes below, it’s a party all around the world and we can’t stop now!

Advocaat

From Poland

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

¾ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp. lemon extract

1 cup vodka

5 eggs*

1 egg yolk

2/3 c. evaporated milk

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until mixed well.  Pour into a sealable container and cap.  Refrigerate for 1 to 2 weeks to mellow.  The color intensifies as it ages, reaching a traditionally appealing shade of yellow.

Coquito

From Puerto Rico

2 15oz cans of cream of coconut

2 14oz cans of condensed milk

6 oz white rum

6 oz blanco tequila

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until mixed well.  Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Ponche-de-Crème

From Trinidad

6 eggs, beaten*

2 tsp. grated lime zest

3 14 oz. cans condensed milk

¾ c evaporated milk

1 ½ cup rum

1 tbs. aromatic bitters

1 pinch fresh grated nutmeg

Blend together the eggs and lime zest until light and fluffy.  Pour in the condensed milk and evaporated milk continually blending.  Add the rum and bitters while blending at a low speed.  Sprinkle in the nutmeg and transfer to a sealable bottle.  Cap and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Eggnog

Entirely Continental

4 egg yolks*

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbs. granulated sugar

1 pint of whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

3 oz. bourbon

1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

4 egg whites*

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color.  Gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved.  Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.  Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat to soft peaks.  Gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  Whisk the egg whites into the mixture.  Chill and serve.

Soda Sua Hot Ga

From Vietnam (I’m not being weird, but this one doesn’t have any booze in it – please feel free to adjust)

2 tbs. sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg yolk*

1 cup club soda

Place sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and egg yolk in the bottom of a glass.  Fill the glass with club soda and stir vigorously until combined.  Pour over ice and serve.  NOTE:  the carbonation may curdle the eggs slightly.  If you like, you can strain it to remove any solid bits.

*Raw Egg Warning

Joe Canal’s Bottle Blog suggests caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness.  To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.  For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served, use shell eggs that have been treated to destroy salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method.

Joe Canal's Presents Paddy Irish Whiskey!

In 1920s and 1930s Ireland, whiskey was sold in casks from the distillery to wholesalers, who would in turn sell it on to publicans. Cork Distilleries Company was very proud of the strong reputation which its whiskey had earned and wanted to prevent any fluctuation in whiskey quality due to bonder underhandedly diluting the casks. Thus the company was one of the first to bottle their whiskey, which became known as Paddy.

Paddy Whiskey is distilled three times from the finest quality barley and water. This ensures the whiskey is particularly light, well balanced and pure. Its relatively low pot-still content and uniquely high proportion of malt whiskey ensures Paddy is "One of the softest of all Ireland's whiskeys" - Jim Murray, International Whiskey Connoisseur.

During maturation in oak casks stored in dark aromatic warehouses for up to seven years, Paddy whiskey mellows and takes on its distinctive rich, golden color. Two percent of Paddy Whiskey is lost to the atmosphere during maturation. This evaporated whiskey has come to be called "The Angel's Share."

The nose is fresh, lively, and aromatic, showing a complex interplay of nutty maltiness, woodland fragrances, and spice with hints of honey and vanilla. The palate is mild and soft with a distinctive mellow maltiness, a touch of sweet oil spiciness, and again those background notes of honey, vanilla, toasted wood. Expect a finish with a sweetness gently fading and mild woody notes lingering pleasingly.

Wine Press: How does oak affect our passion for wine?

Today's news article, originally posted here, comes from Roy Williams over at Daily Press.  Roy tells us the ins and outs of how oak affects wine.

I have often wondered why winemakers put their wines, white or red, in oak barrels and age them for sometimes months at a time.

The University of California Davis recently conducted a seminar on oak management and wine sensory issues. It looked at the use of oak barrels and oak adjuvants such as oak staves and oak powder with regard to how the oak may affect the wine’s chemical composition, aroma and flavors.

To me, the aroma of a wine is the “smell” of the specific grape varietal. But this very sensitive element can be easily influenced by the winemaking techniques and the use of oak barrels.

One obvious question is: why were oak barrels chosen to store wine in the beginning? The barrel is a perfect container to age wine in and is easily moved around manually. The answer seems to be related to the fact that oak barrels do not leak if properly coopered.

One of the most intriguing questions that was discussed at this seminar was what would have been the impact on wine tastes and wine’s appeal if a different tree had been chosen for barrel production. Has the effects of the oak barrel basically defined our tastes for different styles of wine?

Most European oak barrels are made from the Quercus petrea or Quercus robur while Quercus alba or the white oak is the main species used in American oak barrels. Today a good French oak barrel sells for around $1,000 a barrel and many of these barrels can only be used for several years before they lose their ability to enhance the flavors of the wine.

Oak barrels are usually toasted using a fire placed inside the open barrel, and the time of exposure and intensity of the fire will determine the level of toast in the barrel. You can create a light toast, a medium toast and the heavy toast. The heavier the toast, the more impact the barrel will have of the flavor components of the wine.

These flavor impacts are more pronounced in white wines than in red wines mainly because red wines are more complex and heavier in body. White wines may be fermented in stainless steel or in the oak barrel but red wines are typically fermented and aged in oak barrels and thus may have a greater expression of the oak sensory components.

So, exactly what does the toasted oak barrel do to the wine? The alcohol content of the wine also has an important effect on the transfer of the flavor components from the barrel to the wine. The most important class of oak factors that influence the flavor profile of the wine are related to what is known as the volatile oak compounds in the toasted inner surface of the barrel.

One of these is eugenol, which provides a smokey, spicy and clove element to the wine. Then there is furfural, which introduces that toasty, toasted almond and butterscotch flavors to some wines. Of course there is vanillan, which adds a taste of vanilla and oak to the wine.Another class of volatile compounds includes the lactones that produce the woody and coconut flavors in some wines.

It has been shown that the impact or effects of the oak barrel diminishes after four uses of the barrel and some elements like vanillan seem to be lost after just 12 months of wine contact. When you go to a winery and walk through the wine cellar, look at the face of each barrel and you will see either an L for light toast, an M for medium toast or an H for heavy toast.

It would appear that after many years and considerable research and discussion, the oak barrel is now viewed by many winemakers as a flavor component in today’s winemaking. Much of the American wine culture has been somewhat addicted to the “oaky” style of many wines, and I have often met wine lovers who are turned off by wines that do not project some level of oak. Many wine lovers are looking for that toasty, oaky, buttery chardonnay and nothing will ever take its place.

Over the past several years, I think we have seen a change in attitude with regard to high levels of alcohol in wine and the increasing levels of oak of many wines, especially some of our California favorites. A number of wineries throughout the world are now producing un-oaked white wines that are created using stainless steel fermentation techniques and very little, if any, contact with oak barrels. The flavor profile of these wines is quite different — refreshing and easy on the palate. In my opinion these un-oaked white wines are more food-friendly since we know that the oak component in the wine is often very hard to manage in food and wine pairing.

Here is an experiment you can try. The next time you are in your wine shop, ask the owner for a bottle of un-oaked chardonnay and a bottle of a good oaky chardonnay from California. Try them side by side and let me know what you think.

I wonder, as did some of the attendees at this UC Davis seminar, if our taste preference would be different if oak had not been used in barrel production in the beginning. But I think our love affair with oak will be around for a long time.