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A Little Glass of Wine Per Day

For a long time, red wine has been thought to be heart healthy. Wine Lovers rejoice whenever a new study comes out boasting of the many benefits drinking red (and sometimes white) wine can have for your heart, skin, bones, and state of mind. These studies even suggest that drinking a glass of wine a day is the key to many health issues. Do these supposed benefits actually do anything, or are we just looking for excuses to drink more wine? Maybe, but there are two main benefits to wine drinking that do seem to carry some weight.

Benefit: Resveratrol
One of the main benefits you hear about when it comes to drinking wine daily is the resveratrol in red grape skins. Because red wine is fermented in red grape skins you get a hefty dose of it with each glass. Resveratrol acts as an antioxidant, which help protect your cells from damage. If you have ever seen an add or read an article about skincare with vitamin E or vitamin C, you know all about the benefits of antioxidants for your skin. Molecules called free radicals can damage your skin cells, and antioxidant skin care helps to prevent this and heal your skin. For this reason, so many brands are coming out with skincare lines formulated with these vitamins to help brighten skin, prevent aging, and repair damage.

Free radicals don’t stop at the skin’s surface- they can cause the same kinds of damage inside your body, too! That’s why it’s important to eat (and drink!) things that are rich in antioxidants (and why every smoothie you buy will have the word “antioxidant” on the label). Luckily for all of the wine lovers out there, a glass of red wine per day can help prevent the kinds of cell damage that lead to heart disease and other health problems, such as osteoporosis. Resveratrol is linked to all kinds of health benefits, and we couldn’t be happier that drinking red wine gives you a dose of this highly sought after antioxidant!

Benefit: Decreased Chances of Depression
Though heavy alcohol consumption is not good for your brain’s chemistry, studies concluded that moderate wine drinking can actually decrease your chances of depression. One particular study warns that incidents of depression do increase with heavy alcohol consumption, but those who drank 2-7 glasses of wine seemed to be in the sweet spot. They had lower incidences of depression than both heavy drinker, and those who did not drink- so raise a glass to your health!

While not all claims about wine being healthy for you may be true, there are some benefits that do seem to have an effect on your health. The resveratrol in wine has a number of benefits ranging from heart disease prevention to bone health, and it is the main reason why wine is known has a heart healthy option.  Moderation is important with anything, so sticking to a little glass of wine a day is just right- cheers!

Glass of wine surrounded by grapes and logs

Great Quality Homegrown Wines

For years, wine has been known to be a great drink for socializing, or just relaxing quietly at home. Now, studies have emerged showing that wine also has great health benefits. But good wines can be costly. However, you can make a great homemade wine for a fraction of what it would cost you to buy wine at a store. Find out how you can make a quality wine in your own home.

According to health and gardening writer Jeff Cox, the quality of the wine is determined by the grapevines, not the winemaker. Better grapes will make a better wine. A growing site is best with access to full sunlight, good drainage and nutrient poor soil. You can pick grapes at the peak of perfection, when it is not only ripe, but mature. Then the grapes should be brought to the winery (which may be your garage or basement) to begin the winemaking process.

The next step would be primary fermentation. Grapes are crushed to yield juice, pulp and skins. Next, you can stir in honey, which provides food for the yeast and sweetens the wine. Finally, add wine yeast, which can be bought in a store. Cover loosely with plastic. This process will allow the yeast to convert natural sugars to alcohol and will take about 10 days. A perfect temperature for primary fermentation is between 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Secondary fermentation comes next. During this process, you will be ‘racking’ or siphoning the wine from one container to the other, leaving the sediment that has settled to the bottom of the container behind. It’s best to store the wine in a glass container with an airlock. This will create a barrier from the environment to prevent airborne contaminants from spoiling your wine.

After 6 to 8 weeks it is time for the second racking. This is necessary to remove more sediment and it rids your wine of excessive carbon dioxide resulting from fermentation. Wait another 6 to 8 weeks before the next racking.
For the third racking, add one campden tablet per gallon of wine. This tablet is an antioxidant that also inhibits bacteria. It will make your wine taste good and prevent browning. You must wait another 4 to 6 months before the fourth racking also known as filtering.

Filtering is not necessary, but it will clear the wine and prevent sediment at the bottom. It can be done by a filtering machine and it will give your wine some sparkle. Once this is done, wait two more weeks to allow any traces of sediment to settle.

resveralife-great-quality-homegrown-wines-bottles

Bottling is your last step. For best results, use green wine glass bottles with cork seals that don’t have rough edges or nicks. Siphon the wine into bottles and leave room for the cork and air space of one inch between the cork and wine. Then leave wine bottles standing upright for 24 hours. Then turn bottles on their sides for long term storage. Age your bottle another 6 months to a year for a great homemade quality wine.

Do you make your wine at home? Are there any tips that you would like to add? Let us know in the comments section below.

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