Jesus is said to have made it from water at Cana. Thomas Jefferson called it a "necessity of life." Neil Diamond sang about keeping it close to him to forget the pains of love. Deana Carter preferred it be made from strawberries.
Drink too much and you'll be the joke of the party, possibly wearing a lampshade on your head. Drink in moderation and you'll live longer and be healthier -- maybe.
With recent new medical focus on antioxidants, the health effects of wine remain murky. Many questions remain. Is wine good for you? How much is too much? And which is the best to drink for optimal health?
Pour me a nice red?
The theory behind antioxidants is that these chemical compounds work on the cellular level to prevent oxygen-free radicals from causing DNA replication damage, which would lead to a whole host of medical problems, according to Heather S. West, a fellow in Hematology and Oncology at the University Health System.
Not all wines are created equal. Red wines, unlike those of the white variety, are created with their grape skins intact. In addition to providing a darker color, the skins infuse the wine with greater amounts of resveratrol, an antioxidant.
But wait before you go buy a case of Merlot. According to Peter J. Cisek, director of education for the American Wine Society, there is no definitive study that concludes that red wines are healthier than white.
Even more confusing, not all reds carry the same antioxidant power. Cisek said he believes that darker, thicker-skinned grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon have higher levels of resveratrol, yet the exact amount will vary from bottle to bottle as winemakers use various techniques such as blending multiple grapes.
Drink to your health?
How wine affects the cardiovascular system remains unknown. Cisek said the "jury is still out" on the positive health effects of wine, but recent media coverage has fueled a shift in the wine industry. This stems from mounting scientific studies on resveratrol and recent books such as "French Women Don't Get Fat," which suggest moderate wine consumption can help to curb heart disease and obesity.
Red wine sales skyrocketed in the 1990s following a "60 Minutes" report on its health benefits. Most recently, a study published last November by researchers at the Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging found that very high levels of resveratrol in obese mice offset the ill effects of their high-calorie diets. Media outlets worldwide focused on the findings.
"The way that I see it filtered down is generally an overall industry-wide push that says: 'Hey, our product is healthy,'" Cisek said. Yet he added that without hard scientific data, federal regulations make such claims difficult to advertise.
Elinor Howell, partner of In Vino Veritas, a wine retailer in Keswick, said she sees sales increases after increased media attention.
"People react to media coverage but I also have people who really enjoy wine for what it is," Howell said. "The French had it a long, long time ago -- they knew all along that wine was good for you."
Yet, the American Heart Association is reluctant to recommend wine consumption for better heart health, citing that antioxidants can be found in other foods.
"How alcohol or wine affects cardiovascular risk merits further research, but right now the American Heart Association does not recommend drinking wine or any other form of alcohol to gain these potential benefits," reads a statement on the AHA Web site.
While much discussion remains on the power of antioxidants to help prevent cancer, West said there is little evidence that specifically drinking wine has a net benefit.
"I would say that the idea of preventing cancer by drinking a glass of wine is nothing that has a scientific link to stand on currently, but certainly there is some suggestion that it has some effect on the heart," West said. "My line to patients is to keep it to a glass a night."
Alcohol consumption can actually increase the danger of cancer incidence, West said. She added that population-based studies have found that women who consume more than two drinks per night have had higher rates of breast cancer.
I'll take a nice bottle of...
For the novice, choosing a bottle of wine can be a daunting task. As supermarkets are often filled with a plethora of bottles and few knowledgeable salespeople, vineyards or retailers can offer more advice in choosing a wine.
Howell said she usually suggests lighter red grapes such as pinot noir for newcomers before trying heavier wines made from merlot or malbec. She also said that the best deals on red wine are from Spanish or Italian vineyards, many of which can be purchased from $12 to $15. She stressed "marrying" wines with food for optimal enjoyment.
"If you're going to eat healthy food, have a good glass of wine," Howell said. "You eat healthy and drink healthy -- it's smart living. It's all in moderation, don't overkill on the idea that red wine cures everything."
But teetotalers still have plenty of opportunities to add antioxidants to their diets. West said many antioxidants can be found in fresh fruits and vegetables. She added that these foods may be healthiest when eaten whole, as interactions among foods may often be healthier than reducing nutrition to a single vitamin.
Even more "decadent" foods may be beneficial in moderation. Researchers at Cornell University found that hot cocoa has more antioxidants than both red wine and tea in a 2003 study.
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