Drinking too much alcohol is bad. However, if you do it moderately, you will be surprised that it actually has plenty of health benefits you might not know about. With plenty of alcohol beverages around, there’s one that stands out from the rest, which is wine.
However, keep in mind that not all wines are created equal. And choosing the right one can be a challenge. So how do we know which wine is a “healthy” wine?
By Looking at These Traits
- There are three key traits that you need to keep in mind when looking for healthy wine, and these are:
- Wines that are not sweet have little to no sugar in them.
- Wines that contain lower alcohol levels such as 12.5% ABV or lesser.
- Wines that are high in polyphenol content.
What in The World is a Polyphenol?
- Everything that’s in a wine that’s not alcohol or water is called a polyphenol. This consists of tannins, color pigment, resveratrol, aromas, procyanidins, and about 5,000 plus plant compounds. Among all of them, procyanidins are the one that’s related to health as it helps inhibit cholesterol plaque in the blood vessels. This is the reason why “some” wines are recommended for improved heart health.
Wines That Contains High Levels of Polyphenols
- Polyphenols are extracted from grape skins and their seeds. So choose a wine that is made with skin contact because they are the ones that contain high levels of polyphenol. Here is a list of different grape varieties that are rich in procyanidin:
- Sagranito – Found in Umbria which produces deeply-colored wines.
- Tannat – Found in Madiran in the South-West of France. They are also grown in Uruguay.
- Nebbiolo – Found in Piedmont, Italy.
- Petite Sarah – Found in California and is commonly known as Durif.
- Marselan – A rare grape that is more prominent in France, Spain, China, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina.
- All of these grapes mentioned above contains 2-6 times of polyphenol. When a wine is young, it possesses high concentrations of polyphenol. But you don’t need to look at its age alone. Factors such as how the grapes were harvested also play a crucial role in that aspect too. Let alone how the wine was made as well.
Wines with High Polyphenol: How do They Taste?
- Wines that contain high levels of polyphenol will have more concentrated flavors, higher acidity, and will also have a bold and tannic finish. There are some polyphenol-rich wines out there that contain darker colors that make your wine glass completely pitch black.
- They taste robust and bold and are often described as astringent. The bitter they are, the better. This is because the bitterness of the wine directly correlates to the level of procyanidin that is used. So opt for one that tastes bitter among the rest.
- Keep in mind that polyphenol is not only limited to wine as you can get this on foods as well, such as beans, chocolates, tea, apples, and pomegranates.
