Do you drink wine?

[Mistie]

Hi girls! Do you drink wine? If so, what kind (i.e. Merlot, Chardonnay)? How often? My mom is a doc and she gave me this article about drinking a glass (one only) of red wine a day would increase HDLs (the good cholesterol) and help keep disease at bay. So.....I really don't like alcohol. But, I would like to see how well this works. Do you drink with meals, or relaxing after dinner? Any advice on tasty wines would be much appreciated. Does alcohol affect performance? Thanks!

[tulip]

I drink wine from time to time, but not as medication. I enjoy it, and if it gives me other benefits, great.

If you are interested in learning about wines, you might find out if any wine shops in your area have wine tasting classes. It's a great way to learn about wines, and about which ones you like.

[ASammy1]

I enjoy a glass of red wine occasionally. From what I've heard, red wine is better for you than white wine. It is a heart booster. I prefer a Pinot Noir or a Bordeaux if I am going to drink red. I have to be really careful though as many red wines give me heartburn. As for whites, I always look for a buttery, oaky chardonnay. My favorite is by Martin Rey/Ray.

Hope this helps!

[alpinerabbit]

YES!

love the stuff.

Any varietal, any region of the world - as long as it expresses the character of the grape, and price : performance ratio is good.

You could try & start out with a fun "wine course": Jancis Robinson's Wine Tasting Workbook. Lots of fun, you learn about varietals, about tasting etc.
We go to tastings and then often buy by the case. That's a good way to know what you're buying.

I have to say, once we open a bottle, we rarely have leftovers.

This does affect cycling performance, especially on day +1, and especially if the wine is "headache-prone". I definitely notice it if I haven't had wine for a whole week(-end). But that is rare because we like it, and we can wind down so well with a glass of wine.

[Biciclista]

pomegranite, grape, or cherry juice will do the same thing.
The reason wine works so well is alcohol is addictive, and people are less apt to miss their daily dose because they know they will get a reward (buzz)

so if you don't drink or don't want to drink there are plenty of alternatives.

[Smilie]

I like the sweeter wines, like Reislings or Gewertztraminers. Then you can have the very sweet dessert wines which are fabulous! My favorite wine is a Blackberry Merlot from Door County. It is the best wine! I highly recommend it. It isn't dry like some merlots, and is a bit sweet. It is very good.

[Blueberry]

I do - when I feel like it

Like Smilie, I really like the sweeter wines (usually white). But I have found a few reds I like (have made an effort to find some because of the health benefits). Shiraz, merlot and volpolicella are a few I've favored recently

CA

[bmccasland]

No particular favorites, although I tend to prefer dry over sweet. Of the reds, I usually pick Merlot. I've found of the "heartier" reds, that the cheap stuff will give me a headache. But a nice well aged Zin is a good thing

Being single, I tend to wait until I have company to open bottles. But I do have the vacuum "corks" which does help the wine last longer.

[RoadRaven]

NOPE...

And with good reason...

When I was 13 my best friend and I wagged school, bought a bottle of sherry and proceeded to down it. Well, I proceeded to down most of it, she just had a few mouthfuls.
I was sick for 3 days and never touched any alcohol til I was 17.

I cannot drink sherry or anything smelling remotely like it - like wine - as just the whiff of it, some 30 years later, still makes me want to retch!

[wolfak]

pomegranite, grape, or cherry juice will do the same thing.
The reason wine works so well is alcohol is addictive, and people are less apt to miss their daily dose because they know they will get a reward (buzz)

so if you don't drink or don't want to drink there are plenty of alternatives.

Just to clarify. The active compound, resveratrol, is present in the fruits and juices (& wines) of grapes, cherries, pomegranates, and it is most concentrated in the wine and juices, and the fresh fruits have the lowest concentration of this phytonutrient.

So if you want a more potent dose of resveratrol, wine, in moderation, or a juice is a way to go. My reservation at juice as a phytonutrient source is that you may be getting a large dose of sugar in addition to the heart healthy flavanoids. However, if you'd like some fiber, then the fresh stuff is a great alternative, or first choice, depending on your preference.

As for me, I occasionally like a deep dark red shiraz or something similar. To me, the dryer, the better!

[Jallora]

I love a good Shiraz. I used to get just about a glass a day, but lately I don't seem to have as much time to just sit and relax while I drink a glass of wine in the evening. As others have mentioned, the best way to try different wines and see what you like is a tasting. You can see if a local wine shop or winery in your area does that. Also so if they do wine flights. Also, if you ever go on a cruise, they do a lot of wine tastings. My DH and I love to cruise on the bigger Royal Caribbean ships. They have an actual wine bar there that does several different tastings throughout the cruise, and they have wine flights available every day.

[mayanorange]

I like unoaked chards- Yellowtail is nice for the price or LaCrema is great. Or rieslings- personal fav is Firestone- it's more dry than your standard riesling. I adore reds, but have developed an allergy so get migraines after more than an ounce. Ravenswood vinter's blend Zinfandel- yum! Port is also an nice way to get your wine as a nightcap (and it doesn't bother me quite as much- I can maybe have 2 ounces!).

[letsride89]

...im not old enough

[ny biker]

I don't like wine and rarely drink any alcohol anymore. My HDL is quite high. Exercise and fiber-rich foods (the kind in oatmeal and beans) also help your cholesterol. Sometimes your genetic makeup is against you and all the exercise, healthy diet and wine in the world will not help.

I would say if you don't like to drink, then don't start drinking wine just for the health effects.

Also bear in mind that alcohol makes you dehydrated. If you're only having one glass then just downing a glass or two of water should head off any problems, but if you drink a lot of any alcohol it will mess with your hydration levels.

[OakLeaf]

I love wine, have been working for the last couple of years on improving my palate, so it was a big shock to learn I'm at high risk for breast cancer... meaning I really needed to curtail my alcohol intake. I'm not cutting it out entirely - maybe I should, but the way I feel, there's no point totally giving up something I really enjoy in order to prolong a life without it. But I'm limiting myself to an average of one drink per night, which means that DH and I can only enjoy a bottle with dinner once or twice a week.

Alcohol DEFINITELY affects my performance though - even one glass. I don't usually notice it unless I've been alcohol-free for at least a week. Then it really becomes obvious the day after I've had a drink. HR goes up, reflexes go down, breathing suffers. I don't think it's (only) dehydration since a single drink is enough to affect me. If I were doing anything competitive I wouldn't drink at all. Even when I ran the 5K just for fun this winter, I didn't have a drink for a week beforehand.

Most of the articles I've read indicate that while there is a small benefit to drinking ONE drink daily (on average), it is definitely not large enough that a non-drinker should consider taking it up.