The Healthiest Red Wines – Cheers to a Glass of Antioxidants

The Paradox of Wine and Health

Apr 13, 2021

The French Paradox

It has long been realized that red wine brings to our bodies a group of organic chemicals that can serve as clot-inhibiting, bad cholesterol reducing, antioxidant-enriching properties. In the 1990’s the famous 60 Minutes installment by Morley Safer introduced us to the “French Paradox.” Paradoxically, the French people have a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease while having a diet rich in saturated fats. Drinking red wine with meals is thought to be a preventative contributor to this paradox. Is this true? How do the wines of the world stack up in delivering these benefits?

Resveratrol, the Antioxidant

The latest studies on red wine have been truly amazing. The positive health effects of wine drunk in moderation are anti-atherosclerotic (anti-plaque in vessels) and antithrombotic (anti-clot formation). Red wine grapes are rich in antioxidants (natural scavengers that prevent oxidation of other molecules by capturing cell-damaging free radicals). Additionally, red grapes are rich in resveratrol, a polyphenol found in the skin and seeds of red grapes, which is considered one of the agents that can inhibit cancer-feeding blood vessels. In the process of winemaking, the contact time between the liquid and grapes skins and seed during fermentation serves to extract these agents into the wine. The longer the contact, the greater are the concentrations of OPC’s - oligomeric procyanidins, another class of antioxidant bioflavanoids and resveratrol.

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Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis has written, “Grape tannins, a component of grape skins found in high concentrations in red wines, are commonly known as anti-oxidants which may inhibit heart problems and cancers. They are antihistaminic, antiviral, and may slow the destruction of collagen in our tissues and skin. Caution: overindulging in wine may have health risks related to its alcohol content, so check with your doctor first and always have wine with a meal.”

The Grapes with the Most Benefits

Roger Corder, author of The Red Wine Diet, observed,

“The Caprai Montefalco Sagrantino Collepiano [in Umbria, Italy] is not only rich and powerful, it also has one of the highest procyanidine contents I’ve ever found.” Marco Caprai explained, “With over 5 milligrams per liter of polyphenolics, Sagrantino seems to be the richest kind of grape in the world for tannins. This plays a very important role if we want to talk about the benefits of drinking a glass of red wine daily. Many studies have uncovered a cause for red wine’s effects. They focused on its phenolic constituents, particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids. As it turns out, Sagrantino, with its thick skin, is one of the richest grapes in resveratrol.” - Roger Corder

Many other grapes also have a reason to be rich in resveratrol. Cornell researcher and Professor Emeritus, Leroy Creasy, discovered that Pinot Noir grapes, grown in cool, rainy places had to fight off fungus and bacteria. The vine stress from this disease pressure is identified as a key factor in the vine’s production of high levels of resveratrol. The vines produce this antioxidant as a protective measure for the grapes. These cool climate Pinot Noirs exist in Burgundy, Oregon, and the Sonoma Coast of California. See Resveratrol Grape Ranking below with buying suggestions.

Blue Zone Groups: Sardinia and Gers, France – Places with Citizens of Exceptional Lifespans

Blue Zones have populations with exceptional lifespans and have been regularly studied for their secrets. Sardinia has one of the longest-lived populations (number of men over 100 years old) and its Cannonau (Grenache) grape grown in Sardinia delivers on high quantities of resveratrol. Sardinia was studied as one of the 5 Blue Zones of the World, by National Geographic. The people of Sardinia drink the local wines daily, exercise strenuously (steep mountains and village steps), and eat a Mediterranean diet.

The long-living people of Gers in southwest, Midi-Pyrenees, France, another Blue Zone, enjoy drinking their local Madiran wine. This wine is composed principally of the Tannat grape, one very high in antioxidants. The Tannat grape also grows in the calcium–rich elevated areas of Uruguay.

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Non-Drinkers Benefit

Darkly pigmented fruits like blueberries, blackcurrants, and Red Delicious apples have high levels of OPC’s, an encouraging note for non-drinkers. Nutritional consultant, Jeannie Varney, stated in her recent article, “This Nightly Ritual – Friend or Foe,” “For those that don’t drink, there’s no reason to start. Any health benefit a little alcohol may provide can be achieved from regular exercise, a nutritious diet, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.”

Wine in Moderation: Some Conclusions

One of the gurus of cardiovascular epidemiology, Al Klatsky, in an issue of The American Journal of Epidemiology, in a paper called “Wine, Liquor, Beer, and Mortality,” has dissected the mortality risks associated with the three beverage types in a huge group.

The bottom line of a long and complex paper is that wine drinking is associated with a lower overall mortality than beer or liquor, largely due to lower cardiovascular mortality. They conclude that it remains unclear whether this reduced risk is due to non-alcoholic wine ingredients, drinking pattern, or “Associated Traits.” - Wine Wanderings Subscribers Take Note.

Oliver James, Head of the School of Clinical Medical Sciences, Newcastle University jokes in the newsletter, Purple Pages:
“I find the notion of “associated traits” very interesting. Presumably we all [wine drinkers] share them: superior intelligence, heightened sensitivities, great sense of humor...”

For those of us who drink wine in moderation (1 standard 5 oz. serving per day) it is wise to seek those wines that are both deliciously enjoyable and rich in antioxidants. Remember, it is always sensible to drink wine with food, as it helps manage the astringency of the wine’s tannins and moderates the alcohol effects. A toast to your good health: Salute!

How do the red grapes of the world rank in delivering antioxidant benefits?
Here is our top list from the latest research:
1. Sagrantino of Umbria, Italy
2. Cannonau (Grenache) of Sardinia
3. Tannat of Madiran (also grown in Uruguay and California)
4. Pinot Noirs of Burgundy, Oregon and the Sonoma Coast