National Drink Wine Day

Happy happy day! Today we get to celebrate the wonder of such a delectable beverage–WINE! Believe it or not, wine used to be consumed more than water. In the Dark Ages, wine was more considered more safe to drink than water was…making it the most widely consumed beverage of its time.

Today, wine is still gracing us with its presence, enjoyed by million across the world on a daily basis.

My kiddos refer to wine as mommy’s juice–as they know it’s juice that mommy doesn’t share as everything else is fair game.

Here are some wine facts to brighten up your day!

1. Drinking red wine in small doses is better for you than not drinking at all.
2. The custom of bumping glasses with a “cheers” greeting came from old Rome where they used this method to make sure no one is trying to poison the other (bumping glasses makes the drink spill from one cup to the other). This tradition started even earlier in ancient Greece – where the host was to drink the first cup of wine to show his guests he does not intend to poison them.
3. In ancient Rome it was forbidden for women to drink wine. If a husband found his wife drinking wine he would be allowed, by law, to kill her (umm, no thank you!!)!!!
4. Don’t keep your wine bottle standing up – this can cause the cork to dry, shrink and oxygen\air might get in the bottle. Always keep the bottles lying down
5. Wine is FAT free and cholesterol free!!
6. The wreck of the Titanic holds the oldest wine cellar in the world and despite the wreckage and the depth, the bottles are still intact.
7. Two new studies have shown that polyphenols in wine (and chocolate!) increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, boosting cognitive ability. The effect gets even more beneficial as you age, since there is a natural reduction in blood supply around the brain later in life. All the more reason to have a glass of ‘medicine’ and a little dessert every chance you get.
8. Some red wines are better for you than others.
9. Young red wines are better for you than old red wines.
10. The color in red wine comes from the grape skins.
11. As red wines age, they become lighter in color.
12. Nearly all red wines are made from one species of grape.
13. Red grapes are older than white grapes.
14. Red wines commonly contain less sulfates than white wines.
15. Red wine grapes can be made into white wine.
16. Hundreds of aromas found in red wine come from just grapes.

So here a toast to life! May your week be full of love, laughter, and lots of wine!

The Gadabouter

Sources

Wine Folly

21 Facts About Wine by Suzanne Redmond