Wines are of many types. Red wine is a type of wine which is extracted from red, dark purple or blue colored grapes. This wine is red in color. Red wine is produced by fermenting grape juice. The red color of the wine is due to the tannins present in the wine which is a chemical compound. Red wine is stronger than white wine. Red wine is the most popular wine compared to other wines and is produced all over the world. There are almost 50 varieties of red wines like Australian Shiraz, Syrah, Chianti, Bordeaux, Sauvignon, etc.

Red wine comes in different flavors some of which are listed here:

Cherry, Plum, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currant, Raisin, Fig, Pepper, Clove, Cinnamon, Coffee, Cocoa, Mocha, Tobacco, Leather, etc.

Types of red wine

The type of Red wine depends on the area in which it is produced and the type of grape used for extracting the wine.

Syrah:

Syrah, also called as ‘Shiraz’, is mostly served with meat, beef or pastas. They are mostly dark colored wines. Syrah is widely cultivated in the regions of France, Australia, and California. One of the main ingredients of ‘syrah’ is ‘aroma’ which is very good for health.

Merlot:

Merlot, a red wine, is known for its light color and soft taste. It can be served with any kind of food. It is a very light drink and is not strong at all. ‘Merlot’ is cultivated in countries like Romania, Chile, Washington, Italy and Australia. They are also present in herbal and medicinal form.

Cabernet sauvignon:

Cabernet sauvignon is produced from oak. This red wine is beneficial in preventing cardiovascular problems and also cancer because of its medicinal properties.

Pinot noir:

Pinot noir is rarely found because it is difficult to grow. This red wine plant is cultivated in countries like New Zealand, USA, Oregon and many other valleys.

This red wine is best suited with meat and lamb.

Zinfandel:

Zinfandel is the native wine of California because it is produced only in California. This is very hot and spicy in taste and goes well with meat, pizzas, and pastas.

Sangiovese:

Sangiovese goes well with Italian dishes and is available in valley areas.

Barbera: Barbera is available only in USA.

Wine and Health

Consumption of wine to a limited extent may be beneficial to one’s health. It removes bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol while reducing blood clotting, which is used to prevent a number of heart diseases and leukemia, because it acts as an antioxidant. They are used to prevent Parkinson’s disease because of presence of ‘resveratrol’ in the wine. Red wine contains higher amount of flavonoids which is very useful. Melatonin present in red wine is used to cure a number of skin diseases. Over consumption of wine may lead to many health problems like:

1) Red wine headache (RWD) – It is a disease caused due to excessive consumption of red wine, which may further lead to nausea.

2) Consumption of red wine is hazardous during pregnancy. It also increases the chances of breast cancer.

3) Brain migraines

4) Diabetes

Hence, moderation is highly recommended for the consumption of red wine.

If you’re into anti-aging skin care, then perhaps you need to ask: Can drinking red wine really make you look younger? There are some ingredients in red wine which are derived from the red grape pip and skin that would suggest so. Let’s take a closer look at the properties of red wine and whether its consumption will benefit skin care and your anti-aging regimen.

Many people only concentrate on the outside to look younger e.g.  Face creams, ointments, non-surgical facelift techniques etc, but the battle to look younger often is fought from within as well as without. In this case we look at the intake of red wine as a natural anti-aging remedy.

In the red wine fermentation process, resveratrol is produced, which has a high concentration of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals like pollution, sun damage to the skin, and damage to the skin and body caused from smoking etc.

Maybe that’s why in scientific studies conducted between the Americans and the French have concluded that the French are generally far healthier than their American counterparts. While both consume high fat diets, scientists found that French people live longer , have less cancer-related illnesses, heart problems, have longer longevity, and look younger for their age. What is the common denominator that’s consistently present in the French diet, but mostly absent in the American diet? You guessed it: Red wine!

Scientists have discovered that indeed the ingredient resveratrol has anti-aging properties, and can result in humans looking younger than their age with prolonged intake of red wine. Most of the oldest people on earth come from France!

Other than its anti-aging skin care properties, what are some other benefits of consuming red wine on a regular basis?

It controls cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure
It prevents  heart disease
It prevents cancer
It aids overall health and blood circulation
It even fights obesity
It promotes softer skin
It prevents, inter alia, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s.

So does white wine act as a similar anti-aging weapon? Studies prove not. Unfortunately the white grape does not consist of the same anti-aging properties as the red grape, so you will not gain any benefits from drinking white wine from an anti-aging point of view.

Remember, the deeper the RED of the wine, the better.  A chilled sweet or semi-sweet red wine is my preference; a dry red at room temperature could be yours. As long as it’s a deep red, your anti-aging skin care program will be on track!

But beware: drink a maximum of ONE OR TWO WINE glasses of red wine per day. More than that will have the opposite effect on your anti-aging skin care efforts because excessive alcohol damages the skin and has malevolent effects on the liver over time. 

So bottoms up for drinking red wine as an anti-aging medicine! It’s deliciously good and will keep you living longer and looking younger as well as handing you a long line of health benefits, provided it’s consumed in moderate quantities.