wine- healthy or not?

I wrote this a while ago....

"Ode to the Cork that plugs the hole in my heart"
Wine, How I LOVE Thee, Let me counts the many ways...

You, Pinot Noir, lay in your holder with your friends Merlot and Cabernet. You are bold, but also sweet. The way you stand out from the crowd enchants me.

You relax with me after a long days work. You always show your true colors and love to dance, all along my taste buds. You warm my stomach with every touch, like butterflies, we dance.

After a great nights work out I want nothing but to relax with you. We watch movies, Read books, and chit chat on MFP about our love for eachther, and how we will always be there for eachother.

Sometimes, we have too much fun and next thing you know we are surfing the internet for hotties! OOps, oh Wine, you are so Silly!

On a Friday night when I cant seem to find a friend, you are there. When I need a good cry, we watch the note book and PS I love you and indulge in eachother. I let you in like a waterfall busting through a dam. We are one. Sometimes, I even wake up with your sweet colors stained on my lips.

Oh Wine, I love you.

I usually allow myself a glass of red wine every night as long as is within my calories, and if I have it at home. Very relaxing way to end my night.

Dry wine is healthy, but still high calorie :-(

Wine has no calories, didnt you know?? :drinker:

There's a lot of evidence that any alcohol at all interferes with your body's ability to burn fat. They teach that at Weight Watchers, and I found the studies online. Since I love wine too, I've tried to drink a little wine while dieting. If I am doing tons of exercise, I can drink and still lose weight (slowly). But under normal circumstances I can't lose weight with wine in my diet. I think a glass of red wine a day is deemed to be healthy in most studies, but for me, wine is on the maintenance plan, not on the weight loss plan.

Moderation, with calories counted.

Another chapter in the compositional nature of food.... this one a bit more descriptive...
(all those big words are kinda scary?!)

What’s Inside: Red Wine

By Patrick Di Justo
August 30, 2011 |
12:30 pm |
Wired September 2011



Ethanol
Most cultures see something magical, even holy, about the way this toxin confuses our brain into thinking we are gods. It’s formed by microorganisms that eat sugar (C6H12O6) and excrete the waste as CH3CH2OH.
Glycerol
Some insist that this syrupy sugar alcohol, a byproduct of ethanol fermentation, is as important to a wine’s mouthfeel (texture) as ethanol itself. But while connoisseurs may credit it for determining “body” and “silkiness,” chemists haven’t found a clear connection.
Tannins
These astringent molecules found in grapes (and in the oak barrels used in winemaking) do a real number on your tongue. Their multiple phenol groups bind to salivary proteins, making your mouth feel drier than it should when it’s full of liquid. This odd effect is what oenophiles call a “gripping” mouthfeel.
Malvidin 3-Glucoside
One of a family of natural pigments called anthocyanins. Also known as oenin, it puts the red in red wine.
Catechin and Caffeic Acid
Catechin is a phenol antioxidant found in grape seeds. Caffeic acid is another phenolic compound found in grapes. Together they have the serendipitous benefit of preventing DNA damage from ionizing radiation and reactive oxygen molecules. Send a magnum to your local nuclear plant workers.
3-Isobutyl-2-Methoxy-Pyrazine
This chemical gives Cabernet Sauvignon its herbaceous green pepper aroma, detectable at as little as six parts per trillion. Connoisseurs note: If the smell is overpowering, it could mean the grapes were not allowed sufficient time to ripen—IBMP breaks down as grapes mature. Or leaves may have gotten into the ferment (the green parts of the vine are chock-full of IBMP).
Tyramine
Wine-and-cheese parties give you a migraine? It might not be the pretentious banter. You could be overdosing on this amino acid, which is found in both foods. It constricts cerebral blood vessels, and when they reopen, you get a throbbing headache. So skip the cheese, but be sure to nosh on something; you’ll absorb less tyramine if you have food in your stomach.
Malic and Lactic Acids
Malic acid occurs naturally in grapes. But too much of it gives vino a harsh “green” taste that clashes with other flavors. Most vintners let the wine age a bit so bacteria can turn malic acid into the “softer,” “rounder” lactic acid.
Resveratrol
The antioxidant that’s been touted for the past decade as a miracle cure-all: It fights cancer! Tames diabetes! Keeps winos alive forever! But in some mice, resveratrol inhibits the absorption of dietary iron, causing anemia.

I'm eating primal, and the plan allows wine (especially reds) in moderation. A 5 oz. glass of red is in the 100-120 calorie range-- not bad as treats go. This fall will be my third year of making wine from my parents' Concord grapes. It's nice for drinking or cooking.