Night Elf Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 So it's been said that a glass of red wine a day is healthy. What is a portion size of wine? Are we talking a small amount to sip, or a big glass? My mom watched Sixty Minutes last week about elderly people. She heard that those people who have one or two drinks a day tend to live longer than non-drinkers. My mom's theory is that it keeps people relaxed. Considering I suffer from anxiety and am always stressed, I'm beginning to wonder if I should become a drinker! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5of5 Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Are you taking about resveratrol? The science is far from settled. Quoting from the Mayo clinic site: “Most research on resveratrol has been done on animals, not people. Research in mice given resveratrol suggests that the antioxidant might also help protect them from obesity and diabetes, both of which are strong risk factors for heart disease. However, those findings were reported only in mice, not in people. In addition, to get the same dose of resveratrol used in the mice studies, a person would have to drink more than 1,000 liters of red wine every day. Research in pigs has shown that resveratrol may improve heart function and increase the body's ability to use insulin. Again, however, these benefits have not been tested in people.†[emphasis added] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 So... I wouldn't just start drinking if you are not a drinker. I do drink red wine and I tend to agree with the health recommendations, but then... I like red wine. :cool: I also like dark chocolate with it so I tend to agree with recommendations for eating dark chocolate. That said, I believe 4 ounces is considered a glass of wine. For most people, a glass of wine a few times a week will not have any negative effects (though I am not a doctor and am not giving medical advice, and please note I said most people ;) ) and it may have some positive effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 A serving of wine is 5oz, although I confess that the pours tend to be larger in this house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 A serving of wine is 5oz, although I confess that the pours tend to be larger in this house. 5? Huh. I guess I've been cheating myself out of an ounce. :lol: :lol: (Actually we don't measure but I suspect we're not pouring 4 or 5 oz servings.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 My DH calls wine his blood pressure medication... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 For most people, I see no harm in adding a glass of wine to a meal. Why not give it a try? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted May 8, 2014 Author Share Posted May 8, 2014 Oh, I should have asked what red wine do you drink? DH likes a merlot but it's too dark for me. I'm more the zinfadel type person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I don't think 4 ounces of wine is going to medicate for anxiety. ;) I wouldn't start drinking a glass of wine to self medicate. You would have to start at breakfast and well you know the movies, wine in your cereal just isn't pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I like Cabernet. Do this if you can: 2 pounds of beef tips 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup 2 "cans" of wine Cook in a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. Have a glass with that. I usually make roasted brussels sprouts with it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 They think it follows the J curve. With health problems on the Y-axis, and quantity on the X-axis. So, any small amount will be better than none at all. But, if you start to drink several servings a day, then you'd be much worse off. Drink the one you prefer. Merlot became popular in the 80's when 60 Minutes did their story on the health effects of red wine, because Merlot is a red-wine that appeals to white-wine drinkers. A Zin. would be just fine too. Drink the one you like, or switch back and forth since I assume you'll be sharing with your husband. There are also some decent boxed wines out there. That way you could have a glass every now and then without worrying about the bottle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 At the start of the year I started measuring my wine. It turns out I had be pouring close to 5oz, probably closer to 6oz. My favorite reds are Pinot Noir and Shiraz. I like Yellow Tail and Twisted brands. Merlots are so sweet to me. I like them for cooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender's green Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 A standard glass of wine is 5 ounces. Drink what you like! If you're not sure what you like, try to find free local wine tastings. You'll learn so much, and they'll help you find interesting stuff at a reasonable price. Have you tried pinot noir? I think it makes a nice summer red. Whole Foods has one called Quail Creek or something for $5 in my area. It can handle some refrigeration which is nice in summertime, and it's light enough that you don't need to break out the grilled red meats to go with it. Not that I have anything against grilled red meat. Sometimes I just want lighter food and wine. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I used to mostly drink white wines (especially riesling) and occasionally a sweet red dessert wine or sangria, but now I actually prefer reds. I tend to like blends of several varieties rather than a single variety. A few I especially like: Middle Sister Rebel Red Cupcake Red Velvet Apothic Red Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I saw the 60 minutes episode. Actually it didn't have to be wine to increase lifespan. Therefore I continued to sip my vodka tonic :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 My new favorite red to keep on hand is Apothic Red. I'm completely uneducated about wine. I just know if I like or hate what's in my glass at the moment. I like merlots, and malbecs, but can't handle anything with that super sharp (tannic?) taste. Apothic Red goes down easy and is a crowd pleaser (if your crowd is middle-aged women who don't drink very often). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarinesWife Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I like Pinot Noir. Yum yum. Slightly chilled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I think 4 ounces is the min. recommended amount, or is it 40 ounces? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Anything Italian. You can't go wrong with Italian. Trust me :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 220, 221 whatever it takes... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 My legal drinking age kiddo and I both like this: http://www.ourdailyred.com/ and consider a half-full jelly or jam sized canning jar to be a "glass of wine", so about four ounces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 4-5 ounces is a glass. A pretty reliably good wine is Seven Deadly Zins zinfandel. It's one of those old, heavy zin's. Really, really good. Mirassou Cabernet is a good basic one. Their zin is very light; I don't care for it that much. If you want to pay a lot for a really great but current zin, Rombauer is wonderful. Of course, the best red wines are stored for years before consumption. Louis Martini wines are made for that. Buy a couple of cases of Cab now, and drink it in 10 years. Do that every year, and you'll have quite a wine cellar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 One other thing we are doing is setting a dollar limit on wine, to make it a challenge. Only for special occasions will we buy a wine that is more than $10. The challenge is in finding a good wine under that amount. *ANYbody can buy a good wine for $25.00--it takes TALENT to be good and cheap!" We are like this, too. If we end up with a really bad bottle, it becomes cooking wine so it doesn't go to waste. We have found many inexpensive wines that are better than more expensive varieties. The problem is that often we can't find the good ones again! But I guess that adds to the challenge. Our little town has a wine shop with a tasting bar, and that is always a fun place for my DH and I. We'll go during the day when we're out shopping on a "date," and then we'll stop by and try a few. They have card you can buy with "credit" on it, and then you can swipe and get a sample of whichever wine you want -- they have 3 sizes to sample, with the smallest size being "taste." "Taste" is just a few sips, and it's a nice way to try a variety of wines, even if we can't afford to buy the bottle. Usually we can ask the proprietor, "Hey, we like this wine a lot. Do you have something similar that is not as expensive?" And usually there is something else available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneEyre Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 I like Taylor's Port ( if port counts) I'm not sure what a serving would be, but smaller than regular wine, I think. As far as helping anxiety, I know sometimes when I'm feeling stressed or anxious during the day I will just think about the glass of port I'll be having before bed and it makes me feel better :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Asking the proprietor is a great strategy. If you can find the wine buyer at supermarkets, they are very knowledgeable and helpful. Our local Trader Joe's guy is wonderful. One supermarket guy was so good, he eventually went on to start a wine importing business and has done extremely well. Another guy, at Safeway, bought up estate wine cellars (you know, the old guys who have actual cellars but don't live long enough to drink them up...that kind of estate wine cellar) and because we had a relationship with that Safeway guy, he clued us in. We got cases and cases of wine at 10c on the dollar and man-o-man was that yummy!! :0) Always ask The Guy. I wish I could buy wine at the supermarket in my state! Thanks to all the liquor store lobbyists, we likely won't ever be able to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Asking the proprietor is a great strategy. If you can find the wine buyer at supermarkets, they are very knowledgeable and helpful. Our local Trader Joe's guy is wonderful. One supermarket guy was so good, he eventually went on to start a wine importing business and has done extremely well. Another guy, at Safeway, bought up estate wine cellars (you know, the old guys who have actual cellars but don't live long enough to drink them up...that kind of estate wine cellar) and because we had a relationship with that Safeway guy, he clued us in. We got cases and cases of wine at 10c on the dollar and man-o-man was that yummy!! :0) Always ask The Guy. Oh wow! I love this story! You were so lucky! And heh, heh, it's a good reminder to drink up while you have it. I think we still have a bottle of wine I bought my husband right around when we were engaged. I was in Napa Valley on a work trip and stopped by the Beringer Estate, and bought something that was supposed to age well. Although it's been 18 years, so I'm hoping that's not too long. I need to ask him to find it. (Or maybe he drank it in secret without me, which would be OK, too, since it was a gift for him.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 I like Taylor's Port ( if port counts) I'm not sure what a serving would be, but smaller than regular wine, I think. As far as helping anxiety, I know sometimes when I'm feeling stressed or anxious during the day I will just think about the glass of port I'll be having before bed and it makes me feel better :) I think there is nothing wrong with having a glass of wine to relax and de-stress. Quite often it will take the edge off life, in a positive way. Of course, that only holds if one doesn't overdo it, or doesn't start drinking more and more. But used judiciously, a glass of wine can be very beneficial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 I think there is nothing wrong with having a glass of wine to relax and de-stress. Quite often it will take the edge off life, in a positive way. Of course, that only holds if one doesn't overdo it, or doesn't start drinking more and more. But used judiciously, a glass of wine can be very beneficial. I also wanted to mention that one of the perks of getting older is that all of a sudden, I know when I've had enough wine and seem to have no problem whatsoever with moderation. It's very fun and freeing after all those years of being a teetotaller who was scared out of her wits that she was going to turn into an alcoholic at the slightest provocation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 I have always wanted to de velop a taste for wine, but I just can't! I did like a Communion wine once, but i liked it because it tasted very much like grape juice. And no, it wasnt a church that uses grape juice. Any ideas for something like that? Have you tried moscato? It's like drinking a juice box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 I've tried drinking a glass of red wine with my meals, but I just don't like it! Bleh! Every now and then I like Malbec though, for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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