WINE

A Brief History of Wine "Pinot needs constant care and attention, it can't thrive if neglected.” (Film Sideways) ‘Wine is an alcoholic beverage that is made by fermenting grapes or grape juice. Wine-like beverages can also be made from other fruits or from flowers, grains, and even honey.’ (Wikipedia.org encyclopedia online) Wine, has been firmly established at the heart of civilization since ancient times. Wine is thought to have it’s origins in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia. Among the first cultures to cultivate wine was the Egyptians, Greeks and Europeans. In ancient Egypt, wine played an important part in ceremonial life. ‘The ancient Greeks drank to the God Dionysus, in order to forgot about there worries a tradition they inherited by the Romans, who drank to their god Bacchus.’ (Wines of the World. Susan Keevil. Pg.15). Wine, has been and is an important drink in religion. In Christianity for example, wine symbolizes Christ’s blood. The representation of wine as blood has Greek origins, pre-dating Christianity. Wine, as a blessing is part of the Jewish ritual. One of Christ’s great miracles was turning water into wine at a wedding. (A great host indeed.) In the 16th century, Europeans set out into the new world, there culture which included religion and their wines helped influenced other Countries to embrace this magical drink. Being clean and safer to drink than water, wine was consumed to great amounts. In France, a bottle of wine can be cheaper than a bottle of spring water even in modern times. ‘At the end of the 20th century the world had over 8 million hectares under vine and was producing nearly 300 million hectoliters of wine. Wine now, is now made virtually all over the world.’ (Wines of the World. Susan Keevil. Pg.10). However with that being said results may vary. Wine experts consider the best tasting wines, is from countries such as France, Italy and Spain. One of the worst tasting wines I ever tasted was wine from Bolivia in South America, the taste was too sweet. This may have to do with how wine is cultivated, and how the weather and climate affect the grapes in the vineyard. Now we drink wine to Gods and Devils, The Romantic drink of choice for lovers, celebrations, formal occasions or no good occasions, to good and bad times and sometimes we drink wine for no other reason but to get elegantly wasted instead of just being “drunk” on Beer. Wine is a classy, timeless, tireless drink and it is hear to stay. Three Wine Regions in France

France is arguably the most famous for cultivating wine in the world. France has a large selection of wine regions and vineyards; its warm Mediterranean climate makes it an ideal place to make wine. One of France’s, great wine making district and most famous is Bordeaux, it is an empire with nearly ‘120,000 ha of vineyards producing 6.5 million hectoliters of wine a year, including many of the worlds most prestigious and expensive examples. Chateaux Margaux, Lafite, Haute- Brion, and Cheval Blanc, to name but a few, are the gilt-edged image of Bordeaux, but they are just the icing on a very large cake.’ (Bordeaux and Its Wines. Pg. 23. Robert Joseph) For most, Bordeaux is about red wine and about 85% of its production is red wine. Three grape Varieties that are used to make wine in Bordeaux are Carbernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. My personal favorite wine from this region is the Haute-Brion. Another, wine region in France is the Loire Valley, they have a lot of wonderful diversity in this region, they specialize in ‘Crisp, dry whites and good-value fizz to thirst quenching rose, light and food-friendly reds, and world-ranking sweet wines. The overall theme of wines from this region is one of harmony and easy drink ability.’ (Wines of the World. Pg.151 Susan Keevil.) Unlike the Bordeaux region, The Loire’s wines are majority white, 55% of the total volume while just 24% distribute red wine. The Others like Rose 14% and 7 % for sparkling wine. Two popular, grapes to make white wines in this region, are Melon de Bourgogne grapes and Sauvignon Blanc. While Cabernet Franc, is the red grape of choice of this region to make red wine. One of my favorite wines from this region is the Cremant de Loire a sparkling white wine. Another wine region in France is The Rhone Valley. Northern Rhone only grows one grape variety, that grape variety is called Syrah. Unlike the North Rhone, the wines of Southern Rhone are more full bodied warm wines. A, grape variety that grows here is the Greenache grapes. I do not have a personal favorite of this region as it is to the best of my knowledge that I never experiences wines from the Rhone Valley.

Preservatives in Wine

Wine, like most alcoholic beverages is not a natural drink. Long gone, our some of the simplistic ‘images’ that we have of cute white dressed school girls that are bare footed crushing on grapes on a sunny day. Wine is far more complex then that, Most Wine is made in laboratories with giant machines similar to beer making. Grape juice, not from concentrate can be a natural drink with nothing added no preservatives just from the grape vine to the glass. However, Wine on the other hand like all other alcoholic beverages is filled with chemicals and preservatives. Wine distributors; do not have to specify what ingredients or chemicals, additives or preservatives they use on the label of the bottle. On the rare occasion, only a few alcoholic beverages ‘beers’ mostly and even more rare for wines, will simply say no preservatives added on the label. Usually speaking, preservatives and additives are not a good thing when added to food, as they are filled with chemicals and preservatives like MSG and BHT that are very bad for ones health. However with wine it is very important that one uses some preservatives as the longer wine is aged the better the taste. So, one must preserve the taste of wine by the aid of preservatives such as: Tartaric acid, Calcium Carbonate, Tannin, Pectinase enzyme, Bentonite and Potassium Sorbate. Tartaric acid (HOOC-CH (OH)-CH (OH)-COOH) is added in wine because it plays an important role chemically, and lowers the PH of fermenting any bad bacteria that could result in premature bad tasting. “Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) is added in wine to lower acidity.” (www.thehomebrewstore.com). “Tannim, are present in wine stems and seeds and in the barrels used to age wines. Tannins can give a wine body; people sometimes describe these wines as “big.” When drunk young, high-tannin wines have a drying effect in your mouth. These wines can make it seem like your teeth have sweaters on them; the tannin is reacting with your saliva to create a compound that sticks to your teeth. Tannins are considered desirable in wines that are meant to be aged; over time, the tannins soften and add to the complexity of a well-aged red wine. For wines you intend to drink right away, too much tannin can be harsh.” (http://www.exploratorium.edu/wine/tannin_activity.html) Pectinase enzyme is used for fermentation using fruit (Grapes for wine) to break down the fruit cell wall structure and removing pectin. Bentonite sorbate is a fining agent that speeds clearing of wine by removing proteins that form pectin haze. While, Potassium Sorbate is used as a stabilizer also helps stop fermentation of the wine.

The Consequences of Alcohol

Drinking alcohol has been a large part of society for many years. People find that it is easier to meet people when they have had a few drinks. Drinking has also been used as way to get closer to some one. “We’ll talk over a six pack,” is something that people will say when they need to talk about something in western society. There are also many events that drinking has created. There are cozy bars “where everyone knows your name,” wine tasting parties, cocktail parties, and the high school favorite, house party. People have also used many different types of glasses to drink out of. There are too many different types of wine glasses to count, different types of cocktail glasses, and different beer mugs. All of them having a different purpose and make the drinking experience better. However there are serious health risks that come from excess drinking. Liver problems are the most common problems associated with drinking. Heart problems are also one of the top problems associated with drinking. Beer has a lot of “empty calories”, and if the calories are not worked off it turns to fat. There are a lot of negative consequences that comes with drinking alcohol, but having a glass of wine every day is proven to be good for you. Drinking excessively is bad for you. Alcoholism is a problem that many people have to deal with. Alcoholism has effected people for a long time, but more recently been addressed as a physical problem as well as a mental problem. Alcoholism is chronic illness characterized by the regular consumption of alcohol to a degree that interferes with physical or mental health, or with normal social or occupational behaviors. A widespread health problem, it produces both physical and psychological addiction. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that reduces anxiety, inhibition, and feelings of guilt; lowers alertness; impairs perception, judgment, and muscular coordination; and, in high doses, can cause unconsciousness and even death. Long-term alcoholism damages the brain, liver, heart, and other organs. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can range from a simple hangover to severe delirium tremens (a condition characterized by deliriousness, violent trembling, hallucinations, and seizures). “Treatment includes use of disulfiram (Antabuse), a drug that produces discomfort if alcohol is consumed; anti-anxiety drugs to suppress withdrawal symptoms; psychological counseling; and support from groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. (I will discuss this later in the Medical intervention section.) “Any intake of alcohol produces an intoxication- the greater the amount ingested, the greater the effects. What alcohol does is depress the or slow down, the functioning of the body’s cells and organs until they are less efficient. However, the effects of a drink vary according to how and under what conditions the alcohol is ingested. Most people can tolerate one drink per hour.” (Doctor Jack Mendelson: Alcohol and Alcoholism. Pg. 37). I gather then by this statement that someone drinking a glass of wine over one hour produces a low blood-alcohol concentration in the blood. While on the other hand if someone has three drinks an hour the higher the level of alcohol in the blood thus the more intoxicated one will be. Dr. Sidney Cohen, a drug abuse expert, described alcohol as "the most dangerous drug on earth". (www.nutramed.com) Dr. Sidney Cohen discusses in his journal that alcohol becomes toxic when great amounts of it is consumed. He argues that alcohol becomes toxic because of nutrient deficiencies in alcohol and the fact that heavy drinkers usually don’t eat much food and rely on empty calories in alcohol. Alcohol is carried to every cell in the body; it has the potential to damage almost every organ system. The body has limited defenses against this process. One is to metabolize the alcohol more quickly, and therefore rapidly convert it to harmless substance. The second is to adapt. Therefore if one only has one alcoholic beverage per hour it is easier for the body to metabolize it and convert it to a harmless substance, however if one adds more then a few drinks per hour the body will have a harder time metabolizing the substance and therefore can be harmful and toxic .

F.A.S (Fetal. Alcohol. Syndrome.)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome “Is a permanent, and often devastating, birth-defect syndrome caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol exposure is regarded by researchers as the leading known cause of mental and physical birth defects, surpassing both spina bifida and Down syndrome, and producing more severe abnormalities than heroin, cocaine, or marijuana. It may be the most common preventable cause of birth defects in the United States.” (www.wikipedia.com) “When a pregnant woman ingests alcohol, the drug is distributed throughout her body. Thus, it crosses the placenta and reaches the unborn child itself. Because the developing fetus is highly sensitive to toxic substances, alcohol can have very damaging effects. (Alcoholism the genetic Inheritance. PHD. Kathleen Whalen FitzGerald. Pg. 43). Alcohol slows down the movement of the fetus. Heavy exposure to alcohol can result in retardation of the fetus development; also can lead to facial deformities, abnormal brain development, and motor control disabilities and in some cases FAS can cause death to the unborn child. Treatment often includes hospitalization in a neonatal intensive care unit, neonatal auditory screening and follow-up evaluations, treatment for serous otitis media, and hearing aids. Special education services, speech therapy, day care, and home respite care. Speech therapist. All are examples of treatment for the child who suffered from FAS.

Medical Interventions

If, drinking alcohol in moderation one does not have to worry about physical and mental health issues caused by alcoholic beverages. However, one who depends on alcohol and abuses it steady might have to seek professional help. There are many interactions one can choice, if you choice to get help and take the Medical Alcohol interaction approach you can look into and consult your doctor about antidepressants, antibiotics, anesthetics, and antihistamines as they are all good medical drugs to help you reach the goal of becoming sober. Antidepressants are used to treat alcoholics because the drug helps them relieve anxiety behavior disorders that could have been the original cause someone tuned to drink. Or, one can simply be suffering from depression and could be the reason why one has a drinking problem. Anti depressants such as Zoloft is a good drug to cure depression. Antibiotics are used to help fight infections that the Alcoholic might have suffered from chronic drinking. Anesthetic like alcohol is a drug. It depresses the central nervous system similar to the way alcohol does so therefore someone can take general anaesthetics to duplicate an effect to depress the central nervous system without being dependent on cosuming alcohol.

The Legal Blood Alcohol Limit and The Breathalyzer Procedure The Legal Blood Alcohol limit in Canada is 80mg%. (0.08) 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood. Recently MAAD (Mothers against Drunk Driving) appose this limit and think it should be more severe, and that it should come down to (0.05). When someone is under the suspicion of a DUI (Driving under the Influence) A police officer will pull you over and ask you to do several sobriety test, For example: counting the alphabet and trying to walk in a straight line. If you fail the tests, the officer then has then the right to ask you to do a Breathalyzer Test, if you refuse which you have the right to do you will automatically have your license revoked and a court date which most likely will be a fine with a criminal record if found guilty in a court of law. If you do take the Breathalyzer test and have a higher then (0.08) score you will have an immediate suspension of 90 days of your drivers license, criminal charges and fines and even jail time if it’s your second offence or more.

Conclusion

Alcohol is a great way to relax after a hard days work, or to celebrate social events with friends and family. Wine can really make a dinner more satisfying and enhances your dining experiences. However, sadly some people can abuse alcohol to the point where it can ruin there lives, careers, marriages and destroy there health. Drinking alcohol, in moderation is the key that will almost certainly assure you that it will not harm your physical and mental world.

Bibliography:

Wines of the World: Keevil Susan and contributors. 2004 Dorling Kindersley Limited. Alcoholism The Genetic Inheritance: Kathleen Whalen Fitzgerald> PHD. 1988- Dell Publishing Group. Alcohol and Alcoholism: Mendelson Jack, M.D. ( 1986- Chelsa house publishers. Bordeaux and its Wines: Joseph Robert. 2003- Duncan Baird Publishers Wikkepidea.org Online encyclopedia: www.thehomebrewstore.com http://www.exploratorium.edu/wine/tannin_activity.html) (www.nutramed.com)