Joe Duck

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1. “…Like most of my fellow Americans I’m a high fat lovin’ meat and potatoes, burger and fries and please pass the extra large coca cola kind of guy. …”
   Ain’t nothin’ all that wrong, ‘cept the coca cola part (sure glad it ain’t diet coke though!).
   Heart attack worries? Well, I hope you are able to avoid infectious agents such as TWAR etc. and stay physically active as well as maintain good oral hygiene. Thats the stuff that really protects the heart!

   Garlic, mushrooms and wine? Wonderful stuff. Ain’t any civilization that has ever produced a cookbook that ain’t sung the praises of garlic! Do be sure that when you ‘slice, dice or crush’ you let it stay exposed to the air for about twelve minutes and only then add it to frying pan. Particularly useful for women concerned about breast cancer.

   Red wine? Wonderful stuff. Mediteranean Paradox seems most extant in those areas of France wherein Tanet grapes are turned into wine in the old-fashioned longer aging method. So if you really want long life…Tanet grapes. (From France, not Uroquay…and ONLY form the teensy little area near the Pyrynees. French labling laws are strict.

   Can’t be bothered with it? Well, Pumpkin Wine is one of the most healthful wines there are. Very easy to make by the way yet easier to just obtain in Canada.

   Meat and potatoes diet? Change it if you would like to. Bottled soft drinks? Definitely change that!

   Comment by FoolsGold | September 16, 2007 | Reply

2. Those seeking a longevity-boosting tipple should turn their attention to red wines from Sardinia and south-west France. UK researchers discovered procyanidins were responsible for red wine’s well-documented heart-protecting effect. And they found traditionally made wines from these areas had more procyanidins than wines in other parts of the world.
   The research is published in the journal Nature.

   Previous studies have revealed regular, moderate consumption of red wine is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and lower mortality. Polyphenols, of which there are many varieties, are thought to be responsible.

   Wines from the Gers region of the Midi-Pyrenees in south-west France had two to four times the procyanidin levels.

   In traditional wine making grapes have a three to four week fermentation period, allowing for full extraction of the chemical from the skin and the seed. Modern-style wines are only fermented for a week, resulting in little or no procyanidin. The tannat, cabernet sauvignon and Nebbiolo grapes make procyanidin-rich wines.

   Comment by FoolsGold | September 16, 2007 | Reply

3. Thanks FG – great Red Wine information, though I’m not sure how I’m going to make those connections to geography. I wonder if there are some online lists of names that correspond to regions?

   Comment by JoeDuck | September 16, 2007 | Reply

4. Actually there are some online sites that list wines by the type of grape or by a geographical region. The trouble is I am not a wine lover and don’t really understand all that stuff about ‘varietals’ and ‘appelations’.

   I do know that the really good wines referred to in the article in Nature would be from the Gers region in France and that Madiran wine must be atleast 40percent tannat grapes. Some wines were listed on a UK site as 100 percent tannat grapes from Gers and seemed fairly cheap if I remember my exchange rates but I can’t find that site again.

   Comment by FoolsGold | September 16, 2007 | Reply

5. Ooops… here it is: From uktelegraph
   The wines in the Gers area of south-west France where Madiran wines are made. Gers has double the national average of men aged 90 or more.
   The Madiran appellation requires at least 40 per cent Tannat, but it is not uncommon to find wines that are 100 per cent Tannat; the other grapes permitted in the blend are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a local grape called Fer, or Pinenc.

   These are strong, intense, complex wines that are generally well structured, with long-lasting tannins and good acidity.

   Despite the high tannins, it is unusual to find more than a slight deposit in these wines, even when they are five years old or more. They age gracefully into treasures you will enjoy, yet still provide substantially more than average amounts of procyanidins. In Britain, a small number of producers sell Madiran wines.

   My favourites are Chapelle Lenclos from Domaine Mouréou (made by the innovative Patrick Ducournau) and Cuvée Charles de Batz from Domaine Berthoumieu.

   Recommendations
   Château d’Aydie (2001, £5.69)
   Domaine Berthoumieu Cuvée Charles De Batz (2003 £9.99)
   Château Bouscassé Vieilles Vignes (2003, £12.99)
   Producteurs Plaimont Château Viella Village (2000, £11.99)
   Plénitude (2001, £14.99)
   Château de Sabazan, (2003, £12.99)

   Comment by FoolsGold | September 16, 2007 | Reply

6. This is from FrenchDuck(2006):
   It is an interesting juxtaposition, Madiran AC being for rich tannic reds, and Jurancon AC being for intensely perfumed aromatic sweeter whites (Jurancon Sec AC for superb dry whites).
   As such both appellations are very distinctive and individual – and proud of it. Both use traditional local grape varietals (Tannat for Madiran, Gros and Petit Manseng for Jurancons) and both regions (albeit only about 30 miles apart) are dominated by small individual domaines.

   In Madiran Chateau Peyros has always been one of the prime producers, especially with the cuvée “Le Couvent de Chateau Peyros”. Madiran was effectively created as a serious appellation by the Laplace family at Chateau d’Aydie; Patrick Doucournau at Chapelle Lenclos has been an innovator with the introduction of “micro-oxygenation”, Alain Brumont at Chateau Montus has been the perfectionist, whilst DIdier Barré at Domaine Berthoumieu has been the young upstart who has really made a name for Madiran wines of great style over recent years and is my personal favourite.

   Comment by FoolsGold | September 16, 2007 | Reply

7. This is great FG! Yesterday I bought a huge jar of Kalamata olives at Costco where they have a great deal on pitted ones for about $8. I was also happy to learn from Weil that pasta beats out most breads due to lower (better) glycemic load. So my diet is going to move to more red wine, pasta, olives, and garlic. Yum!

   Comment by JoeDuck | September 17, 2007 | Reply

8. Additional points:

   >Gers has double the national average of men over 90.
   This is part of the Mediterranean Paradox, but it is also true that it is a rural area wherein there are few pollutants or opportunities to avoid physical exercise.
   However, the Gers region and other regions with ‘old style wines’ does seem to exceed nearby (and also rural) areas that have more modern wine making techniques but fewer nonogenarians.

   Glycemic index: There seems to be two separate bases for the index, so I think care in comparing values is essential.

   Olive oil? Have you tried grape oil? Its available at upscale culinary stores.

   Comment by FoolsGold | September 18, 2007 | Reply

9. Hey Joe

   Glad you like our site. And I hope you enjoyed those garlic coated mushrooms washed down with red wine!

   Cheers

   Comment by Trudy | September 19, 2007 | Reply

10. Hi Trudy! Thanks for dropping in and providing all the great nutrition and health information over at your great site.

    Comment by JoeDuck | September 19, 2007 | Reply

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