Red wine may contain chemicals that help control weight gain, new research suggests.

Experiments at the University of Porto show that animals given red wine gained significantly less weight over an eight week period than animals kept under the same conditions, but given no red wine.

The key may be a chemical that occurs naturally in red wine that increases levels of oestrogen in the body. Oestrogen plays a role in the metabolism of fat, and also fat distribution.

Resveratrol, a substance abundant in red grape skins, is a form of oestrogen, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

The problem is that after a few glasses of red wine, my diet goes out the window and I start to nibble on snacks and ‘forbidden’. It is these sin snacks that are killing my diet.

Source: Marie Claire

Rosé wine has become increasingly more popular in the UK and is now officially part of the UK’s inflation basket.

This “inflation basket” serves as an general indication of  the typical basket of goods of UK consumers. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) uses this basket  to monitor inflation.

The list is reviewed annually to ensure it represents consumer spending with changes made for reasons ranging from improved technology to popularity.

Other products that have also been added to the basket includes hot cooked chicken and online DVD orders. The items leaving the list include boxes of wine and rentals from DVD stores.  

The ONS indicated  that hot cooked chicken has been added to the list to represent the increasing market for hot take away food, freshly prepared in supermarkets

The inclusion of rosé wine follows a boom in sales to young women in the 25-45 year old age bracket.

Sales of the pink wine rose from £114 million in 2002, less than 3 per cent of the wine market, to £200 million in 2005, nearly 7 per cent of the wine market.

It seems that Rosé wine is truly the “flavour of the month”. The increase in the sales and the subsequent market share improvement has put these wines on the map.

So, in order to be a new true Brit, how about ordering a DVD online and enjoy the DVD with a hot chicken and glass of Rosé wine?

Sources:

timesonline

Bloomberg

South Africa’s wine industry was ranked just one place down from US President Barack Obama when it comes to building public awareness of environmental issues.

WOSA made the Top 5 on the 2009 Green List compelled by the UK magazine, The Drinks Business. This Green List lists the 50 most influential drinks companies, individuals and organisations with “a strong environmental influence over many consumers”.

The first three places were taken by multinational retail giants Tesco, Carrefour and Wal-Mart, with President Obama in fourth place. WOSA’s recognition was due to their involvement with the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI), a project jointly managed by WWF and the Botanical Society of South Africa and funded by The Green Trust, a partnership between WWF and Nedbank.

The Drinks Business praised WOSA for its involvement in BWI, a strategic partnership between the wine industry and the conservation sector, its adoption of biodiversity guidelines and its focus on environmental impact studies.

Sue Birch, Chief Executive of WOSA, said: “That we are in the company of the world’s most powerful retail chains, who are able to exercise significant influence, as well as the new and highly popular president of the United States, makes us feel extremely proud!”

She lauded the role of BWI in promoting and protecting biodiversity within the Cape Floral Kingdom, where over 95 per cent of the country’s wines originate. “In less than four years, 140 local wine producers, under the auspices of BWI, have set aside 112,550 hectares for long-term conservation. This is significantly more than the total national vineyard footprint of 102,000 hectares.”

Well done WOSA. It is a great accomplishment for the SA wine industry and I hope the whole industry follows by supporting and creating similar environmental efforts. 

Source: panda.org

South Africans are spoilt for choice when it comes to a diverse wine variety. Yet, many consumers are resistant to change and avoid steering away from their tried-and-trusted to experience something new.

The other day at a dinner party one of my guests insisted that he only drinks Sauvignon Blanc and none of the other white wine varietals. This rigidness is typical of many South African wine consumers – and many simply opt for a crisp Sauvignon Bland when in doubt.  

But South Africa has another very versatile cultivar, namely Chenin Blanc.

According to the 2009 John Platter Wine guide, this white cultivar accounts for 19% of SA vineyard area.

American wine columnist, Edward Deitch, wrote: “Chenin Blanc is to South Africa what Chardonnay is to California”.  He added that “there is no better source for good, inexpensive Chenin Blanc than South Africa.”

So the Americans perceive SA to make great (value for money) Chenin Blancs, yet South African wine consumers are still stuck in their rigid white wine preferences. Also, with tough times ahead economically, consumers will probably tend to be more conservative and stick with what they know.

My simple suggestion to South African consumers is to try something new every once in a while. There is an abundance of great Chenin Blancs, Rosé wine and other unusual blends on the market, so why not give it a try.

The famous quote goes “Life is too short for bad wine”.  I would like to amend it slightly: Life is too short to only drink one kind of wine.

Source: msnbc

When making plans for where to dine, people often overlook whether the establishment has a corkage policy. Corkage is common in the restaurant industry, but exactly what does the term “corkage policy” mean? Corkage is a privilege that allows the customer to bring his or her own bottle of wine and pay a fee for the wait staff to open the bottle and pour it for the table.

Why bring your own bottle of wine? Even though most restaurants maintain some type of wine list, the list may not contain wines to every persons liking. I have eaten at a number of restaurants where the wine list does not live up to the quality of the food. On the other hand, some restaurants have wine lists that contain a large number of expensive wines, but very few that are on the more inexpensive side. You may also be dining out for a special occasion and want to make sure that the person dining with you is going to have his or her favourite wine for the occasion.

While most restaurants don’t advertise whether they allow you to bring your own bottle, or the amount that they charge as a corkage fee, I have found that they will gladly answer the question when asked. I typically ask about the corkage policy when I make a reservation.

Although a restaurant may have a pre-set corkage fee, many times they also have other prerequisites such as the number of wines that may be brought, as well as whether or not one can bring a wine that is on their wine list. (Simple etiquette would suggest that you don’t bring a bottle on their wine list regardless of the policy.) Some restaurants also have a policy that they will waive the corkage fee, per bottle, for each bottle of wine that you purchase from their wine list.

Source: bradenton.com

I stumbled across this recipe and it is a true winner – not only does it taste great, it’s also very easy to prepare. After you’ve the smallest amount of work, the dish practically takes care of itself so it’s ideal when you don’t have time to slave away in front of the stove yet still want to impress guests.

Ingredients

1.5kg  rump of beef, trimmed of its fat Sea salt and black pepper 50ml olive oil 2 yellow onions, peeled and chopped 4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 4 celery sticks, trimmed and chopped 4-6 fresh bay leaves 1 small bunch of thyme 1 small bunch of rosemary 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed 750ml good-quality red wine 1 litre chicken stock

Preparation

Start by seasoning the meat generously all over, then form it into a roll and tie with string. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a heavy-based saucepan large enough to easily hold the meat. When the oil is hot, add the meat and brown really well all over, this will take about 10 minutes. Lift out and set aside on a plate.

Next add the vegetables to the same pan along with the herbs and garlic, and turn the heat down to low. Cook the vegetables, stirring every now and then, for 15 minutes or until they have softened and are sweet to the taste.

At this point return the meat to the saucepan. Pour over the wine, followed by the stock. Place the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to its lowest possible setting and leave, if you can, for five hours.

Next, take out the meat and bay leaves then strain the sauce through a colander, pressing firmly with the back of a ladle to pass the vegetables through. This will serve to thicken the sauce. Return the meat and bay leaves to the pan and pour over the strained sauce. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Before serving, reheat the meat gently, it should by now be falling apart and so soft that it can be eaten with a spoon.

Serve in warm bowls accompanied by whatever you fancy; buttermilk mashed potatoes, crusty bread or just a simple salad and a glass of really good red wine.

I served this dish with a bottle of Arniston Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. This wine has a deep red colour with fresh redcurrant and berry fruit aromas, plus hints of nutmeg and mint.

Source: The Independent

Here’s 10 simple steps to make our offices more eco-friendly

On a global scale, carbon emissions recorded for the IT industry equal those of the aviation industry. That’s not to say your home computer powers up like a jet, but it does sound a warning bell.

Because, even if you only have one, you should know that it takes around 1.8 tonnes of chemicals, fossil fuels and water to manufacture every average PC. In turn, the unit generates 100 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year and is generally obsolete after three.

When it’s time for an upgrade, worldwide around 31 million PCs are discarded with common household rubbish every year, contributing to the saturation of landfills. But it’s not only computers that leave a scar on the planet – CDs and DVDs, paper, staples and batteries are all home-office tools used without second thought.

What if you used a portable flash drive to store and transport information? Not only would you cut back on printing paper, you’d throw away fewer discs. And if you swapped staples for reusable paper clips? Or printed on both sides of the paper?

So, cast an eye around your home office and see which of these tips could work for you. At the very least, you’d cut down your stationery consumption (read bill), thus making your office, and the world, a greener space.

- When scouting for office furniture look for items made from reclaimed materials (for example, recycled railway sleepers, plastic or metal) or wood that’s been grown and harvested sustainably. Make a point of choosing furniture that’s durable.

- Staple less. Friends of the Earth, an international environmental organisation, calculated that, if each person on the planet used one less staple a day, we’d save as much as 120 tonnes of steel each year. Be conscious of what you consume and how much, from pens to glue sticks, paperclips and rubber bands. It all adds up.

- Make your next monitor a flatscreen model. Not only will it free up desk space, a LCD monitor uses less than half the energy of its cathode-ray tube counterpart. When powering down, remember to switch off the monitor as it often draws more energy than the hard drive itself uses.

- Computers use substantially less energy while computing than they do when idling – the energy you save by turning off your computer overnight could laser print two reams of A4 paper. Consider getting a laptop, which can use as little as 10 percent of the electricity a PC needs (and will come in handy during bouts of load shedding). When not in use, switch off all computer-related gadgets, including your printer, fax machine, scanner, copier and speakers. Turn them off at the wall – even on stand-by they still require significant quantities of power.

- Storing documents in electronic format makes them easier and faster to search, and cuts down on your paper consumption. If your computer’s memory isn’t very big, discuss the possibilities of an external hard drive with your computer consultant.

- Use environmentally-friendly supplies. Recycled pencils and a sustainable bamboo computer mouse may be hard to find on the local front but you can easily opt for envelopes made from recycled paper. If you regularly receive and send items by post, reuse the boxes, padded envelopes, bubble wrap and other packing materials. And if you have to have that bamboo mouse, order it online from www.thegreenoffice.com. (and make sure you offset the CO2 emissions it will take to get it here).

- Using a solar-powered calculator will cut down substantially on the number of batteries that end up in landfills. If you do need battery-operated office tools, rather use rechargeable batteries that are available at most supermarkets, stationers and hardware stores.

- Pause before you print and you could cut carbon emissions by 2.5 kilograms for every kilogram of paper you save. When you do print, use both sides of every page – it’s called duplex printing and most modern printers can be easily set to do it. If you are in the market for a new printer, choose the inkjet variety, which is generally more energy efficient than the equivalent laser printer. Unless you require high quality print-outs, opt for the draft mode, which uses less ink. Also recycle printer cartridges by returning them to the shop when getting new ones.

- Use ecofriendly printer paper. Read the labels and look for chlorine-free paper produced mostly from recycled paper and a smaller percentage of sustainably grown fibres. Paper represents about 70 percent of office waste, so dodge the debris and read emails on screen. Waste paper that hasn’t been used for jotting down notes and messages should be taken to a recycling depot. Visit www.paperpickup.co.za. to find a paper bank near you.

- Send virtual faxes. There’s a range of software programs that allow you to send documents from your PC to a fax machine, and receive faxes from either source as an email. Alternatively, if you have a scanner, simply scan documents and send them as email attachments.

Source: women24.com

Sign up for Earth Hour 2009 and become part of what could be the single most powerful demonstration of global solidarity on any matter in the history of the planet.

On Saturday 28 March 2009, at 20:30, millions of people worldwide will switch off their lights to make a statement of concern about the future of our planet as part of Earth Hour 2009, an event led by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when more than 2.2 million families and businesses turned off their lights. One year later, Earth Hour reached 370 cities and towns in more than 35 countries across 18 time zones.

Earth Hour 2009 hopes to reach one billion people in 1 000 cities worldwide.

Already 900 cities have agreed to take part including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Rome and Dubai with more signing up every day.

Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and free.

All you need to do is sign up on Earth Hour or SMS your postal code to 34017 (R2 per SMS) to register your support for action on climate change.

Your name will form part of a global petition to world leaders, challenging them to reach a fair and effective climate change agreement when they meet in Copenhagen at the end of the year.

Spread the message to colleagues, friends and family and encourage them to spread the word too.

And, remember to switch off the lights of your home for one hour on 28 March 2009 at 20:30.

Make your name count. It will mean the world.

For more information, earthhour.org.za

Source: news24.com

These days, anyone who goes out to eat — and certainly anyone who orders wine at a restaurant — is looking for value. Here are some tips that will help you find value in wine at restaurants. Obviously, there are many exceptions to every one of these suggestions, but if we were going to give some overall advice geared to the moment, this would be it.

1.  Do not order the second cheapest wine on list.

Restaurateurs know that the customers do not want to be perceived as cheap by ordering the cheapest wine on the list. So they opt for the second cheapest one. The least expensive wine is actually a pretty good deal at many restaurants.

2. Avoid wine by the glass.

The restaurant owners like to make enough on a single glass to pay for the whole bottle. This is great for them but not so good for you. And it wouldn’t be so bad except that so many wines by the glass are poured from bottles that have been open for too long and mistreated after opening.

3. Avoid the “when in doubt go for Sauvignon Blanc” theory

It seems that when in doubt, South Africans generally opt for Sauvignon Blanc.  Restaurateurs know this and add a little to the price of these wines. In many cases there is much better Chenin Blanc, blends or even Chardonnays on the list. 

4. Do not ignore house wines

Many restaurateurs take pride in their house wines and this can be your best bet.

5. BYOB – Corkage

More restaurants than ever, eager for business, are relaxing their rules on BYOB and lowering corkage fees. Check around for restaurants that allow you to bring your own wine. And if there is a restaurant you know well, ask if you could bring your own wine and pay corkage. Remember that the point here isn’t just to save money, but to have wines that the restaurant doesn’t offer or that you might otherwise postpone opening.

6. Have it your way

You must enjoy the night. No wine, at any price, is a good value if you don’t enjoy it. Don’t be shy. If you think the red wine is too warm, ask for an ice bucket. If you want the waiters to stop pouring so much into your glass, tell them — nicely, of course. We are all in this economic mess together and everyone understands — or should understand — that a night out these days needs to be relaxing and personal.

Sure, there are many other ways to find value on a list, but we have tried to focus here on simple stuff and things we actually do ourselves. Just remember that, in good times and bad, wine always tastes better when it’s a good deal.

Do you have any tips or suggestions you’d like to share?

Source: WSJ

According to a recent study, a couple of glasses of beer or wine every day are good for your bones. The scientist indicated that moderate drinking can significantly increase their mineral density.

But researchers at Tufts University, Boston, US, warned that binge-drinking damages bones and makes them weaker.

Regular, moderate consumption of beer and wine might keep bones strong with age. The results of an observational study from Tufts University finds an association between greater bone mineral density in men and women over age 60, who consume one to two servings of beer or wine daily.

Bone loss can lead to osteoporosis, in turn leading to increased risk of fractures and disability. However, exceeding the recommended dietary intake of beer and wine may accelerate the chances of osteoporosis in men over age 60.

Moderate alcohol consumption is defined as one drink a day for women, and two for men, according to 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the federal government.

The researchers found that alcohol can devastate the bones, but with moderate consumption, older drinkers seem to have stronger bones. The study is observational, and therefore, not considered conclusive.

Source: emaxhealth.com

To understand and appreciate wine, being able to note the different characteristics of each grape is important, in terms of being able to judge each grape’s uniqueness. 

All red grape-based wines are not created equal, same goes for whites.  Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon may all look similar in the glass but each has its own distinctive attributes.  Grapes of the same variety, grown in different vineyards and vinified differently will always exhibit certain qualities which are ingrained in the grape’s unique nature.

For one to recognize what a grape’s evolution should be, from the vine to the glass, in key.  Building on that, to be aware of what a grape at it’s fullest potential may reach is the core of fine wine appreciation.

Here is a video with some examples of wine characteristics.

Source: examiner.com