Raise a glass to your health!

We have it with dinner. It's our go-to for celebrations or after a long day. We love its aroma and different flavors and say things like "Fruity, Earthy" or "Bouquet, Structure." Different styles define who we are. It is our favorite gift when we want to bring something special. Yes, we are talking about wine. Wine is as diverse and unique as each of us. Face it, wine is the center of happiness. It relaxes our minds and in moderation can contribute to your physical health. But how exactly and with all of the health benefits can some ingredients actually be harmful?

New studies about the health benefits of wine from decreased mortality rates to attacking cancer cells are pretty impressive. However, over-consumption, sugar, and additives can make this divine elixir anything but healthy.

Before we dive into all of the benefits lets, look at what we don't want in our wine and why.

Wine is a tricky business because when it comes to their growth cycle, grapes tend to march to the beat of their own drum. Their natural flavor, color, and growing cycle are driven by nature. To capture sameness and establish predictability, producers rely on synthetic pesticides, GMOs, chemical additives like Copper Sulfate, Ammonium phosphate, Ferrocyanide, added sugar and large amount of sulfates (Sulfites are naturally occurring antioxidant and antibacterial compounds in grapes and are utilized to protect the wine from oxygen until it reaches your glass.) which yields a product that tastes the same, bottle after bottle, year after year. Pesticides, chemical additives, and sweetener also make it possible to maximize yields and hide flaws that may exist in those bottles, like bacteria and other unpleasant elements. Unfortunately, this processed wine chemically-altered wine is completely unnatural, and you can taste it. Some of these additives have been linked to side effects ranging from nausea and respiratory issues to more severe problems that can affect the liver and kidneys. Ever wake up with a bad headache when you have had only one glass? It was probably the additives. (up-to 300 chemical additives imbued in almost all mass-produced wine. Yeah. 300. Crazy, right?) To make matters worse wine labels do not list their ingredients, so we are left with little to no information on what exactly is in our wine. 

Now that you know the bad let's get at the good part. Wine contains Resveratrol which is a polyphenic bioflavonoid antioxidant that fights off free radicals that cause health problems such as cancer and can rejuvenate aging cells. It also protects the heart by keeping blood vessels flexible and reduce the risk of unwanted clotting. Resveratrol has been shown to hamper the formation of beta-amyloid protein, a key ingredient in the plaque found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. It also boosts the immune system. The antioxidants are believed to fight infection and protect cells against the effects of free radicals, which may play a role in viruses and disease. Wine can lower your cholesterol due to the high-fiber in certain grapes as well as reducing stress.

What to look for? The best option is to opt for a more natural clean wine. One without all of the added stuff, so you get an altogether better-tasting wine experience for everyone. Be careful because not all organics are alike. Look for companies that are transparent, not mass produced and are low in sulfates. 

We love Scout & Cellar for this reason. Because of the slow-crafted, intentional way Scout & Cellar wines are made, they require minimal sulfur additions to remain stable. Most have less than 50ppm, all must have less than 100ppm. As a point of reference, the FDA allows up to 350ppm. Remember that headache? 

What does clean-crafted mean? The short answer: wines that are grown naturally—without the use of synthetic pesticides—and bottled consciously—without added sugars or non-organic chemicals to modify texture, flavor, color or aroma. The result is a wine that is natural, delicious and provides an all-around better wine experience —just like nature intended!

And because they are not a mass produced brand you get unique one-of-a-kind (sometimes limited) wines that cannot be purchased at stores. You just contact your consultant for a one-on-one experience to learn about specials and different selections or go online and have it shipped directly to you. You choose how much, what and when. Or let them do all of the work with their easy to join the wine club. You pick the number of bottles you’d like to receive, as well as how often you’d like to receive them (monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly), and they take care of everything else.

Scout & Cellar rely on nature and not chemicals. Discovering the world’s most delicious clean-crafted wine is not just a taste experience it's a lifestyle. Because everyone deserves to live cleaner, healthier, and better.

Click the link on my home page to learn more about Scout & Cellar, order your clean-crafted wine and how to become a consultant!

By Julie Chicos

Executive Consultant, Scout & Cellar

Founder, Live Healthy-Be Beautiful