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Organic Red Wine is a healthier drink than normal Red Wine.
Although taste is a very-very personal issue, and everybody has his or her own preferences, still, most of the appreciators of wine are of the opinion that Red Wine is better than the White Wine in many respects. These people have been eagerly waiting for something which could make it even healthier, even better. So, here is something they can rejoice upon. That red wine is available with a pleasing “Organic” tag on it, the “Organic Red Wine”.
Now those, who did not get a chance to know Red Wine so closely, must be wondering what gives Red Wine an upper edge and further, why is Organic Red Wine so special. This is for them.
- What is in the Colour? Both White and Red Wines may be made from the same black grapes (or better call them Wine Grapes), by fermenting the grape juice, and it is not necessary that White Wines are made only from the White Grapes, but Red Wines are invariably made from the Red or Black Grapes. While in case of White Wine, only the grape flesh is used and the skin or peel is removed (not in case of white or green grapes), in case of Red Wine, the peel is also fermented. It is the pigment in these peels which the colour comes from. It also adds to taste and fragrance.
- The “Red” Advantage: Due to inclusion of juice of the peels, the Red Wine contains more minerals and Polyphenols such as Catechins and Resveratrol, also called Flavonoids, and hence more anti oxidants. These anti oxidants are remarkable in fighting ageing and degeneration of tissues and also in boosting immunity. Another group of compounds called Procyanidins are found in Red Wine which is responsible for keeping the heart healthy. Resveratrol is also known to help lower Low Density Lipoproteins, or Bad Cholesterol. Another group of anti oxidants called Saponins, along with Catechins, assist in keeping heart healthy. But there is only one condition. That is, it should be drunk in small quantities. One more thing, the Red Wine contains 9.5 to 11 percent alcohol, which, in most cases, is less than White Wine or other alcoholic beverages.
- The “Organic” Red: Although Red Wine is naturally richer in health benefits and taste than its white counterpart, a considerable portion of its anti oxidants are destroyed if it is not processed organically; and presence of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides etc. present in it, not being organic, further robs its goodness. It is also packed in environment friendly organic containers. So, Organic Red Wine is a very healthy preference over any regular wine. But I must mention something here. That is, in the context of wines, a mere “Organic” label on the bottle does not certify that it is hundred percent organic. The Organic Red Wines come in three categories.
- First, those with a “Hundred Percent Organic” label on them. As the name suggests, hundred percent of the grapes used in these wines are organic and absolutely no chemical additives are added in them for processing or preserving.
- Next are those organic red wines which have “Organic” label on them. As per the United States or European Standards, at least ninety five percent of the grapes must be organically grown. Some permissible amounts of chemical stabilizers and preservatives (mostly compounds of sulphur) can also be used in them. These wines can contain up to 10mg of sulphites to be called organic.
- Finally, there are organic red wines with “Made from organic grapes” written on their labels. This means that at least seventy percent of the grapes used in their manufacturing are organic in nature. They are not necessarily made through organic processing. They also contain permissible amounts of sulphites in them.
- Manufacturing Processes: The manufacturing processes for Organic Red Wine and Non Organic Red Wine differ substantially. Here are the main differences.
- Non-Organic Red Wine: During farming, Copper Sulphate solution is used on grapes as a fungicide. Some other chemicals such as Bentonite and Kiesolsol are used during manufacturing. The traditional wine manufacturing techniques also allow some escape of harmful metals like lead into the wine, which is very dangerous. So, being organic really matters here.
- Organic Red Wine: Ideally, a hundred percent organic red wine should not contain any of these chemicals or metals discussed above. The Organic Red Wine is made from organically grown wine grapes, processed in an organic way and hence most of its natural goodness is preserved. In organic techniques, emphasis is laid on usage of wooden presses or likes, so that minimum metals get into wine. Organic Red Wine also does not use any artificial flavour or colour.
- Who is filling the casks? All top producers of regular wines are top producers of Organic Red Wine as well. France and Italy are the most famous ones.
- Who certifies these wines? I knew that it would be your next question and I am ready with the answer. There are certain agencies like the ECOCERT, BIOFRANC, Nature et Progres, Terre et Vie etc. which do this noble job. These are again guided by USDA and NOP directives.
- The Market Buzz: Well! The Organic Red Wine has a great response and it seems that people have been waiting for this. But still, manufacturers are doing only a limited production. The reasons being many. First, the production of organic grapes is far lesser than that of normal grapes. Then there is the question of preservation and stabilization. Since nil to very small quantities of chemical preservatives are used in Organic Red Wines, therefore they are less stable and hence producers are not investing that much in their production.
So, next time you want to have a nice and romantic evening, make it red and healthy with a glass of organic red wine. And be happier to know that you are helping the environment too. Booze well my friend. Bye!
Sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine, 2. http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Wagner,
3. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Right-Way-to-Drink-Red-Wine&id=1768210,
4. http://www.answers.com/topic/red-wine, 5. http://www.drinkmixer.com/desc366.html,
6. http://www.thatsthespirit.com/en/wine/wine_red.asp, 7. http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherrie_Jones
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