New Year’s Resolution: Drink More Wine!

With health-related issues topping most New Year’s resolution lists, consumers might consider a new resolution this year: drinking more wine.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) December 29, 2003 --With health-related issues topping most New Year’s resolution lists, consumers might consider a new resolution this year: drinking more wine.

“The benefits of drinking wine are clear,” said Jeff Zucker, founder of Corks Washington Wine Club and Corks Wine Shop based in Seattle, Wash. “Many of us gravitate towards improving our health at the start of the new year – whether it be fitness, nutrition, stress management or other efforts – and wine is a worthy addition to this list.”

The health benefits of moderate wine drinking are evident in a wide variety of studies that range from fighting heart disease, ulcers, cancer, strokes and stress, among other ailments. In most cases, researchers found that those who drink one to three glasses a day regularly are healthier than those who drink none, as well as those who drink more. One study even indicated that wine drinkers have a higher socio-economic status and healthier lifestyle than drinkers of beer or spirits(1).

Red wine is specifically credited for its heart disease fighting characteristics – part of the so-called French Paradox – along with helping to ward off Alzheimer’s disease(2), lowering cholesterol(3) and extending life in general. One recent study by the University of California at Davis showed that red wine can even suspend some of the harmful effects of smoking on the arteries(4). In general, red wine is noted for its healing powers due to antioxidants found in reds that are beneficial to good health by protecting and preventing disease.

White wine also has advantageous health effects. One study by the University at Buffalo indicated that wine drinking, and in particular white wine drinking, promotes positive lung health(5). Another study from the University of Milan indicated that compounds in white wine may act as anti-inflammatories and antioxidants, possibly preventing such conditions as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis(6).

“One of the challenges for those who want to drink wine on a more regular basis is not only knowledge of but access to good wines,” said Zucker. “It’s not uncommon for consumers to avoid buying and drinking wine, or at least avoid venturing beyond one or two well-known brands, because they just don’t have the knowledge or time to make more informed buying decisions.”

“Corks Washington Wine Club simplifies and demystifies the wine-buying process. Washington is producing top-notch wine, and each month we hand-select fantastic wines to send our wine club members so they are always well stocked with great wines for regular drinking.”

Corks Washington Wine Club delivers fine wine from Washington state directly to club members’ doorsteps each month. Not only is Corks Washington Wine Club ideal for Washington wine aficionados, but also for those who wish to expand their wine horizons and experience the exceptional wines Washington offers.

Corks Washington Wine Club offers two price ranges for membership: Vintage Level, $30-45 per month for a wide array of Washington wine; and Reserve Level, $60-75 per month for the more discriminating taste*. Wine club members enjoy one to two bottles of hand-selected wine each month, and can select to receive all red wine, all white wine, or a combination. In addition, detailed tasting notes are provided for all selections.

About Washington Wine
Selected Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine in 2001, Washington state is second in premium wine production in the U.S. The state contains five appellations, or American Viticultural Areas (AVA), as recognized by the U.S. Treasury Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms: Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Puget Sound, and Red Mountain. There are more than 240 wineries in Washington, and grapevine acreage in excess of 28,000 acres, according to the Washington Wine Commission.

About Corks Wine Shop
Corks Wine shop is located in Seattle’s beautiful Magnolia neighborhood. Owners Jeff and Mim Zucker personally guide their customers to varied and interesting wine selections, and the shop conducts weekly wine tastings on Thursday evenings. Store location: 3320 W. McGraw St., #5, Seattle, WA, 98199. www.corkswines.com

• Prices do not include shipping. Taxes apply to Washington state residents.

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1. Mc Cann SE, Sempos C, Freudenheim JL et al. Alcoholic beverage preference and characteristics of drinkers and non-drinkers in western New York (United States). Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 13 (2003) 2-11.
2. Study published Nov. 12, 2002 in Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
3. Study by the University of California, Davis, presented by Andrew Waterhouse, Ph.D., Professor of Enology to the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, Sept. 9, 2003.
4. Study by the University of California, Davis, presented by Andrew Waterhouse, Ph.D., Professor of Enology to the American Chemical Society, Sept. 9, 2003.
5. Study by University at Buffalo, May 20, 2002. Presented to the American Thoracic Society by Holger Schunemann, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and social and preventive medicine in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
6. Study by Dr. Alberto Bertelli, a researcher at the University of Milan, who presented the findings at the Wine and Health conference Feb. 2001.