Tag: Wine

Getting Wine Theme Kitchen Decor Work

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Wine theme kitchen decor can add a touch of the rustic Mediterranean to your home. It can make your kitchen look stylish and upscale, especially if you do it in a way that works well. If you are going to remodel then you may wish to consider wine theme kitchen decor if it is something that would be in keeping with your character and personal taste.

It is easy to find kitchen decor accessories and accent pieces that have a vineyard theme. You can purchase such items at the stores in your municipality or via the internet. However, making the wine theme kitchen decor work well is a little trickier. As with every other room that is decorated with a particular theme you can easily make things look excessively garish if you don’t put some thought into what you are doing.

Start with the Basics

If you choose wine theme kitchen decor it is best to start with the basics before you buy any accent pieces or accessories that are reminiscent of vineyards. Begin by choosing materials and paint colors. Natural rustic materials such as stone, marble and granite tend to compliment wine theme kitchen decor.

You should also choose paint colors that are in keeping with your vineyard theme. For instance, warm yellow, oatmeal, terra cotta, leaf green and a light reddish-purple that is similar to the color of grapes could work very well in such a kitchen. Once you have chosen your materials and colors you will then be in a position to choose matching wine theme kitchen decor accent pieces and accessories.

Keep it Simple

When you are searching for wine theme kitchen decor accessories try not to go over the top. If you insist on making sure that every picture, bowl, plate, table cloth, dish towel and window dressing has a vineyard theme then the overall effect will be course and excessive. It is better to limit the number of wine theme kitchen decor items. The idea here is to suggest rather than insist. Stick a wine rack or two, some decorative bottles, a few ceramics, a candle holder and a couple of prints that have a vineyard theme.

If you don’t want your kitchen to look too complicated you had best avoid tablecloths, drapes, place mats and wall clocks with a wine theme, especially if they clash with the rest of the decor. By keeping it simple your kitchen will look classy and chic. If you have made it work well your guests will be reminded of elegant country homes in the heart of rural Italy rather than the latest discounts on offer at their local liquor store.

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Resveratrol Extract From Red Wine – Benefits Observed in Animals and Humans

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Animal studies are one of the methods used by scientists and the research community use to determine the advantages and drawbacks of chemical compounds. From pharmaceutical drugs and medicines to nutritional supplements, active ingredients must first be tested in real subjects before confirmed benefits can be established. One such antioxidant currently being tested is called resveratrol. It is a compound found in nature; the skin and seeds of grapes, red wine, some fruits, and nuts. You’ll likely find a product with resveratrol extract in the form of vitamin capsules, tea, or accompanying acai berries in weight loss pills. But does it really work? The researchers have put this antioxidant to the test with some surprising results.

The French are known for their exquisite food and richly-saturated, high-fat meals. It has puzzled scientists and doctors alike because the average American diet is very much like that of the French, but with approximately 30% more instances of heart and cardiovascular disease. The medical community has now discovered, through a series of experiments using resveratrol extract in mice, that the red wine that you drink is the deciding factor in the health of the French person’s lifestyle. In a July 3, 2008 article published on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services web site, researchers reported that the affected obese mice showed less overall cholesterol levels, had stronger aortas, and developed fewer occurrences of heart and cardiovascular disease. This powerful compound seems to mimic some of the health phenomena that result from “caloric restriction”. This is the reason the French can eat the way they do and still remain relatively healthy throughout their lives.

Dr. Sinclair, who participated in the scientific study, cautioned that further studies must be done before associating a direct correlation between results in mice and that which would be experienced in humans. This is because the human body is a much more complex being than a mouse. The benefits of resveratrol extract were also observed in previous findings published, including a study dated June 3, 2008 by the Public Library of Science One. This study found that in addition to the benefits noted above, anti-aging effects were also observed in the animal subjects. This included alteration of the genetic expression of some factors involved in the cellular aging process in the body including slowed aging of cardiac cells.

Resveratrol extract is easy to buy from online stores from the comfort of home with as little as an Internet connection. But just like any other supplement, do the research prior to making a decision to add this supplement to your daily vitamin regimen. The Internet is a free source of reviews, contact information of the institutions that conducted the lab tests, and forums that allow visitors to post questions and read what others are saying. The research is clear; there are many health benefits associated with this amazing compound found in red wine!

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White Wine Grapes Guide

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Grapes used to make white wine produce an array of flavors and colors, with colors ranging from clear to a golden yellow as the wine ages. Since different climates affect the flavors of the grapes, different regions produce drastically different wines.

In extremely warm regions, the grapes become less acidic and the color of the wine tends to be more golden yellow. In temperate climates, there is more of a balance of acidity and also sweetness in the wine. Cool climates produce more acidic wines where the crop is prone to frost damage if not picked within the season. Chardonnay is perhaps the most well-known grape.

It is grown throughout wine producing regions of the world, but originated in Burgundy. The wine is typically light golden in color with melon and tropical flavors emerging in the wine. Riesling grapes produce a lighter bodied wine than Chardonnay and wine made from this grape usually is sweeter and has a flowery aroma. Sauvignon Blanc is a grape predominately found in France’s Loire Valley. It is a lighter wine that is often paired with a variety of food, including fish and poultry.

Pinot Blanc is a crisp wine that is sometimes made into sparkling wine in France. Champagne is the famous sparkling wine from the French region of Champagne. Only wines produced in this region can legally be called Champagne under a Protected Designation of Origin status.

Chardonnay grapes are most often used in making champagne, but blends with Pinot Noir are not uncommon. White wine grapes produce wine that is lower in tannins then red wine, since the wine is produced with minimal contact of the juice with the grape skins and seeds. The absence of the dry and intense flavor from high amounts of tannins make white wine easier for wine novices to begin tasting and enjoying wine.

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Pre Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) And Diet – Red Wine

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As we mentioned in previous article, premenstrual syndrome is defined as faulty function of the ovaries related to the women’s menstrual cycle, it effects a women’s physical and emotional state, and sometimes interferes with daily activities as a result of hormone fluctuation. The syndrome occurs one to two weeks before menstruation and then declines when the period starts. In this article, we will discuss how red wine effects women with premenstrual syndrome.

It is recommended that women with PMS drink no more than 150 ml red wine a day
I. Definition
Red wine is an alcoholic beverage made of fermented grape juice without adding sugar, acids, enzyme or other yeasts. Moderate drinking red wine has been existed in Mediterranean cuisines for thousand of year in improving blood circulation in the body and decreasing the risk of heart disease and strokes.

II. How red wine effects women with PMS
1. Blood tonic
(Any food with red color is considered as blood and heart tonic in some traditional medicine). Red wine, in fact helps to release the blood stagnation in the body tissues and organs including the reproductive system thereby, decreasing the risk of premenstrual pain and cramps caused by blood stagnation in the abdominal region and increasing the transportation of nutrients to the nervous cell resulting in lessening the risk of fatigue, loss of concentration, and dizziness.

2. Melatonin
Moderate drinking (no more than 1 cup a day) red wine helps to improve the melatonin hormone thereby, increasing the function of internal clock in regulating “when it’s time to go to sleep and when it’s time to wake up” and lessening the risk of insomnia.

3. Flavonoids
Besides best known for it antioxidants property, it contains epicatechin, quercetin and luteol which also help to increase the digestive function in absorbing vital vitamins and minerals which are found deficient in women with PMS and inhibiting tumour growth.

4. Polyphenols
Red wine contains polyphenols which is a powerful antioxidant containing a polyphenolic substructure it has been used in combating neurodegenerative , some cardiovascular diseases. It also contains a chemical agent having anti-aging effects including slowing the process of skin wrinkling.

5. Resveratol
It also contains high levels of resvertol which is essential for immune system in inhibiting irregular cell growth and fighting against inflammation including the reproductive organs caused by cell oxidation.

finally, it recommend that you drink one to 2 cups of green tea to insure daily body detoxifying and increase production of stomach acid in absorbing vital vitamins and mineral. Green tea contains green tea oxidative agent, but is found to be absorbed by the body before reaching kidney.

Wine Making Hydrometer Basics

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A hydrometer is an indispensable tool in the winemaker’s arsenal. Hydrometers are used at different stages in the wine making process, and by learning what your hydrometer is saying you’ll be able to refine your wine making techniques.

Basically, the heavier, or denser a liquid is, the higher the hydrometer will float. When just starting a batch of wine, the juice is “thick” with sugars. When fermentation occurs the juice goes from the thicker, syrupy consistency to a thinner liquid containing more alcohol. Thus, a hydrometer will float at different levels all throughout a fermentation as the liquid goes from “thicker” to “thinner”.

Specific Gravity is one scale on your hydrometer. This scale is based on the weight of water. A hydrometer floating in water will have a specific gravity of 1.000 When you start a batch of wine a typical specific gravity reading will be around 1.080. At that point the juice is 8 percent thicker than water. When fermentation is complete, the reading will be around 0.995, meaning that the sugar has been turned into alcohol and the juice is now thinner than water.

Another scale on your hydrometer is potential alcohol (PA). To arrive at potential alcohol readings you must measure the PA at the beginning of fermentation and also again at the end. An example might help here. Suppose you measure the PA of your juice at 14 % when beginning fermentation. This reading means that “potentially” you can get 14% alcohol from your juice. But not all fermentation use up every bit of sugar. If you take a reading when fermentation is complete and the PA is 1%, then your wine has 13% alcohol, the difference between the two readings.

Another scale on most hydrometers is Brix, also known as Balling. This is usually used by advanced wine makers and also commercial wineries. The Brix scale shows the percentage of sugar in the juice by weight. For instance, if you have a reading of 22 on the Brix scale, that means the juice is made up of 22% sugar by weight. Wineries will use this scale to determine that their juice can produce the percentage of alcohol they desire.

A hydrometer is a very useful tool for the homemade winemaker. The more you use one the more familiar you’ll become with the various scales and how powerful their information they provide can be.

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