Wayne's World: This thing with drinking a glass of red wine each night...

[Joeaksa]

Went overseas to work for 6 months in 1999. Was stationed in Denmark where the cost of booze is high. Doctor had been on my rear to lower my blood sugar and get my other readings down a bit.

Stopped drinking my nightly Manhattan (whiskey and vermouth) and switched instead to a glass or two of red wine. Did that for six months then returned home.

Doctor could not believe the change in my bloodwork. Everything had dropped by 20-30% and was in very good shape. He could not believe that it was red wine alone but nothing else was changed.

Now am back on the whiskey but have a glass of red 2-3 days a week. Its not bad therapy...

Joe A

[Dottore]

A predictable consequence of the "glass of red a day" advice has been the manufacture of increasingly larger wine glasses.

I am often amazed when I go to friends homes and see them drinking out of Riedels the size of toilet bowls.

[red-beard]

You aren't supposed to fill it to the rim........

[JavaBrewer]

Wife and I have no problem finishing a bottle in one night. Start with a glass while we prepare dinner, then another while we eat. Wine is gone.

My cholesterol is still sky high but I refuse to give up on the red wine at night for health advice...

[Sonic dB]

Two glasses per night, before bed. Started this about 2 months ago, along with 2 tabs of asprin throughout the day to thin the blood.

Not sure about the studies, but "they" say that the French have a very low rate of heart disease....(foie gras anyone?).

Lately, the consumption has gone up so much that I started buying the big magnum jugs for about $10 at Vons. Last night, I had a very decent to good Merlot from something called Fish Eye. Quite surprisingly good for the price. I purchase mostly CA wines, although French wines are the best imo.... You can pick up inexpensive bottles of it at Whole Foods.

[hatpix]

Originally posted by Dottore
... drinking out of Riedels the size of toilet bowls.

I have some of those. The ones that hold 750ml are my favorite, nothing goes to waste.

[HardDrive]

Originally posted by dmoolenaar
Wife and I have no problem finishing a bottle in one night.

Same, but I skip the wife.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by HardDrive
Same, but I skip the wife.

And the problem is? Works for many of us!

[on2wheels52]

We only buy the best boxed wines.
No, we have a rack full of $10-20 bottles but normally have a couple of glasses of white zinfindel. Our tastes are still developing.
Jim

[Dottore]

Originally posted by on2wheels52
We only buy the best boxed wines.
Jim

Actually there are a few of French producers now coming out with very good boxed wines.

There is a certain romance about bottle and cork - but hell it's only romance.

Screw-tops will be normal in a few years - as they already are in Switzerland and increasingly Italy and Germany.

Boxes (tetrapacks) are the logical next step.

Almost half the shipping weight of a bottle of wine is currently in the packaging (the bottle) which is just daft.

[Tim Hancock]

For the past year, I have been buying that cheap boxed wine to keep in the fridge. I go thru a box in about 2 weeks I guess. It seems to stay "drinkable" over that time as it dispenses from bottom thru a plastic
valve.

I started my "nightly glass of wine" with bottled wine, but my wife does not drink much and I was tiring of trying to seal the bottle back up. I am obviously not a wine fanatic as I couldn't tell the difference between cheap wine or high brow stuff. I would rather drink a gin/tonic or a vodka/coke nightly, but I also was curious about the health aspects of wine, so I figured what the hell.

[Superman]

I'm performing my own scientific experiment. I generally choose a good, strong beer or perhaps a cocktail. Or two. Lately, gin and tonic. So far, the results have been good. Of course, the experiement is ongoing. Ultimately, my longevity and the circumstances surrounding my demise will figure prominently in the final report. Which, of course, I will not be writing.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally posted by Superman
I'm performing my own scientific experiment. I generally choose a good, strong beer or perhaps a cocktail. Or two. Lately, gin and tonic. So far, the results have been good. Of course, the experiement is ongoing. Ultimately, my longevity and the circumstances surrounding my demise will figure prominently in the final report. Which, of course, I will not be writing.

D@mnit Supe, now I am going to have to make myself a gin/tonic. Hmmm.....maybe one G&T and one glass of wine per night might be better!

[lendaddy]

Three fingers of Irish Whiskey neat works for me.

[SlowToady]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
~snip~
Stopped drinking my nightly Manhattan (whiskey and vermouth) and switched instead to a glass or two of red wine. Did that for six months then returned home.
~snip~
Joe A

How dare you!

Try some Rye in that Manhattan. Mmmmmmhmmmm.

[Kevin G.]

I've got this really nice triple IPA on tap - it has buckets of anti-oxidants, omega whatevers and the like. At 13.5% ABV, it also makes you feel really, really good. If I die, I'll at least die happy.

[Tim Hancock]

I have to say Joe, vermouth is some nasty shiite. Nothing screws up a good gin martini more than adding more than a few DROPS of vermouth!

[StevoRocket]

Wine from the French Vars region near the mediteranian has more beneficial heart effects according to a recent study.

[lendaddy]

Originally posted by Dottore
Actually there are a few of French producers now coming out with very good boxed wines.

There is a certain romance about bottle and cork - but hell it's only romance.

Screw-tops will be normal in a few years - as they already are in Switzerland and increasingly Italy and Germany.

Boxes (tetrapacks) are the logical next step.

Almost half the shipping weight of a bottle of wine is currently in the packaging (the bottle) which is just daft.

I was against the screw tops at first, but I've had real bad luck with cork lately, three bottles spoiled (cork taint)

I wonder if they have lowered the "quality" requirements for wine bottling cork or something due to scarcity?

[JavaBrewer]

Originally posted by Dottore
There is a certain romance about bottle and cork - but hell it's only romance.

Wine is many things to many folks. Some just gulp it down and move on. I really enjoy the whole process of selecting, opening, polishing the wine glasses, and pouring. It's a routine I've developed that will likely never give up. The screw cap bottles make all kinds of sense but definitely lose some of the *romance* as you say. We have this really nice wine opener on our counter top and I've got lots of nice wine screws. It will be a shame when they are regulated to nostalgia. I'm sure some wine producers will stick with cork but they will probably be the $50/btl and up type that we drink maybe 4 times in a year.