Hey chicks,
Hope you’re having a FAB day! We sure are because today we have a super awesome “almost better than Barbara Walters” style interview with the awesome Erin from Toronto based “The Wine Sisters” to share with y’all!
The Wine Sisters: Courtney & Erin
“The Wine Sisters”, Courtney & Erin Henderson, are sommeliers (aka wine experts) who are spreading the vino love and giving chicks a strong voice in a very rooster run industry. We love their super fun approach to make any chick understand vino (and enjoy it!) and their mission that good wine and real food brings peeps together (insert warm fuzzies!)
So as the holidays are in full swing, we wanted The Wine Sisters to give us all a little Healthy Vino 101 to help us understand all that wine lingo (like is red better than white, what is organic wine and what the heck are these sulphites we keep hearing about!) to make the healthiest holiday choices when it comes to selecting a little Xmas cheer.
So no more chatting chicks, let’s get to business…take it away Erin!
We always hear that red wine is healthy for you. Is that true? If so, is it healthier than white wine and why?
Well, we’re not doctors – we’re drinkers – but a number of recent scientific studies show that red wine is indeed full of healthy compounds like resveratrol, flavanoids and antioxidants — all of which have been linked to heart health, cancer prevention — even weight loss!!
The reason why red is better than white in these cases, is because all the healthy stuff is found in the skins, and in order to make red wine, the skins must stay in contact with the grape juice for an extended period of time in order to get the red colour. The juice from white wines are removed from their skins pretty much right away, so they get less of a chance to pick up those healthy components.
Generally, the darker the wine, the more healthful compounds there are, so studies show that the deep, dark, tannic wines from Sardinia, Spain and South western France are tops — especially wines made from the Grenache grape.
However, as much as we love wine, we think it may be dangerous to say, “red wine’s healthy, white wine’s not.” Just because one wine has been shown to contain healthy benefits, and maybe the other hasn’t, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, if that’s your thing.
We think that healthy comes in all forms and part of being healthy is enjoying yourself and not stressing. Just remember, moderation is key!
As a chick trying to make a healthy choice when selecting a little holiday tipple, what should we look for on a label when buying a wine? Is there anything you should make sure to avoid?
That’s a bit of a toughy.
It’s law in the US to show on the label if a wine contains sulphites, but the ridiculous ting is, all wines contain sulphites because they’re naturally occurring substances that are found in the vineyard! (See more on this below)
A lot of winemakers like to say “good wine starts in the vineyard” and try to have as little intervention as possible.
In very broad terms, the less expensive a wine, the more it’s been manipulated and stuff has been added (sugar, acid, yeasts, colour etc.) because its cheaper to make wine this way. As wine increases in price (and you can find some very well made wines for below $20) the winemaker has been more hands off (though not necessarily organic) and let Mother Nature do all the heavy lifting.
Some people feel better when they drink organic wines, some people don’t notice a difference. Which brings us to our next point ….
We want to look like a healthy wine diva at our Xmas Dinner. Can you help us explain the difference between organic vs non organic wine?
Organic simply means there has been nothing chemical or synthetic added to the vineyards or to the the wines during any stage of the growing and wine making process including chemical fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides.
Non organic, of course, can use chemicals.
But be aware it’s super expensive to get certified by the governing bodies (somewhere in the range of $25,000+, we’re told), so a number of wineries out there are practicing organic because they feel it results in a better product, but don’t have the resources or desire to go through the expensive certification process.
If you’re interested in organic, try these:
- Cono Sur Organic Chardonnay, Chile $11.95
- Domaine Perrin Nature Cotes du Rhone, France $16.95 – Grenach and Syrah! Great healthy option (see question 1)!
- Tawse “Sketches of Niagara” Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, $17.95 – Go local!
- Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon, California $19.95
- Southbrook “Triomphe” Cabernet Franc, Niagara on the Lake $21.95 – Go local!
Back to those suphites – what are they? Is it better for your health to pick a sulphite free wine?
As we mentioned above, all wines contain sulphur dioxide, or sulphites, because they are naturally occurring compounds. However, what is naturally present is usually less than 10 milligrams per litre (mg/L), and unless you are extremely sensitive or allergic, they are undetectable. So labels that read, “contains sulphites” don’t really help, because you don’t know how much is in there.
Keep your eyes peeled!
Health Canada has strict regulations for sulphite levels, allowing for a maximum of 50 mg per litre in standard table wines. The LCBO (in Ontario) obviously adheres to these regulations, and does not sell table wines with more than 50 mg of sulphites per litre.
The reason for adding sulphites at all is to keep a wine from oxidizing and spoiling. Red wines don’t need any sulphites added because of the antioxidants contained in their skins. Some conventional winemakers may choose to add some anyway.
White wines typically do need a bit of sulphur dioxide to keep them stable, because, as mentioned, they are not left in contact with their skins.
Sulphites can be dangerous for some people as they can trigger potentially fatal allergic reactions, and in less serious cases, worsen a hangover.
If you’re worried about sulphite exposure, stick to organic wines, like the ones listed above, or try these:
- San Michele A Torri Chianti, Italy $15.95 – 11mg/L
- Yalumba Shiraz, Australia $17.95 – 15mg/L
- Frogpond Farm Organic Cab/Merlot, Niagara on the Lake $19.95 – 6mg/L – Go Local!
- Amarone Terra del Galante $41.95 – 17mg/L
- La Cappucina Soave, Italy $13.95 – 8mg/L
- Malivoire Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula $19.95 – 17mg/L – Go Local!
As much as we try to avoid them, the dreaded hangover can sneak up! If we have too much holiday cheer, what is the then save yourself from a hangover? (other than not drinking too much lol)
Too many sulphites can worsen a hangover; but simply, hangovers are your bodies way of telling you, our friends, are dehydrated!
This is why moderation is key!
Alcohol will make you pee more (you’re not just thinking it, it’s scientific fact), so if you’re not replenishing with water, you may be in trouble the next morning. Also chemicals in booze called “congeners” increase the severity of a hangover. The darker the hooch, the more congeners there are (whiskey, dark rum, red wine, brandy etc.) will be more trouble the morning after than if you were to consume clear liquors like vodka, gin or white rum.
Again, we’re not doctors or scientists, but in our experience, it seems to be that if you drink a lot of sugary cocktails, don’t eat enough, and don’t replenish your parched body with some good ol’ H2O, you may be calling in sick with the Vodka Flu after your company Christmas Party so be aware of how much you are consuming.
If you do overindulge, you can always try some awesome all natural tips on curing hangovers.
Thanks so much, The Wine Sisters for taking the time and sharing all this awesome info for vino choices throughout the holidays (and helping our chicks look fancy with all this info to share at their next suare!) – we can’t wait to check out your upcoming events in 2013!
Make today fabulous!
FIT CHICKS XO
PS: Don’t forget that our holiday promo ends Dec 21 to save $50 off your an 8 week FIT CHICKS boot camps , chicks! Be sure to sign up at one of our locations today!
