Got Wine?

The results of a Danish study suggest drinking wine lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

The study began in the late 1970s, when 1,700 individuals taking part in a larger study of heart disease were interviewed about their eating and drinking habits. The study’s participants were then checked for dementia fifteen years later. Eighty-three people were found to have the condition, and their alcohol consumption was compared to that of the other volunteers.

Researchers found people who drank as little as one glass of wine a day had a lower risk of dementia than those who drank no wine at all. Scientists explained they haven’t figured out the exact reason why, but they cited studies that have shown wine drinkers to have healthier diets. Dr. Thomas Truelsen, who led the study, theorized that the culprit might be the abundance of antioxidants found in wine. Antioxidants are chemical compounds that can help prevent damage to cells.

Dr. Truelsen went on to mention that people should not start drinking wine or drink more than they usually do because of the study’s results.

Red or white? Wet or dry? Sparkling or fortified? Merlot, Zinfandel, or Chardonnay? "Uncork" the following books to learn more about wine!

The Wine Bible
By Karen MacNeil
For a large number of people, wine is simply a drink to be enjoyed now and then. For many others, wine is an enjoyable hobby. And for a privileged few, wine is a way of life. Karen MacNeil is one of the latter. The director of the Culinary Institute of America’s wine program, MacNeil is a noted authority on all things wine, and her obvious expertise and authorial skill make The Wine Bible essential reading for both enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike. Those absolutely obsessed with the beverage can round out their wine reference book library with The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, and The World Atlas of Wine.

How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine
By Jancis Robinson and Jan Baldwin
Tasting wine is a certifiable art form, and who better to teach the complex technique/ritual than the wry and knowledgeable Robinson. The host of PBS’ popular “Wine Course,” Robinson takes readers on a detailed tour of wines around the globe, and offers clear and vivid descriptions of their smell and taste. Wine fanatics can finally go through the strange motions of tasting wine -- the swirling in the glass, the sniffing, the swishing in the mouth, the spitting back out -- and actually know what they're doing and why!

Barefoot Contessa Family Style
By Ina Garten
As a testament to how complicated and outlandish cookbooks for the home have become, Garten’s latest book -- which includes recipes for such basic meals as mashed potatoes and chicken noodle soup -- feels refreshing. A sequel to her bestselling Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and Barefoot Contessa Parties!, the down-to-earth Garten’s easy, flavorful recipes are sure to please the family and anyone else who stops by for these generous and well-rounded meals.

Choice Cuts: A Savory Selection of Food Writing from Around the World and Throughout History
Edited by Mark Kurlansky
A November/December 2002 Book Sense 76 Pick!
"A veritable banquet, this collection is perfect for those who enjoy good writing about the enjoyment of good food (or not -- check out Auden on Icelandic cuisine). Delicious and piquant, this is a book to read between, during, and after meals!" - Adrian Newell, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA

Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales and Poems
By Edgar Allan Poe
One of the greatest American writers ever, the world-famous Edgar Allan Poe wrote dozens of highly influential and infinitely creepy stories and poems. In his sinister revenge tale “The Cask of Amontillado,” an Italian lord named Montresor asks his friend Fortunato to sample some of his wine stock. The already-drunk Fortunato heartily agrees, and the two head to Montresor’s vast wine cellar -- which turns out to be the family crypt. They venture deeper and deeper into the catacombs, and Fortunato continues to drink, unaware of the nefarious fate Montresor has in store for him.

The 36-Hour Day
By Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins
Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are an all-around physical and psychological drain. Family members who have to watch in helpless confusion while loved ones immeasurably change before their eyes should refer to Mace and Rabins’ enlightening, helpful, and hopeful 36-Hour Day. While explaining what the diseases are and how both sufferers and those close to them are affected, the book also details caretaking options, and the legal and financial issues that may arise.

Further Reading:

• Food (Writing) For Thought
• Cookbooks!
• It's Apple Season!