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It might be an unpopular opinion but January is one of my favorite months of the year. Sure, it’s the month of going back to work post-holiday enjoyment, and it’s a month of dreary cold weather (at least where I live, in the Pacific Northwest), but it’s also a month of new beginnings that always feels full of potential for the year ahead. I always appreciate the post-holiday lull as a period of stillness to re-center, take stock of where I am, and be intentional about where I want to go.
For me this year, that means pouring more energy into this - Raise a Glass! And serving you with more wine content on a consistent basis that is not only educational but also (hopefully) enjoyable.
So my intention this year (which you can all help hold me accountable for!) is to send out an email every week containing thoughts, ideas, resources, pairings, spotlighted wines and more. I have a list of wine-related topics I’m excited to discuss with you, but if you ever have questions or topic ideas, please let me know! The intention is to serve you, so I want this forum to speak to your interests.
And the first topic I thought I’d muse on, since health is on everyone’s mind this month is: How can I drink wine more healthily? Or - said better - How can I enjoy wine while still honoring my New Year's intentions of prioritizing my health? So here are a few ideas that I will dig deeper into in the coming weeks…
3 Ways to Drink Wine While Still Prioritizing Your Health
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Drink Natural (or Non-Intervention) Wine
Before you shake your head and start cringing at the thought of that funky, stinky, cloudy, kombucha-esque juice that all the hipsters are raving about, I encourage you to learn a little bit more. Natural wine is a term that has become very polarizing in the wine world and has come to be associated with a specific style of funky and fermenty, but there is a whole world of wine out there that is made with little to no intervention that is supremely delicious and drinkable, and is legions better for your health than most mass-produced wines on grocery store shelves! We’ll dive deeper into it next week, but know that you can always ask a sommelier or retail proprietor to steer you towards minimal-intervention wines. Some of my favorite regions producing a lot of natural wine are: France’s Loire Valley, Italy’s Emilia-Romagna, California’s El Dorado County, and Australia’s Adelaide Hills.
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Drink Nonalcoholic Wine
I’m sure I’ll get flack for pitching non-alcoholic wine on a wine platform, but the market for NA (or de-alcoholized) wine is growing, and more and more people are choosing to go alcohol-free for more than just January. I have been shocked at the quality and flavor of recent NA wines, and I’m excited to share more about how they are made, what they taste like and what some of my favorites are. Stay tuned in coming weeks for a full breakdown of NA wine but, in the meantime, seek out great producers like Proxie, Leitz Eins Zwei and Unified Ferments.
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Drink Biodynamic or Organic Wine
What happens to a wine in the winery is only half the story; many say that wine is actually made in the vineyard. And for anyone who truly values health (both for themselves and for the planet), then learning about the different methods of farming when it comes to wine is essential. There are all sorts of certifications (and I’ll go over them all in a coming newsletter), but know that the most impactful are biodynamic and organic, with others like Sustainable, Salmon Safe and LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) also being helpful ones to look out for.
Spotlight Wine
Sardinian Cannonau:
This Glass of Wine Might Really Keep the Doctor Away
If you’re a biohacking nerd like me, you may have heard of a natural compound called Resveratrol. Resveratrol is bioactive compound found in fruits and vegetables that ‘has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, glucose and lipid regulatory, neuroprotective, and cardiovascular protective effects, therefore, can protect against diverse chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, liver diseases, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.’ (National Library of Medicine) Resveratrol has been singled out by the longevity enthusiasts as one of the single most important compounds to consume to live a long and healthy life. In fact, if you’ve ever heard of the Blue Zones (regions in the world with the longest lifespans), you’ll know that the Mediterranean island of Sardinia is at the top of the list. What you may not know is that the red wine they drink there - Cannonau - contains more resveratrol than any other grape! Coincidence? Why not pick up a bottle and find out for yourself.
Cannonau (thought to be the genetic originator of Grenache) is medium bodied, juicy and packed with flavors of wild raspberry, dried cherries, and herbal notes of sage and thyme. It’s relatively low in tannin and, because Sardinia is a big block of limestone, the Cannonau grown here usually has mineral notes of gravel and stone, with an undertone of salinity thanks to the proximity to the sea.
Traditionally Cannonau is enjoyed with Sardinian fare of aged sheep’s milk Pecorino cheeses, rustic flatbread, roast suckling pig and ancient grain Fregula (like a larger cous cous) prepared risotto-style with clams and bottarga. Cannonau is flexible and friendly when it comes to pairing and I love it with a big sheetpan of roast chicken and veggies with plenty of garlic and thyme.
So here’s to a long life and a prosperous and Abundant 2024. Cheers!
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