From Articles I have read

If you want to avoid gaining weight, it may be time to ditch the skipping rope and grab a corkscrew instead. Four United States experts have found a compound in red wine that can help control obesity. The substance, piceatannol, delays the generation of young fat cells and prevents them from growing into mature ones. 

It is also thought to protect the body from heart and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as cancer. 

Lead researcher Dr Kee-Hong Kim of Purdue University, in Indiana, said: ‘In the presence of piceatannol you can see delay or complete inhibition of young fat cells. Piceatannol alters the timing of gene expressions, gene functions and insulin action during adipogenesis – the process in which young fat cells become mature fat cells. 

Dr Kim, assistant professor of food science at the university, added: ‘We are now testing our idea using animal model obesity to see if it has the same benefical functions. 

‘We need to work on improving the stability and solubility of piceatannol to create a biological effect.' 

Purdue's research was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. - Daily Mail 

By Shape 

Research shows that drinking one glass of wine four to six nights per week can help you live longer and increase your 'good' (HDL) cholesterol. These perks seem to be attributed to alcohol in general, not specifically to red wine. However, a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals a new benefit of drinking that is specific to the antioxidants found in red wine —digestive health. 

Your digestive tract houses a wide variety of bacteria, some good, some bad. Decreases in good bacteria and/or increases in bad bacteria have been linked to a growing list of health issues, including weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. Red wine can help shift the types of bacteria in your digestive track so there's more of the good kind, making you healthier and potentially leaner. 

Here's how it works: Red wine's red color comes from antioxidants called polyphenols. Polyphenols can help improve your health in a variety of ways, but one problem with certain polyphenols, especially the ones in red wine, is that your body doesn't absorb them very well. It has been estimated that almost half of the polyphenols consumed are not absorbed during the normal initial phases of digestion. While this sounds like a bad thing, the unabsorbed polyphenols become food for the good bacteria in your digestive track. This is exactly what Spanish researchers found when they examined the digestive tracks of people who drank red wine every day for 20 days. 

In addition to improving the quality of the bacteria in digestive tracts, study participants also saw improvement in several major risk factors for cardiovascular disease , like triglyceride levels. This is likely due to the fact that the good bacteria in your digestive tract can help improve metabolism for a faster rate of burning that fat 

Exercise and wine 

According to a study on the health benefits of resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, your body could receive some of the benefits of hitting the gym without sweat-inducing exercise.

According to researchers at Canada’s University of Alberta, the compound might boost heart rate and amp up muscle performance.

Jason Dyck, the lead researcher, writes that the discovery might be helpful for people who just can’t exercise, saying,

I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable.

Resveratrol could mimic exercise for them or improve the benefits of the modest amount of exercise that they can do

Sure, we’ve heard a glass of red wine with dinner is “healthy,” but most of us never really wrapped our minds around what that means.

To reap the benefits of resveratrol, you could also munch on some kinds of nuts or fruit that also contain it, like pistachios and grapes.

Unfortunately, this is strictly reserved to red wine, so that $11 Pinot Grigio you have in your fridge doesn’t apply.

And red wine does still count towards your alcohol intake, so be careful not to overindulge

Sparkling wine can it help Brain Disease

Scientists say a compound found in Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier prevents the onset of brain disease. People who drink Sparkling wine regularly could boost their spatial memory. This is based on a study done on rats by Reading University All they required three glasses a week.

One study found that the sparkling wine contained high levels of polyphenols – antioxidants found in red grapes but less intensely in white – that can lower blood pressure and prevent heart problems

 

Dining at Atlas Steak and Seafood restaurant is a full experience for your senses, one must enjoy it. From the sleek and luxurious decor to the amazing selection of dishes to the open-concept kitchen. With a relaxing patio where we and our friends Colleen and John  dined.

We all started with the Cesar salad prepared right at the table. It was fresh and delicious. For the main course, Collen went with the New York Striploin, John and Barbara went with the Prime Rib. I went with the  Tomahawk Pork Chop.

As it was happy hour we went with the Sumac Ridge house wine. Perhaps we could have made a better choice. With her steak,  Collen wanted a nice buttery Chardonnay. A call went in for the sommelier. He met the challenge. 

It was a wonderful evening with good friends. However, there was more to come Baked Alaska!

This is one restaurant you must try!

 

Icewine is a rare gift from the magical Canadian winters. Picked at the coldest moment of a winter's night! Each frozen grape creates just one drop of of Icewine. One smooth luxurious drop!

In their book Icewine Extreme Winemaking Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser refer to making icewine in Canada as extreme winemaking. The story of this remarkable wine began in Germany (Eiswein) but today it is very apparent that Canada and Icewine are synonymous with each other. The regions of Canada most famous for its Icewine the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario and the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia.

Here is where you find the conditions, that must be perfect, to produce the liquid gold know as Icewine. Their unique Climate allows for conditions that ripen the grapes in the summer and freezes them in the extreme winter cold. The unique climate helps maintain high acids in the fruit, necessary for successfully making icewine each year.

Canada is the world's leading exporter of icewine. There are several Wineries in Canada that only produce Icewine for exporting purposes

China and Japan are the leading importers of Icewine. Canadian Icewine is also popular in Europe.

The United States Produces some icewine but there is also a demand for Canada's golden liquid.

The production of icewine requires ten times the grapes to produce the same amount of wine. Icewine is expensive and produced under the stickiest standards

Icewine produced in Canada is required to meet the standard, as determined by a provincial authority that has verified that the product is wine that was made exclusively from grapes naturally frozen on the vine. Four of Canada’s wine producing provinces – Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia – have already established acceptable provincial regimes, which meet the new federal standard and follow international protocols.

Icewine has an extravagant sweetness and intensity. Its magical balance of acidity and sweetness gives it a texture that is surprisingly elegant and sets it apart from other dessert wines. This balance of perfect ripe fruit flavours and aromas with acidity for depth and complexity makes Icewine the least coying of all dessert wines and more likely to marry well with a wider variety of foods. 

Icewines made from Vidal are noted for their affinity with honey's flavours. In addition to aromas of tangerine, apricot and pineapple, when Vidal is aged in oak it takes on rich overtones of vanilla, almonds and fresh baked bread. Vidal Icewine works beautifully in a glaze for caramelized grilled pork roast or as an accompaniment to fresh summer berries with cream, chocolate biscuits, a pear tart or a raspberry mousse. 

Riesling based Icewine is renowned for its acidity and mineral notes. Its vivid orange and citrus tones will combine with a rich range of creamy and decadent food textures and tastes, from foie gras to crème brulée. 

The crimson Icewine crafted from Cabernet Franc yields up the classic aromatics of baked strawberry and rhubarb pie. This wine shines when teamed up with cooked or baked fruit courses featuring cherries or wild strawberries with crème fraîche. Its spicy exotic quality is underlined when contrasted to foods with hazelnut and dark chocolate.

Cheese

Icewines are magnificent with cheese, especially blue cheese such as Roquefort and Gorgonzola, hard and aged cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano and aged Gruyere and some sheep's cheese such as Pecorino. 

Milder cheeses simply fade away against the dominant Icewine flavours. Foods made with Cheese such as Sweet Chevre Scoffle with peace sauce or authentic savoury cheesecake can find no better partner than Icewine .

The major difference between Icewine and other dessert wines is acidity. While all dessert wines are sweet, only the best ones have balanced acidity as well. This crucial element not only adds to the enjoyment of Icewine, but also to its natural compatibility with cheese.

Most of the cheese universe pairs brilliantly with Icewine because each cheese's richness begs for that crucial acidity. Cheeses are inherently savory and sometimes salty and when prepared with the honeyed sweetness of Icewine, it creates a lovely balance that makes for a perfect match. - Laura Werlin. 

Cheese Types and the righ wine 

Cheese is an ideal companion to icewine, so long as you use cheeses with strong flavor. Milder cheeses tend to disappear in the presence of icewine’s sweetness and complex acidity, which is why you can always choose blue cheeses like Roquefort or Gorgonzola. If you don’t like blue cheese, hard, aged cheeses also work well. Go for a Parmigiano Reggiano or a very aged Sharp Cheddar.

Salty hors d'oeuvres -• Toasted salty nuts • Anchovy crackers • Antipasto plate • Black olive tapenade 

Rich Dishes -• Foie Gras • Lobster Terrine • Pâté • Chicken Liver Parfait • Tripe • Duck or Goose with oranges and peaches 

The full-bodied Icewine matches the full flavour of the dish and the high level of acidity cleanses the palate and readies it for more richness.

Spicy Cuisine - Thai and Asian Foods 

Dessert - Vidal Icewine complements fruits such as peach, banana, cantaloupe, apricot, pear, apple, pineapple, mango and papaya. • Riesling Icewine complements citrus, pineapple, apple, honeydew melon, kiwi, quince and star fruit.

.• Cabernet Franc Icewine complements strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, rhubarb and Saskatoon berry.

• Fruits that are poached, baked or caramelized • Fruit flans, cobblers, pies, strudels and tarts

• Cabernet Franc Icewine complements dark chocolate

Resources:

Laura Werlin

Inniskillin Winery

Icewine Extreme Winemaking- Donal Ziraldo an Karl Kaiser -Key Potter Books 

 Peller Estates