“Either give me more wine or leave me alone.” – Jalaluddin Rumi

It’s interesting to note that although Italy and France were the first to produce the most wine, it’s the United States that consumes the most wine!

May 25th is National Wine Day, which of course differs from its sister holiday, National Drink Wine Day, celebrated in February. Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented fruits, mostly grapes.  The wine process requires fermentation, whereby yeast converts the sugars in the grapes into alcohol.  Did you know that the flavor of the wine depends on the types of grapes used, and that winemakers combine various wines to create more intricate flavors? (http://www.thewinesociety.com/grape-varieties-list).

There are five main groups of wine: red, white, rose’, sparkling, and fortified.  Within each group, however, there are hundreds and hundreds of grape varieties and winemaking styles.  And you have to know more than just the styles of wine; you have to know the lingo as well.  Using terms such as tannin, bouquet, terroir, and aroma can make you sound like the ultimate wine connoisseur!

Now, wine does have its health benefits.  It’s known that drinking wine in moderation helps to lower the risks of type II diabetes, liver disease, certain types of cancers, heart disease.  In addition, it can also reduce the bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol.

So, how should you observe National Wine Day? However you want! Enjoy wine with your favorite meal.  Reminisce over a glass of chardonnay with your friends and family.  Attend a wine-tasting or even visit a winery!

CHEERS!!!

#NationalDrinkWineDay