Editorial Comments:  Dr. Pasteur, known for his habit of drinking wine daily, also perfected yeast, a critical ingredient in wine making, and as a result his wine yeast helped France become famous for its wine.  Thank you, Louis Pasteur!

Many newspaper and magazine articles state that red wine is good for our hearts.  Even 60 Minutes TV show mentioned that.  It is apparent that there is the link between anti-oxidant compound called resveratrol in red wine and the reduced incidence of heart disease and lowering the LDL (bad) cholesterol and raising HDL (good) cholesterol.  That explains why French people have lower rates of heart disease than North Americans, in spite of the fact that French smoke more and have a higher fat diet than we do in North America (so called "French Paradox")!  Keep in mind that all the studies so far have emphasized moderation; two glasses of wine are good.  However, drinking a whole bottle doesn't make it better!  Again, bear in mind, listen to your doctor who knows your health; if he says for you not to drink, then don't.

Fun fact:  Windows on the World was New York's most elegant sky-top restaurant with thousands of rare wines and also it served more wine than any other dining restaurant in the world . . . until 9/11.  It was on the top of the World Trade Center before the disaster.  Today some of the old surviving co-workers have established the new restaurant in NYC, namely Colors with hopes for a "rebirth" of the Windows on the World's reputation.

Trivia question (answer to the last issue):  The year on a wine bottle signifies that the vintage is (c) the year in which the grapes are picked.  It is important to know which year is great with most ideal weather in a specific region before you buy an expensive wine and also how long you need to store it until it matures before drinking.

Today’s trivia question:  The country producing the most wine is

(a)  France
(b)  Italy
(c)  United States
(d)  Australia
     (answer in the next Deaf Grapevine newsletter, May/June ‘07)

Wine Making:  Rose (simply "pink" wines) are often made in the same way as reds but purple/black grape skins are removed after crushing and before juices are poured into a vat or barrel.  Same as white Zinfandel.  It is grape skin that "dyes" the wine to make it red.  And, most important, its valuable natural nutrient, anti-oxidant (resveratrol) is retained in red wines while little or none is found in rose or white wine.

Wine of the Month:  Chateau Ste Michelle Merlot, Canoe Ridge Estate 2003 (Columbia Valley, WA) $17 (at Costco).  Wine merchants continue to give this fruity Washington wine rave reviews last few years.  It has become my favorite Merlot because of its rich blueberry and black cherry flavors.  Of course, it has high contents of anti-oxidant nutrients.

Laughter of the Day:

---

Current List of Winemakers' Records