The effect of red wine is different from white: did you know that?

Last week, I discussed the fact that Wine affects us differently from other forms of alcohol consumption, which seems to me to be rather an important point for the wine industry to broadcast, in the face of current neo-prohibitionist attempts to eliminate all alcohol consumption (just like a century ago in the USA). So, we would be remiss to ignore it.

Well, this week I will discuss the various reports which note that the personal effect of red wine is different from that of white wine, and better. As you may suspect, it is chemicals in the red skins that make all the difference. *

This idea should not actually come as a surprise to you. After all, there has long been the idea of The French Paradox, which suggests that the French have lower levels of heart disease than (for example) Americans because they drink red wine. Well, it is quite likely to be true — so, read on.

The most relevant scientific publication relating to this topic is this review article:

Lukas Snopek, Jiri Mlcek, Lenka Sochorova, Mojmir Baron, Irena Hlavacova, Tunde Jurikova, Rene Kizek, Eva Sedlackova, and Jiri Sochor. 2018. Contribution of red wine consumption to human health protection. Molecules. J23(7): 1684.

Wine consumption has been popular worldwide for many centuries. Based on in vitro and in vivo studies, a certain amount of everyday wine consumption may prevent various chronic diseases. This is due, in part, to the presence and amount of important antioxidants in red wine, and, therefore, research has focused on them. Wine polyphenols, especially resveratrol, anthocyanins, and catechins, are the most effective wine antioxidants. Resveratrol is active in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases by neutralizing free oxygen radicals and reactive nitrogenous radicals; it penetrates the blood-brain barrier and, thus, protects the brain and nerve cells. It also reduces platelet aggregation and so counteracts the formation of blood clots or thrombi. The main aim of this review is to summarize the current findings about the positive influence of wine consumption on human organ function, chronic diseases, and the reduction of damage to the cardiovascular system.

Ultimately, these authors conclude that drinking red wine in moderation has positive links with:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Atherosclerosis
• Hypertension
• Certain types of cancer
• Type 2 diabetes

This article has been expanded upon in the general medical literature, notably by this one from Medical News Today, which adds information:

Is red wine good for you?

Red wine contains powerful antioxidants, and many sources claim that drinking red wine may be good for health. However, drinking too much red wine may cause problems. This article explores the benefits and risks of drinking red wine, including the safe amount to drink for males, females, and different age groups.

It adds other possible beneficial associations of resveratrol, including:

• Blood pressure
• Brain damage after stroke
• Vision loss
• Liver disease

There is another general summary article in Very Well Health: Can wine protect you from having a stroke? So, there are at least nine ways that red wine can help you, medically.

Interestingly, the benefits of resveratrol first made it into the Romanian news, quoting Dr. Vlad Ciurea:

Băutura alcoolică ce previne AVC-ul. Vlad Ciurea: Creierului îi place. Desface vasele cerebrale

Singura băutură alcoolică pe placul creierului: “Previne AVC și atacul de cord”

From there, it made its way into the English-language news:

The only alcoholic drink that pleases the brain: ‘Can prevent stroke’

Even better, in addition to all of the above, I also noted last week that there is another, quite unrelated, report specifically about the effect of red wine on our stomachs (How does alcohol affect the gut microbiome?):

What does alcohol do to the trillions of microbes living in your gut? ... It’s clear that happy microbes are essential for proper digestion, immune function and intestinal health ... Researchers found that those who drank red wine — or to a lesser extent, white wine — had greater gut microbial diversity than those who did not. No such link was found with beer or liquor. The researchers hypothesized that polyphenols, compounds found in grape skins that are in high concentrations in red wines, might explain their results.

So, there you have it. There is nothing here against white wine, but red wine does appear to be superior, medically. The public needs to be told this. Many people think that it tastes better, but it is also turns out to be better for you. What better advertising could there be?

The wine-makers have only slightly caught on, as the world has 56.4% of red grape area (Red winegrape varieties as a share of national vineyard 2016), but France (notably!) has 65.5%, with the USA (63.9%) and Australia (63.5%) not fare behind. Interestingly, wine production in Bordeaux was >50% white prior to 1960 but has been 90% red this century (Red and white wine production in Bordeaux 1931–2019).

Finally, it is worth noting the concept of Skin-contact white wines, a.k.a. Orange wine, in which white grapes are vinified using the red-grape fermentation procedure. * It would be interesting to know whether these wines also have extra benefits compared to “normal” white wines.

For a more general review article about the beneficial effects of wine-making, you could consult:

Alexandros Tsoupras, Victoria Ling Jun Ni, Éimhín O’Mahony, and Maria Karali. Winemaking: “With one stone, two birds”? A holistic review of the bio-functional compounds, applications and health benefits of wine and wineries’ by-products. Fermentation. 2023, 9(9): 838.

This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the health benefits and applications of wine and its by-products. The focus is on the bio-functional compounds found in wine, particularly those with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-thrombotic properties, and their role in promoting health when consumed in moderation.

And we do not need to worry about the alleged down-side of drinking red wine: Scientists now know why some of us suffer headaches after drinking red wine; and remember, the articles quoted above do emphasize moderate intake.

---

* In the case of white wine, the grapes are pressed and the juice is then fermented into wine. For red wine, the grapes are first crushed to produce a mash of grape juice, fruit pulp and skin. This mash is then fermented into wine, and the colorants are pressed from the grape skins and transferred into the liquid (ie. pressing occurs after fermentation) (see White wine vs. Red wine: What’s the difference?).  It is thus the red-wine processing that is of interest in this post.