Resveratrol Explained

With so much media attention being paid lately to antioxidants and their healing properties, it’s likely that you have heard about resveratrol. This healing substance was originally discovered in 1940 after being isolated from the plant white hellebore. By 1963, the substance was commonly extracted from Japanese knotweed. However, it wasn’t until the discovery that it was also found in red wine that it became a more mainstream health supplement. However, to take advantage of resveratrol wines you can’t just pick any bottle of the shelf. All wines are not created equal when it comes to this antioxidant.

When choosing a wine for its health benefits, it’s important to pay attention to variety. First, red wine always has more resveratrol than white wine. Resveratrol is found mainly in the grape skin. In red or resveratrol wines, the wine is fermented with the grape skin. White wines have the skins removed before the fermentation process and therefore, have lower levels of resveratrol. Also, wines made with muscadine red grapes contain higher levels of the compound. This is because muscadine grapes also have high resveratrol levels in the seeds, which are fermented with the wine. Even white muscadine wines measure higher in the substance than their counterparts.

Making red wine is very much an art and experts develop their skills over a lifetime. However, there is a standard method used. First, the grapes are crushed in a fermenter and the majority of the stems removed. The wine maker will then add sugar and sulfite crystals to the grape pulp. The mixture will be monitored for temperature, sweetness and acid levels before yeast is introduced. The introduction of yeast into resveratrol wines begins the fermentation process. During this process the brix, or level of sweetness will be monitored. When it reaches zero degrees, the wine is racked. In basic terms, this means the liquid portion is separated from the sediment. Finally, the wine is bottled and aged according to its variety.

Because the process of making resveratrol wines begins and ends with the grapes themselves, the quality is very important. While proper procedures can increase the amount of reserveratrol available in the wine, it can’t actually improve upon nature. During the fermentation process, sugar can be added to make up for a low brix level in the grape, but if your grapes are poor quality, the antioxidant level be lower in the final product. The good news for those wishing to experience the health benefits is that many wine makers are beginning to test and report the antioxidant levels in their product. Check the labels of your favorite wine makers. Also, for the best antioxidant levels, choose red wines such a pinot noir over white wines.