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A new insight into the reason for aging has been gained by scientists trying to understand how resveratrol, a minor ingredient of red wine, improves the health and lifespan of laboratory mice. They believe that the integrity of chromosomes is compromised as people age, and that resveratrol works by activating proteins known as sirtuins that restore the chromosomes to health. [Read]]]> Wine Health http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=67 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:01:41 -0500 http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=65
A Cadbury spokesman says preliminary results show its Chinese-made chocolates contain the industrial chemical melamine. [Read]

]]> Chocolate Health http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=65 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:30:43 -0400 http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=63
A key compound in red wine known as resveratrol appears to protect against many of the health ravages associated with growing old, new animal research reveals. [Read]

Red wine. Get it? You drink your red wine and you will live forever. Well, actually they say life will just be better:

Daily consumption of the compound -- also found in the skin of grapes and the crust of peanuts and walnuts -- broadly improved the long-term quality of life of middle-aged mice, although most mice did not end up living longer. ]]> Wine Health http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=63 Fri, 4 Jul 2008 17:17:32 -0400 http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=47
Rules are made for those that want to follow. You know what kind of wine goes with the crab you like, and if you do not then experiment. Let your taste buds rule!]]> Chocolate Stories http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=47 Mon, 9 Jun 2008 17:50:00 -0400 http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=61
According to Wine Spectator magazine, 5% of rare wines sold on the secondary market are counterfeit. That is a lot of fraud.

At $500,000 for some wine, this fraud had to hurt:

In 1988, William Koch bought a number of rare bottles of wine alleged to be Thomas Jefferson's, found in walled-up wine cellars in Paris. Koch paid $500,000 for the bottles, which he bought from German wine merchant Hardy Rodenstock through an auction at Christie's.

After lending his collection for an exhibit at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 2005, Koch learned that the supposed Jefferson bottles were fakes. The engraved "T.H.J." initials on the bottles were way ahead of their alleged time, done with tools not even introduced until after Jefferson had died. [Read]]]> Wine Stories http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=61 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:38:07 -0400 http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=59
It was pretty good, but what was most fascinating was the packaging. On the front of the package was a small logo touting "COCOA IS A NATURAL SOURCE OF FLAVANOL ANTIOXIDANTS". If you looked at the back of the package it was being marketed for its health benefits. Under the heading "Total Antioxidant Capacity of Selected Foods" was a bar graph. In descending order, the items graphed were HERSHEY'S Cocoa, Blueberries, Hershey's Extra Dark dark chocolate, Red wine, Green tea and Almonds. The marketing text on the back of the package was a discussion of the health benefits of cocoa beans. According to their graph, HERSHEY'S Cocoa is the healthiest thing you can eat!

Yeah, it was pretty good. Really good if you take into account it came from generally bad chocolatier Hershey. But after reading the package, I realize I have greatly improved my health by eating HERSHEY'S chocolate. Sure, you thought the health benefits were from cocoa, but according to Hershey, they are cocoa!

Have fun. Enjoy. And give something new a try.]]> Chocolate Health http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=59 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:36:50 -0400 http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=57 Orange Intense is what the packaging read. It was labeled appropriately.

As one who finds Lindt chocolates to be so-so at times, I was surprised by this perfect little piece of chocolate orange delight. This was the best orange flavored chocolate I have ever encountered. Yes, my experience with orange infused dark chocolate is limited, but this tiny piece of perfection hit the spot.

Surprises are not always welcome, but the wonderful ones that caress the taste buds are a gift.]]> Chocolate Hunting http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=57 Fri, 4 Apr 2008 17:41:20 -0400 http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=55
Drinking one cup of coffee a day could protect against Alzheimer's disease, according to research.

American scientists found caffeine blocks the ability of cholesterol to move from the blood into the brain. [Read]

Now all we need is that story that says ice cream is the perfect food.]]> Chocolate Health http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=55 Thu, 3 Apr 2008 10:48:01 -0400 http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=53
Next time you are handed a cork, use your eyes to judge if it says anything about the wine you are about to drink and keep it away from your nose.

Yes, there will be a day when a cork will be a piece of antiquity, but not yet.]]> Wine Stories http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=53 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:55:08 -0400 http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=51
It sounds a bit bastardized, dismissing a good glass of wine and a good dessert by combing the two, but then again there is no palette experience with wine sorbets here. Thought you might be interested in knowing wine sorbets exist (Wine Cellar Sorbet) if you want a bit of an alcohol kick to your dessert.

A rich, thick, spicy red with some clean, dark chocolate, perhaps even a raisin & nut dark...now we are talking desert.

]]> Wine Stories http://www.chocolateandwine.com/index.php?itemid=51 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:46:43 -0500