On 2 Nov 2006 09:45:57 -0800, "DaleW" > wrote:

>Both cheap and mild are in the eye of the beholder.
>
>Two possibilities:
>Start in your local store, try Merlot or Shiraz wines in your budget.
>While both Merlot and Syrah (Shiraz) can make big powerful reds, on the
>low end they tend to light.
>
>Try a hybrid-grape blend such as Taylor Lake Country red. They tend to
>be light and a little sweet, and I believe lambrusca and hybrid grapes
>have higher levels of resveratrol. If still too much for you, try
>diluting with water or seltzer.
>
>If one of these work for you, in a few months see if regular
>consumption has made you more receptive to wine, and maybe then expand
>to more "serious" wine.
>
>I could give you lots of recommendations for lighter wines (Beaujolais,
>Loire, CA) in the $10-15 range, but think if you're drinking for health
>reasons alone you probably will be happier with a under $6 per 750
>wine.
wrote:
>> Hi
>> I want to start drinking wine with dinner for the health benefits, but
>> I'm not a real fan of the taste. Can someone suggest something thats
>> cheap and mild? Thanks.

I'm always a bit fascinated by folks who "don't like the taste" but
are ready to jump on the "wine for health" bandwagon. It seems to fit
the "I read Playboy for the articles" gambit. Might even be reflective
of a Bible Belt upbringing that equated alcoholic beverages with
various levels of damnation.

That being said, it should be noted that resveratrol is mentioned in
the news releases that I read about this research as being available
directly in health food stores. Might be better to bypass the
middle-man and simply pop a pill. Stock up on some multi-vitamins at
the same time and be sure to add a statin to handle cholesterol
issues.

But if our sinister.genius really wants wine that's "cheap and mild"
there's a lot of stuff out there. By "mild" I assume not bitter, acid
or with overwhelming tannins. "Cheap" I understand.

Suggestions:

Box wines, like Black Box--somewhat more upscale in quality than the
Franzia plonk, but inexpensive and with reasonable flavors.

Low end, mass-distributed super-market wines like Corbett Canyon or
Bella Serra in blends or generic names like "hearty red" or "chianti".

Some samplings of shiraz/syrah, zinfandel, beaujolais or valpolicella.
Pinot noir fits the mild, but usually not the cheap requirement.

Try some things, remember what you liked, then return to a dealer and
ask for "something like xxx, but a little more yyy". Lather, rinse,
repeat through a couple of iterations and you'll have your daily dose
of resveratrol.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com