Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 Tops Healthy-Wine List

FOR RELEASE: (print and broadcast) Wed., April 16, 12:01 a.m., PDT
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CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1994 TOPS THE HEALTHY-WINE LIST

Which Italian wines have the most health-boosting antioxidants? Research to be published in the American Chemical Society's April 16 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that a 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon tops the list of 13 "typical" Italian wines studied. Other top picks include a 1994 Chianti and a 1993 Corvo Rosso, according to Dr. Piergiorgio Pietta, a professor and research director at the Italian National Council of Research in Milan, and his colleagues in the University of Milan's food science and technology department. Red wines on average contained more than seven times the antioxidants than the white wines tested. A 1995 Gewurtztraminer and a 1995 Torre di Giano -- both white wines -- came in at the bottom of the list.

By way of comparison, the antioxidant rating of 19.8 for the Cabernet is close to that of grape juice and black or green tea, and four times higher than that of grapefruit, orange and tomato juice. Antioxidants are believed to prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer and other ailments.

Note: A graphic in the release contains the following information on antioxidant activity of wines:

Cab. Sauvignon (1994) -- 19.8 Chianti (1994) -- 13.3 Corvo Rosso (1993) -- 12.8 Barbera d'Alba (1993) -- 8.8 Gewurtztraminer (1995) -- 1.1

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