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13 things you need to know before you ever take a sip of wine again
The fact that it benefits your brain isn't even the best news.
When a 100-year-old woman says that wine is the secret to a long life, you listen up. This magical liquid can do just about anything, from flavouring your brownie to sharpening your mind — all in moderation of course.
Whip out these vino-themed facts the next time wine Wednesday rolls around, and don't feel so guilty about popping open another bottle of red. There's plenty to toast to when it comes to wine.
Wine is actually good for your brain.
Master sommeliers not only have excellent senses of smell, but also larger, thicker parts of the brain, according to research published last year in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Even recreational drinkers get a neurological boost. A 2014 study linked moderate alcohol consumption to a reduced risk of cognitive decline.
And it can benefit your waistline.
Science delivers good news yet again. While wine still contains calories (sorry), people who drink a moderate amount of alcohol are less likely to be obese than teetotalers, research indicates. Cheers to that!
However it's not good news for your skin
One of London's leading cosmetic dermatologists, Dr Sam Bunting, told us: "White wine is high in sugar, which leads to systemic inflammation, this means that it ultimately contributes to cell damage and increased skin ageing.
A £6 bottle is one of the best in the world.
Aldi wins again with its Côtes de Provence Rosé, a silver medal winner at the International Wine Challenge, a.k.a. the wine world's Oscars.
There's a reason why you store it sideways.
Keeping bottles horizontal pushes liquid against the cork, theoretically keeping it from drying out, according to Wine Spectator. As for temperature, aim for a cool 55 degrees Fahrenheit. A basement is usually your best bet.
You can (secretly) take your wine on the go.
Yes, it's possible to have fun without alcohol, but when Amazon sells this booze-concealing purse it's a lot easier to get the party started. A secret compartment can hold up to 1.5 litres of the good stuff — and the tote is pretty cute to boot.
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Wine (and chocolate!) both contain super compounds.
They're called flavanols and they're known improve blood flow to the brain and boost your health overall. So why not double up and make some red wine hot chocolate?!
The correct way to store your wine glass is face-up.
Let's end the debate once and for all. "The rim is the most delicate part of the glass, so it's best to store crystal with the rim up so there's less weight on it," says Carolyn Forte, director of the Cleaning Lab in the Good Housekeeping Institute.
Wine is old. Really old.
According to Forbes.com, wine is thought to be around 8,000 years old and most historians believe it was discovered by accident. We are forever grateful!
You can eat your wine.
Baking up a batch of red wine brownies? Now that's what we call heaven on Earth. This recipe even includes something called "drunken cranberries." (Try to stop drooling.)
Wine advent calendars actually exist.
You can buy one at Aldi for £49.99 (that's 24 mini bottles for about £2 for each!), and it's the absolute best way for wine-lovers to count down the days until Christmas.
Some people are afraid of wine
If you hate wine or can't be around it, you may have Oenophobia - a fear of wine.
How you hold your glass is important
According to most wine experts, the best way to hold your wine is by the glass' stem. This prevents the liquid from being warmed up by your hands.
Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.
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