A toast…to eternity


Chianti wine

Last time we talked you about good wine and September grape harvest, which was revealing its secrets to all wine-lovers thanks to the gastronomic event Benvenuta Vendemmia! (Welcome grape harvest!)

Courtesy of the association Movimento del turismo del vino, you will again have the chance to discover, learn about and taste this precious drink within its own “alchemy labs” on the last Saturday of this month – October 25th.

We are talking about the Sabato on wine (Saturday on wine), which has been taking place for 5 months, giving wine-enthusiasts the chance to visit participating cellars on the last Saturday of each month. Here they can not only delight in local wine, but also taste regional products and take part in various cultural events which are promoted by local farming businesses.

You shouldn’t miss this fabulous chance to expand your cultural awareness, whilst indulging your taste-buds with some of the best flavours that thousands of years of history has known, and we mean thousands of years – since wine is nearly as old as mankind. All the years of experience might have helped to modify and improve wine techniques, but they certainly haven’t changed the flavour and the perfume of this drink which binds us to our ancient ancestors, not wanting to give way to modernity… thankfully!

Perhaps we could compare it to an elderly lady, wearied but wise, wearing a straw hat and carrying a walking stick…imagine how many secrets she would guard, how much change through the centuries she would have seen, how many people she would have met, loved and then said goodbye to in her thousand year life? And you, have you ever pondered the quest for “eternal life”? Surely all of us, once in our life dreams of being able to live forever, of wandering off into fairy-woods, among castles protected by raging dragons, searching for the elixir of life…

And what if I told you the so-called elixir of life really exists and is hidden among the sweet hills of Florence and Siena? A seventh-century manuscript, found by chance during the restoration of one of the oldest pharmacies in Tuscany (and all Italy), at Asciano, in the province of Siena, details the recipe for preparing the elixir of life…try and guess what the main ingredient is? Our tasty Chianti!

In fact, it turns out wine is perfect for cardiovascular disease prevention, as well as helping fight other illnesses too. According to scientifically-proven studies, red wine, (more than white wine), contains antioxidant polyphenols (phenol compounds), which can help the human organism in its fight against blood platelet aggregation and cancer development, as well as being an effective antidote to arteriosclerosis.

There is a popular Tuscan saying that states “good wine makes good blood”. Many years ago wise farmers did not need science and technology to help them realise the importance of wine. They instinctively understood its therapeutic effects.
It seems wine and its health benefits merit further investigation. This is also true for those who care about the way they look: wine, with its positive effect on circulation, can be an effective anti-aging and toning tool for the skin. Not only will you enjoy the wonder of the heavenly grape juice through elegant glasses, but also by relaxing in a bath of hot mineral water with Chianti Classico extract…why not – perhaps have a few glasses of Chianti Classico as well!

Maybe wine won’t give us eternal life, but it can certainly bring us joy and happiness in abundance; it might not alter our fate (even if you believe in that), but it does surely enhance our lives and bring us much pleasure. And who says a smile isn’t worth just as much as a magic potion?


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Commenti (1) | May 20, 2010

One Response to “A toast…to eternity”

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