Have you heard. . .

Have you heard the delicious rumor going around yet? The one that says a new study shows drinking a glass of wine is supposedly equal to a full hour in the gym? If you haven’t, no worries! We are here to give you the low down on this particular bit of “good wine news” :). Recently a new study found a particular ingredient in wine called resveratrol, it has the ability to improve physical performance, heart function, and muscle strength in similar ways as to the improvements shown in a one-hour gym session. And in full disclosure for our white wine drinking fans out there, the studies found this to only be evident in red wines. Although this is true, resveratrol can also be found in some of our most popular wines on the Rocky Top Wine Trail – our Muscadine wines!

Red wine typically is made from varieties of heart healthy grapes, like our Martha Jane Rose at Sugarland Cellars Winery, which contains both red and white Muscadine grapes! Red and White Muscadine grapes are known to have higher levels of antioxidants than many grapes, including a higher concentration of – you guessed it – resveratrol! Resveratrol has been shown to help prevent damage to blood vessels, in preventing blood clots, and in some cases even helping to lower cholesterol levels. The Blushing Eagle at Eagle Springs Winery and the very popular Collier Reserve wine at Mountain Valley Winery are also both examples of Muscadine blends with higher resveratrol counts than most traditional red wines.

Now, before you run out and grab up a bottle of red wine to replace your daily hour in the gym don’t expect to see amazing results! As with any new scientific study things are sure to change the next time a study comes around and no benefit in drinking wine could outweigh some time doing cardio/lifting to improve your overall health. So even though a glass of red wine isn’t exactly equivalent to an hour in the gym, wine does contain grapes that have been fermented and gives the drinker a relaxing sensation! So our theory is if it makes helps you relax, why not have a glass after a good physically productive day. And as a side note, when our Master Winemaker first heard the news on this study he exclaimed “If drinking a glass of red wine is equal to an hour in the gym, I must be the healthiest person on the planet!”.