On August 27, 2005 a British railways train on its way to Exeter from Paddington was suddenly stopped around Bath. On this abrupt stop, the train struck a concrete block and developed a hole in the sight glass, which helps monitor fuel levels. This accident, which could have caused a delay of hours, was cleared in 20 minutes when someone temporarily used a wine cork to fix the fuel leak. This perhaps is not the best example to prove any beneficial qualities of wine, but this definitely throws a light on how handy people like to keep a bottle of wine in their daily life.
Why wine became a ‘close to heart’ drink can be understood from the history of French Paradox. Medical researchers were left stunned when they realised it is a couple of glasses of Wine daily that keeps mortality away from the French for a greater time, despite their undesirable food habits, including high saturated foods. Alcohol and Wine have also been suggested as ‘good to heart’ drink when they are consumed in moderate amounts. As Thomas Jefferson, the President of United States (1801-1809) claimed, “Good Wine is a necessity of life for me”.
Quality Wines are the most expensive of all food and a bottle may sell for thousands of dollars. Many businessmen consider wine to be a good investment and believe that with time, demand for branded wines of superior quality will increase. Based on their proven track record of holding well over time and consensus among experts about their quality, wines are purchased as investment goods from Bordeaux and California.
Wines in India date back to the Portuguese Era when the Portuguese people used to store meats in Wine barrels mixed with exotic Indian spices. This dish popularly known as Vindaloo is a hot seller in many Indian restaurants across the globe.
Though wines are classified by the quality of grapes from which they are produced, this drink is sometimes also produced from other fruits, such as apples and berries. Wine produced from Apple is known as Apple Wine and those from berries is known as Elderberry Wine. In general they are called Country Wine. Wines are also known to have been prepared from starch based materials, like barley or rice.
The love and respect for Wine has made man give it a place among the Gods. Dionysos, the Greek God, is also known as the God of Wine. This major figure in Greek mythology is said to represent not only the intoxicating power of Wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. In roman mythology also, Dionysos finds a mention under the name ‘Bachchus’. Probably not in lines with what many recent medical practitioners would suggest, the hereditary lord of West Bréifne in Ireland during the later stages of the Tudor re-conquest of the country, Brian O'Rourke, has supported drinking of Wine by saying “When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to Heaven. So, let’s all get drunk and go to Heaven."
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