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Health & Fitness

New Year's Resolutions and...Wine?

You probably think that wine has nothing to do with making New Year’s Resolutions. The start of the New Year is a time to “get fit and eat better; reconnect with family and friends; and try new things.” These don't have anything to do with wine. Think again!

For centuries wine has been a part of being healthy and eating right; enjoying the company and camaraderie of family and friends; and it has also been the catalyst for trying new things. As in days-of-old, you can enjoy your wine and resolutions too.

It has been found that moderate consumption of red wine has numerous health benefits. According to a study done at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain, high-fiber Tempranillo red grapes-which are used to make some of Spain’s most well-loved wines-may actually have a significant effect on cholesterol levels. Additionally, polyphenols—the antioxidants in red wine—can help keep blood vessels flexible and reduce the risk of unwanted clotting. Plus red grape skins are a rich source of resveratrol, a compound that may actually help diabetics regulate their blood sugar.

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So if you want to focus on your health for 2014, then pairing your dinner with a glass of the Tapeña Tempranillo (Spain - $8) will serve you well. The Tapeña has juicy red fruit aromas with just a touch of chocolate and will complement a salad topped with grilled chicken or shrimp or a plate of quinoa with black beans topped with freshly chopped cilantro.

If you want to make 2014 the year you reconnect with your old college roomie or you just want it to be the start of new family-gathering traditions, then plan an event around the table brimming with sumptuous plates of hot and cold foods paired with Queulat Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley (Chile - $18). Why Pinot Noir? It is one of the most food-friendly wines and the Queulat has robust flavors of red fruits, spice and savory herbs with a nice long finish; just what is needed to bring out the best in cuisine and conversation.

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This may not be the year you jump out of an airplane but by golly it’s going to be the year you put your trepidations aside and try new things! If it’s something new you want to try, just step out of your wine comfort zone.

If you normally drink whites, go ahead and crack open a bottle of red. Stick with a blend so that the flavors are well-rounded and you get a glass filled with unified flavors that touch the whole palate. In other words, you don’t just taste it up-front and then lose all the flavor. Instead you get flavors from start to finish. No other blend to get you out of the “what wine to drink” quandary but the Conundrum Red Blend (California-$22). The Conundrum is a propriety blend. This means they never tell you what’s actually in it but no matter, because whatever it is, it’s delicious.

Hey, you can keep those New Year’s Resolutions after all!

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