A Glass of Red Wine Per Day for Heart Health

February is National Heart Month, and it’s a good time to examine your life habits to make sure you’ll be around and healthy for as long, long time.  There are lots of little changes that you can make in your life, but one of the easiest, and fun, habits is to incorporate drinking a glass of red wine a day.

Red wine is full of all sorts of wonderful anti-oxidant stuff, but perhaps most importantly it tastes good and it’s good for you.  How easy it to follow good habits when they’re so tasty?

Drinking a glass of wine every day can get expensive, though.  That’s why it’s important to know how to sleuth out great wine bargains and stock up when your favorites are on sale.

While there’s no substitute for a knowledgeable and friendly wine manager at your local wine shop or supermarket, here are 15 go-to choices for under $15 a bottle.

1. Hedges Cellars Columbia Valley CMS (Washington State).  Drinking this will keep your heart healthy, and support the economy in my home state.  Whoever thought that drinking wine would be so healthy AND politically correct?!
2. J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon (California). Cabs are my favorite, but they can expensive.  This one is tasty and affordable.
3. 7 Deadly Zins (California).  Love the name, and it goes well with a big dish of grilled vegetables.
4. Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy).  I’ve become partial to the red wine from the corner of the world after I started vacationing in Tuscany.  Every little cafe offers a liter of inexpensive table wine.  This is a reasonable re-creation of that experience.
5. Estancia Pinot Noir (California).  I’m not a big pinot fan, even after the movie Sideways made it popular.  This one seems to be a popular inexpensive choice, though.
6. Jacob’s Creek Shiraz (Australia).  Simple and uncomplicated.
7. Bonny Doon Big House Red (California).  Keep your eye out and you can find this one for under $10.
8. Yellow Tail Shiraz (Australia).  A very popular inexpensive choice.
9. Ravenswood Merlot (California).  I’ve been a Ravenswood fan since I visited the winery many years ago.  They have a wide price range, but there are some good choices at the lower end.
10. Wishing Tree Shiraz (Australia).  Another all-around, generally popular choice.
11. Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (California).  A new addition to my wine cellar that came with good reviews.
12. Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot (Washington State).  Another chance to drink one for the home team!
13. Ryan Patrick Vineyards Rock Island Red (Washington State).  Another local wine, this one recommended by the wine manager at my local market.
14. Three Buck Chuck (California).  This is Trader Joe’s house wine, and while I don’t personally like this one, it has legions of fans.  Several of the wines have won some fairly impressive awards.  Even in a blind tasting, however, I passed on this one.   Your experience and taste buds may vary.
15. Chateau Rossi (Washington State).  A little home-brewed wine made by a dear friend.  He’s branched out from Zinfandel to Merlot, and some blends, too.  Both are good, with a healthy alcohol content!

And a delicious choice that is so far over $15 that it isn’t even funny:

1. Tenuta Friggiali Riserva Brunello di Montalcino (Italy).  I tasted many Brunello wines in Italy, but this one is available at home. Expensive, but delicious!

Let February be the month that you incorporate a glass of wine into your daily habits.  Being healthy never tasted so good!

If you have a favorite inexpensive red wine, please leave the details in the comments.

 

Photo credit:  SXC