This Barboursville Virginia (http://www.barboursvillewine.com) Italian style 2009 Viognier is soft and refreshing, with a nice blend of tropical fruits and the more expected lemon-lime citrus flavor. The most elegant wine of our tasting so far. Not bad for around $20. I rate it 89.

“In Virginia, viognier is the best white grape that we have,” says winemaker Daniel Tessaro.

Winery owner Rachel Martin says that Boxwood makes wines in the traditional Bordeaux style, with a team that includes a winemaking consultant whose other clients include Rubicon. This rose, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, is fermented fully in steel tanks. It has an herbal nose and some butter and pepper on the palate. Very gentle finish. A very good wine for $14 per bottle.

Chateau Morrisette 2010 Dry Rose Chambourcin - very light, refreshing rose with a hint of strawberry and a short finish. Tastes good served chilled. Sells for about $14 per bottle in Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina and West Virginia. Good summer wine for the price. I rate is 87.

This is a blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Viognier and Muscat Canelli from Llano Estacado Winery in Lubbock, Texas. Sweet nose, long legs, and a sour taste. Although it would probably work well with an outdoor chicken barbecue on a hot summer day, there is a bit more complexity for me than I find enjoyable. Only sold in Texas for about $23 per bottle.

My first impression of this wine comes from the big bubbles and yeast that hit me on the first sip. A traditional 50-50 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend made in the traditional Methode Champagnoise, I will give Afton Mountain credit for effort but will not recommend this one at its current $30 per bottle price. I rate is 81. The winery is located near Charlottesville, Va.

Winemaker Daniel Brennan moved from Pennsylvania to New Zealand to make this super-clear, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. Light floral nose and a slight hint of white pepper on the finish, works great chilled - an interesting wine. Currently distributed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York or direct from www.decibelwines.com for about $16 per bottle. I rate is 87.

Grassy notes on the nose, tart apple on the tongue, crystal hue and tight short finish. A good wine but not sure I’d want to pay $35-$40 for it. Rating: 84.

This Foppiano rose is great for a hot day like today. A blend of petite sirah and Pinot noir, it has enough fruit for character but still has the simplicity of an easy-drinking light rose. View Foppiano’s data sheet for more details.

James MacPhail makes some of the most delicious California Pinot Noirs that I have ever had. And I am going to take him at his word that this transaction combining his winery with Sequana, a Pinot powerhouse of the Hess Family will preserve everything that makes his wines so special. I think I can trust him, as MacPhail has been Sequana’s winemaker since it was founded in 2007. 

Although both wineries have modest production (MacPhail produces around 4,000 cases per year; Sequana has produced around 11,000,) I am a little concerned that a combined operation may shift more towards a serious business than a family winery. On the other hand, MacPhail’s success has been his ability to personally control every step of the process that leads to his Pinots — on either label. Maybe a stronger combined business built on that concept isn’t a bad thing. Congratulations to James MacPhail. I look forward to many more wines from you in the future.

Other Hess brands include The Hess Collection and Artezin in California; Australian’s Peter Lehmann of the Barossa; Amalaya and Colome in Argentina; Glen Carlou in South Africa. 

MacPhailFamilyWinesJoinsTheHessCollection

And a hat-tip to Stark Insider for first alerting me to this news.  

“Red wine: Exercise in a bottle?” touts the news release from a respected scientific organization. That certainly got my attention. Although the study it was reporting has intriguing results, that headline goes way too far. (The full study is below.)

The study by a group of French researchers found that several of the most serious consequences of weightlessness appear to be prevented by a daily dose of resveratrol, an ingredient in red wine long associated with health benefits. Wouldn’t it be nice if a simple pill — or a glass of wine — could stave off diabetes, muscle wasting and bone fragility? 

“Resveratrol may not be a substitute for exercise, but it could slow deterioration until someone can get moving again,” says Gerald Weissmann, MD, editor-in-chief of the FASEB Journal, which published the study.

Although that is a possibility — the study is very encouraging — translating this animal study on countermeasures to weightlessness to everyday Earthbound use will take a lot of time and study. It is true that the problems developed by people who are bedridden or otherwise unable to move their lower extremities are similar to those seen in longer-term space travelers, there are some significant differences, too. In particular, astronauts tend to be otherwise extremely healthy. Bedridden adults tend to have significant medical reasons for being so constrained. How a supplement of resveratrol would work when combined with other medicines or other complications suggests major caution is necessary.

In my “day” job as a health care/science communications professional, I frequently see reports that sound too good to be true. This news release and at least one article about the study seriously go too far — and well beyond what the researchers themselves report in their scientific report. However, taken in the right perspective, the study by French researchers provides strong additional support for the potential health benefits of moderate red wine consumption.

So, go ahead and keep having a glass of red wine with your dinner, but don’t think that the wine can replace an otherwise healthy lifestyle. Sorry. You still need to go to the gym or take that walk in the park.

Resveratrol as protection against muscle wasting, other health ills