French Longevity and Wine

by Randal Caparoso

1. Avoid fried meats, which angry up the blood.
2. If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.
3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.
4. Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social rumble ain't restful.
5. Avoid running at all times.
6. Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you.

—Satchel Paige's "Guide to Longevity"

Ten years ago there was great joy in Mudville when Morly Safer reported on "60 Minutes" that people in France experience fewer heart attacks than Americans—most likely because of their fondness for red wine. Although good news, many red wine lovers think Safer's theory to be somewhat shaky. The Japanese, for instance, are even less likely to die of heart attacks than the French, yet many Japanese are practically allergic to red wine; it turns their skin red.

We know that red wine does have its benefits; we also know that certain foods are good for you, such as whole grains, milk, fruits, vegetables and exercise. The Japanese drink tons of green tea and miso and, like the French, they smoke like chimneys. But is any of this—vegetables, exercise, tea and tobacco—a guarantee of longevity?

It doesn't take much deep thought to figure out the real reason why the French are less likely to experience heart complications than Americans: less stress. It's not so much that the French actively avoid stress, but the way in which they face it. They prefer to work only four days a week, and take off an entire month each year to do nothing but enjoy the things that are most important to them: eating, drinking, and just breathing!

To the French, gastronomy is serious business; whereas for us, serious business means going to work. When we Americans are not hard at work, we're more likely to be found focusing our attention on the television; during the commercials we stand up to make popcorn, microwave pizza, and open cans of soda or beer. The French, on the other hand, are more likely to plan their days around their meals rather than sitcoms. They take time to select their wine and produce. Once at home, they take time to enjoy it with family and friends. It's not that we never do such things. It's just that for us it's far less of a priority.

"Do something good for your heart—enjoy a glass of red wine," reads a bumper sticker some Americans may feel hesitant to put on their cars because of the way the message might be interpreted. Therein may lie the problem: in America wine has somehow become lumped together with every other type of alcoholic beverage, from the brown-papered bottles clutched by bleary-eyed bums, to the six-packs that come with the promise of lusty, leggy models. In other words, wine in the U.S. has an image problem. It's either thought of as just another dangerous drug, or as something enjoyed by effete, high-income snobs who sip with raised pinkies. Why can't Americans be sold on wine for the same reasons as the French: by seeing it as something that greatly enhances our communal tables? No less and no more.

The benefits of red wine as a vitamin pill are dubious. If you're concerned about your heart, you're better off popping aspirin. But here's a better idea: get yourself a good bottle—it doesn't have to be expensive, just soft and easy to drink—and a decent set of stemware, since red wine tastes a lot better in large bowled, thin lipped wine glasses than it does in chunky tumblers. Pop it, take your time to savor its aroma and flavor, and wash it down with some decent food. Then, as Satchel Paige might have suggested, lie down and let the cool thoughts pacify you. That's the secret of long life!

Here are some favorite, lower-priced, easygoing reds that you can find in retail stores and restaurants across the country:

Heron, Merlot (France)—Proprietor Laely Heron is an enterprising young woman who makes it her business to find the best sources of this smooth and succulent varietal in the hills of France close to where it meets Spain, and she does heck of a job putting it together. The Heron Merlot is redolent with soft, sumptuously textured fruit; giving a wall-to-wall feel of juiciness rarely achieved by other brands sold for as much as twice the price.

Bodegas Agapito Rico, Carchelo (Spain)—"Carchelo" is what you see on the label of this unusual blend of the Mourvedre (called Monastrell in Spain), Merlot, Syrah and Tempranillo grape varieties. The best way to describe it is that it gives $14 worth of flavor for a $7 price. Think of being fed meltingly rich, chocolate-covered raspberries. Any questions?

Falesco, "Vitiano" (Italy)—The Vitiano is a three-way blend of Umbria-grown Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Sangiovese contributes delicately sweet, red berry aromas with scrubby, anise-like qualities; the Cabernet, a firm grip and herby, minty bottom note; and the Merlot, a plump, round, juicy flavor in the middle. Rarely will you find so many layers in a wine so invitingly gentle, let alone in something retailing for only around $12.

Terra Rosa, Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile)—When you find a great-tasting $12 Cabernet Sauvignon, you should treat it with reverence. Fire up some ribs, chop up some tartare and pass the bottle. Patrick Campbell, who owns Laurel Glen Vineyard in Sonoma, has been doing this with Chilean-grown fruit for years. Few California Cabernets, in fact, achieve as much concentration of cassis—a honey toned, berry liqueur-like aroma—tucked into silken, supple textures beefed up by soft but gripping tannins.

Escudo Rojo (Chile)—Another great $12 South American red—fashioned by Chile's Concha y Toro and Bordeaux's Baronne Philippe de Rothschild—that is more than just rich and smooth, but wild with a Tabasco chile-like spiciness and suggestions of soft, new leather. It is a Chilean-style blend of three grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Merlot. But few Merlots can touch it for the price, and even fewer Cabernets make you want to say olé!

Delicato Family Vineyards, Shiraz (California)—"Shiraz" is usually the Australian moniker for the Syrah grape. Syrah or Shiraz, it doesn't matter: this could very well be the best wine sold for under $8 in the world. It positively exudes the best qualities of the grape: sweet, violet perfumes, touches of ginger and cracked peppercorn, and black and blue berries in the nose. Once you're hooked, it proceeds to slap you across the palate with full, yet amazingly soft and sensuous flavors suggesting the ripest black cherries, plums steeped in pepper, and even an exotic touch of pomegranate.

Bonny Doon, Domaine des Blageurs "Syrah-Sirrah" (France)—Like Laely Heron, Bonny Doon's Randall Grahm is a Californian who goes to France's Languedoc region each year to source amazingly well priced (as low as $10) wine. This one is spiked with sandalwood-like spice, suggestions of roasting meat, and black-peppery fragrances. On the palate it's no shrinking violet, with firm, muscular-yet-round, supple, sweet (although the wine is completely dry), almost exhilarating flavors.

© Randal Caparoso

(Updated: 09/13/07 AK)