Dad, Dionysus; Pops, Pan? A mere first-letter coincidence, of course.  Still, if your dad enjoys a draught of red wine with his joint of charred beef, feel virtuous in indulging him this Father's Day, June 15. Resveratrol, a substances in red wine, may be one reason for his youthful joie de vivre, according to an article published yesterday in the Public Library of Science One. A team of researchers in the department of medicine at the University of Wisconsin, Vanderbilt and other universities found that high doses of resveratrol led to longer lifespans in middle-age mice that, get this, ate fatty diets. Sound like someone you know?

Red wine, the researchers said, is heart healthy. If Dad has a heart for the environment, as well,  make his day with a selection of organic and biodynamic vintages , produced without the synthetic pesticides and fertilizers that pollute air and waterways. Many eco artisanal wines are made in Oregon, which has an eco label based on controlling pests with beneficial insects rather than pesticides. 

Among biodynamic wines, we like Oregon's Resonance Vineyard (see "Sustainability in a Bottle" in the June issue of Plenty, on newsstands now). For many more ideas, check out these sites, and ask at your local wine shop.

Natural Merchants

Appellation Wines   

The Organic Wine Company

Organic Vintners  

If Dad's a teetotaler, no problem:  red grapes also contain resveratrol, and are also available in organic at your nearest natural foods supermarket or farmer's market (in temperate zones, grapes are a summer through autumn crop). Viva Pan!

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Posted by Mindy Pennybacker on Jun 4, 2008 at 5:14 PM
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