I have mixed reactions when I read in the space of a minute that a) there are things in red wine that are good for me (hooray!) and b) the chemical reaction is therefore going to be reproduced in a drug, to be put to wider user (oh no! but wait, that must be good for someone).
Some good things are happening in the space where wine and science come together: diabetics might be able to take advantage of wine research, Australians have broken the genetic code of wine yeasts and in Switzerland, a yeast that holds the key to wine’s goodness has been isolated in plants on one particular slope.
The latest bit of wine chemistry news came last week from EPFL, Lausanne’s polytechnic school, which says “a synthetic new chemical entity protects against diet-induced obesity, improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and enhances exercise endurance by enhancing fat utilization in certain target tissues.” The report on the new “chemical entity” was published 5 November in Cell Metabolism, with EPFL professor Johan Auwerx, MD, leading the research study.
So what does it mean? The fact that some of the goodness in wine can now be taken out and repackaged pharmaceutically is good news for people who have not managed to overcome obesity through exercise and dietary management alone, among others. According to EPFL, “Reducing calorie consumption by about 20% has been shown to slow down the aging process, improve endurance and protect against diet-induced obesity and metabolic diseases such as diabetes. A year ago, researchers demonstrated that these metabolic benefits can also occur with large doses of resveratrol, a substance naturally occurring in red wine. Researchers hypothesized that these beneficial effects result from activation of SIRT1, an enzyme that is involved in regulating certain key cellular processes, notably the efficiency and number of mitochondria – the energy powerhouses of our cells.”
For wine drinkers, the Australian code-breaking news is important because it signals the start of tailor-made yeasts. Yeast is not just a key ingredient in wine, it holds the secret to controling the alchol level and flavour in wines. With winemakers everywhere worried about global warming raising the alcohol level unacceptably, this could be a real blessing.
My favourite bit of news comes from Changins, the federal wine research station, which in October baptized a yeast found on the slopes of the Wädenswil castle “Lalvin W15.” The unglamorous moniker was put on a yeast that Changin’s researchers say inhibits unwanted micro-organisms while encouraging the components in wine that are beneficial to health as well as to the structure of the wine. The yeast is one of some 150 commercial yeasts available to winemakers.