The Healthiest Wines in the World
A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away, or so we like to tell ourselves. With all the discussion around how healthy wine is, our curiosities do wonder – what are the healthiest wines in the world?
There are a lot of grapes out there that make wine. All of them are fruits, that come from the earth, making them all healthy by nature, right?
To extend, yes. Yet, there are certain grapes with exceptional health benefits due to their chemical makeup. And, how these grapes are vinified (or turned into wine) determines how healthy they are to drink.
Overall, wines that are dry are deemed healthier, as less sugar intake supports a balanced diet. Fortunately, many of the greatest wines in the world are all fermented dry (including all the wines on this list!)
So, before you head to the wine store, maybe think about trying out one of the healthiest wines in the world below.
Here are the 7 Healthiest Wines in the World!
Pinot Noir
The forever famous French grape – Pinot Noir indeed makes some of the greatest and healthiest wines in the world. It’s beloved for its incredible capacity to create dry elegant wines with beautiful acidity. Yet, Pinot Noir has more nutritional perks than its dryness – it also has high levels of resveratrol.
A key antioxidant, resveratrol is known for supporting heart health, brain health, and even low cholesterol. Fortunately, Pinot Noir is abundant in this antioxidant, making it a heart-healthy wine.
Tannat
Born in France and now loved in Uruguay, Tannat is a fascinating grape that continues to grow more and more in popularity. Its character stands out in the glass – it’s very dark and brooding in color and has a structure that matches its appearance. Tannat has tannins, acidity, and alcohol, making it also a very ageable wine.
All of these characteristics hint at Tannat’s hidden health powers. Tannat is a very healthy grape. It has thick skins and more seeds than the average wine grape. Why does this matter? Well, these skins and seeds contain a high level of procyanidins. These are powerful antioxidants responsible for supporting our metabolisms, hearts, and our bodies’ ability to fight off disease.
Sagrantino
This Italian grape, hailing from the gorgeous region of Umbria, is a total health secret. Similar to Tannat, Sagrantino is very intense. It has aggressive tannins and forward acidity, making it a super structured wine. So much so, that Sagrantino must be aged for a few years to really soften and reach its delicious drinking potential.
In this structure, though, lies Sagrantino’s amazing health benefits. Its tannin-rich skins offer numerous antioxidants, including many procyanidins. These offer so many benefits, from protecting our body from cancer to increasing our brain function. Some go so far as to argue that Sagrantino is the healthiest wine because of its natural chemical makeup (although more scientific analysis needs to be done to assert this of course!) Either way, it’s important to note that reaping Sagrantino’s benefits is best when this wine is vinified dry.
Nebbiolo
If you’ve been reading, you’ve probably learned that wine with lots of tannins usually has many health benefits. So, it comes as no surprise that Nebbiolo is on this list. This wine is recognized for its ultra-intense tannins, which are behind Nebbiolo’s high count of antioxidants.
While these antioxidants do make Nebbiolo a very heart-healthy wine, there is another major perk this wine offers. Nebbiolo contains the most melatonin of any wine grape. Yes, this means that – if you’re looking for a good night’s sleep – Nebbiolo may be the wine to drink at dinner time.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Oh Cab Sauv, a treasured wine from Bordeaux to California. You may be surprised to learn that this wine offers tremendous health benefits.
Cabernet Sauvignon‘s thicker skins contain immense amounts of flavonoids, like resveratrol. This major antioxidant is a powerhouse for our bodies, helping to support the cardiovascular, nervous system, and immune systems. This makes Cab Sauv a great choice if you’re looking to add healthy red wine to your dinner repertoire.
Barbera
Another Italian wine gracing the list, Barbera is a wonderful red wine that is truly delicious. Even better, this wine extends various health benefits as well.
Barbera is part of the thicker-skinned grape crowd, yielding antioxidants in its wine that contribute to a healthy life. The best part is – Barbera is often way more affordable than other wines, like its Piemontese cousin Nebbiolo. This makes Barbera an easy way to incorporate a heart-healthy wine into your life, without breaking the bank.
Cannonau
Last, but not least, is Cannonau. This unique wine from Sardegna is also known as Grenache (Cannonau is the local variety of Grenache on the island.) Sardegna is also an island with a record amount of centenarians. So, something must be in the wine, right?
Like the other healthiest wines, Cannonau has a lot of structure. In this structure, lies potent antioxidants that support our heart, immune, and brain health. It’s important to note that Cannonau is often a bigger wine, sometimes with residual sugar. As mentioned for all of these healthiest wines, do try to find Cannonau that is dry!
So, which healthiest wine do you love the most?
There’s always been discussion about how healthy wine is for you. For wine lovers, there really isn’t an argument. Wine is an integral part of life and has been for thousands of years. So, we wouldn’t be surprised if one of your favorite wines is on this list.
We hope that this list of healthiest wine grapes inspires you to try something new and boost your antioxidants too.
