Indeed, even a brief excursion into cookbooks and a quick acquaintance with the names of dishes that include a wine component greatly stimulates the secretion of gastric juice: lamb in red wine, duck in wine sauce, wine jelly, pears in sweet wine, bananas in wine syrup. There is even such an extreme option as bachelor's cutlets in a red wine sauce.
In general, during the "wine era" humanity has come up with so many ways to consume the drink internally that it would seem there should be no slightest surplus of this product, nor any thoughts about its possible other uses. However, the human mind is inquisitive and resourceful. Since ancient times, scientists have been grappling with the philosophical problem of the origin of wine, trying to find benefit in it and not wanting to accept that it was given to humanity solely for the entertainment of hearts.
Two spoonfuls before meals
The discovery of the famous "French paradox" (the French consume more fatty foods than other Europeans and Americans, but are less susceptible to cardiovascular diseases due to the tradition of regularly having a glass or two) made obvious the positive effect of red wine on human health and gave impetus to further research in this area. Today, American scientists are showing the world a "youth pill" - enzymes have been found in red wine that cause cells to reproduce 80% faster and live one and a half times longer. It seems that soon red wine will be declared the main source of immortality on earth. Scientists have long suspected that it is this drink that is the reason for the astonishing longevity of the Caucasian highlanders. Moreover, the benefits of wine are recognized by scientists worldwide, but opinions on its use differ.
Doctors in countries where winemaking is not a historically developed industry insist that only a single substance extracted from the grape drink is beneficial. Thus, the British extracted resveratrol from red wine, which has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. Medications based on it are prescribed to asthmatics and those suffering from chronic lung diseases. However, they emphasize that direct consumption of alcohol will not bring the desired effect.
French doctors, on the contrary, have compiled a whole table for the home medicine cabinet, assigning each disease its own type of wine. For gallstones, they recommend Gewürztraminer and Alsatian wines; for increased stomach acidity - wines from the Rhône Valley; for pneumonia and bronchitis - Château Mason; for fever - Pinot Gris; for rheumatism - white Burgundy wines; for fractures - red wines from Médoc.
In general, a well-stocked wine cabinet is always better than the most modern medicine cabinet. By the way, one Crimean sanatorium has also developed a whole program aimed at improving the health of the body and treating a number of diseases. In Alushta, a tincture of Madeira, vodka, honey and almonds is used to treat cardiovascular diseases; a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon and sage overcomes chronic fatigue; also Cabernet Sauvignon, sage and rosemary are part of the super-popular "Mixture Number Five", which helps increase potency.
The Woman Is a Berry Again
A separate topic is the relationship between wine and cosmetology. The same French, in one of the most wine-producing regions - Bordeaux - have developed a whole course of wine therapy, where wine is used for external application. For the purpose of removing toxins, increasing skin elasticity and overall rejuvenation of the body.
But wine therapy is not at all wine baths, as it seems to inexperienced users. For cosmetic purposes, not wine itself is used, but various by-products of the winemaking process - leaves, seeds, pomace. Moreover, this is far from a modern invention - courses of wine therapy have been known since the mid-19th century, although then they were held only during the harvest period, and today thanks to the latest technologies this has become possible all year round.
So, wine therapy includes peeling using crushed grape seeds, massage with oil from the same grape seeds, massage using freshly harvested grapes (still possible only during harvest season). So far, there is only one SPA resort in the world that has developed its own program for the total cosmetic use of wine and various by-products of viticulture, but it would be ridiculous to claim that wine is not used for such purposes anywhere else.
A couple of years ago, red wine became the latest fashion in beauty salons in Buenos Aires. Local cosmetologists, not bothering with any outlandish ideas about wine extracts, used the product in its pure form. Massage and wraps using wine nourish the skin, making it more elastic and healthy, and the figure toned. In general, if you believe the reviews of visitors to such procedures, who are interested in beauty, fashion and health, after wine wraps "a woman turns into a ripe little grape." A similar effect is also confirmed by participants in traditional swims in a vat of fresh must, which are held at young wine festivals in most wine-producing countries. And, probably, one can also remember champagne baths - despite the fact that they symbolize exclusively luxury and chic, their health-improving effect is no less than from a procedure with thermal waters and a jacuzzi.
Not for humans
However, the potential of human inventiveness would be underestimated if not for the invented ways of using wine in some completely non-traditional directions.
So, the Finns adopted from the French the technology of producing automobile biofuel based on the same red wine. Ethanol is obtained from wine by distillation, and it is added to ordinary 98-octane gasoline, in the proportion of 95% gasoline – 5% wine ethanol. What gasoline producers gain in this way is unknown, but the resulting final product is considered biofuel and is highly welcomed by EU countries. Naturally, no one proposes to use elite wines for gasoline production; most likely, stale surpluses and wines from poor harvest years will be used for fuel.
And of course, avant-garde fashion designers could not have their say in this competition for the most unusual way of using the grape drink - young Spanish clothing designers actively use wine as a dye. A wine stain fixed in a simple way gives things, even of not the most interesting cut, an antique or, as it is customary to say today, vintage look. 'Wine stains' are the same sublimation of pleasure as clothes made of marijuana: it seems that suitable material is at hand, but it cannot be put to use.
In a word, when buying a bottle of wine, remember that it is not necessary to consume the contents internally: a lotion made of Bordeaux can be no less useful than a sip of ruby liquid... with its bouquet... aftertaste with a hint of a tart pit... Or maybe, to hell with this lotion?