Chianti wine: The key to longevity
Italy’s most famous Chianti wine infused with a concoction of honey, cherries and secret herbs can be the secret to long life, according to an 18th century recipe.
The therapeutic recipe was discovered in an old manuscript discovered in the shelves of Italy’s oldest Tuscany pharmacy in Asciano near Sienna dating back to 1715.
"My ancestors left several manuscripts with formulas for digestive drinks, but this one struck me because of its ingredients. I knew it had strong scientific basis," Discovery quoted pharmacist Giovanni De Munari, who found the old recipe.
After the discovery, De Munari brewed the beverage, and came up with a "low-calorie, highly digestive alcoholic infusion, which tasted delicious."
The key ingredient in the elixir is the Sangiovese grape, which is the soul of Chianti wine.
Until the middle of the 19th century, Chianti wine was only made out of Sangiovese grapes; however, around 1850 Baron Bettino Ricasoli codified the formula and included 15 percent of the white grapes like malvasia.
"In our recipe, we only have Sangiovese grapes. This is much more like the famous Brunello variety which grows in this area," said De Munari.
The elixir''s formula echoes recent studies that credit resveratrol, a compound found in the skins of red grapes and helps in protecting against heart disease and other age-related illnesses.
"Researchers are currently investigating whether resveratrol acts like a longevity molecule that mimics the effects of a calorie-restricted diet," De Munari said.
"My ancestors may not have known the names of the chemicals, but they knew that red wine, and Chianti in particular, had therapeutic properties," De Munari added.
"Carrying Alcohol In Your Checked Baggage: Please note, you can't take alcoholic beverages with more than 70 percent alcohol content (140 proof), including 95 percent grain alcohol and 150 proof rum, in your checked luggage.
"You may take up to five liters of alcohol with alcohol content between 24 percent and 70 percent per person as checked luggage if it's packaged in a sealable bottle or flask. Alcoholic beverages with less than 24 percent alcohol content are not subject to hazardous materials regulations."
In other words, wines — even fortified wines such as Port — are not subject to the five-liter rule. Unfortunately, the story does not end here. Smith explains what happened next:
"I replied to the agent she was mistaken about TSA's regulation; the five-liter rule doesn't apply to wine. I requested she get her manager so we could clear this up. An airline supervisor came. The agent was correct, we were told, and five liters was the limit for all alcohol regardless of the alcohol content. We were in absolute shock that not only was the agent not aware of the regulations but neither was the supervisor!
"We spent the next hour trying to find ways to get the other 1 ½ cases of wine home. We went to [another airline's] ticket counter and explained the troubles we were having. To our surprise that agent stated that [her airline] too only allows five liters of alcohol to be checked as luggage per person — regardless of the alcohol content. We had no choice but to find a way to dispose of the wine."
Here's the capper:
"The agent asked if she could have the wine. So we let her have hundreds of dollars' worth of wine. Once home I decided to look on TSA's Web site. The sad thing was, we were correct about the regulations, and both airlines didn't have a clue.
"My reason for this e-mail is to alert other people that may try to check on wine as luggage through Sea-Tac, or any other airport for that matter. Have a copy of the regulations on hand. We will now always have a copy of the regulations when we travel to wine country."
The (somewhat) happy ending ... after weeks of haggling, Smith finally did receive reimbursement for the loss of the wines. Better still, he tells me, the airline admitted that its employees "were unaware of the law pertaining to the regulations for checking wine as luggage ... and are to be properly trained and should now be aware of the regulations."
Attempts to contact Sea-Tac personnel for a response to this issue were unsuccessful. However, I will echo Smith: If you plan to check wine as luggage, call your airline in advance and make certain it is familiar with these regulations. Print out a copy to carry with you, just in case.
Last, but not least: How should you pack wine to minimize the chance of breakage? The safest, most secure way is to place the wine in a separate piece of luggage, wrapped in many layers of cloth, Bubble Wrap, etc. For those who want the very best protection, I recommend the wine travel cases made by Winecruzer (www.winecruzer.com/). They're not cheap, but they are incredibly sturdy, water- and airtight and come in a range of sizes, some with wheels and telescoping handles.