Anthony Rose: Red wines from the south-west of France can have significant benefits for long-term wellbeing

Since our politicians have now shown themselves to have all the moral backbone of a load of jellyfish, it leaves something of a bitter taste in the mouth to have to listen to the nanny state's killjoy cant about alcohol.

Drinking wine is bad, so the mantra goes, because it causes cirrhosis, it's anti-social and brings death and destruction on the roads. Well, yes, it's obvious to anyone with a quarter of a brain that excessive drinking, whether of wine, beer or spirits, is harmful. But what about the message that as part of a balanced diet, wine enjoyed in moderation is one of life's greatest pleasures and most civilising influences? Hopefully our readers have the nous not just to understand that, but to put it into practice.

As we know from numerous scientific studies, moderate red wine drinkers enjoy a lowered risk of one of our greatest killers, heart disease, than either teetotallers or excessive drinkers. How does red wine help prevent heart disease? When Professor Roger Corder of Queen Mary's School of Medicine observed that the French have comparatively less heart disease than the rest of Europe, even though they regularly consume fatty food, he was puzzled. Taking his cue from studies showing that the polyphenols in red wine act to prevent blood clots and the furring of the arteries, the focus of Dr Corder's research was to find out which of the many polyphenols might prevent heart disease and which wines contained it.

All the red wines Dr Corder tested had some beneficial effect, while whites and rosés had none. This led to the conclusion that the relevant polyphenols came from the grape seed or skin. He concluded that polyphenols such as resveratrol were not responsible for the beneficial effect. Instead, his research identified procyanadins as the most active ingredient in red wine that keeps the blood vessels clear and prevents heart disease. Procyanidins are chemicals that block the production of a protein that constricts blood vessels, thus reducing the risk of blockages and heart attacks. Abundant amounts are also contained in dark chocolate, cranberries, apples and certain other fruits, nuts and spices.

The French paradox led him to France, where he found that life expectancy in the south-west, in the Gers especially, is significantly higher than in the rest of France. He discovered that tannic wines from the south-west, in particular traditional styles based on the tannat grape such as Madiran and Saint Mont, have the highest procyanidin content of any wines in the world. It's not just the grapes but also the wine-making process and altitude which are important factors in a healthy polyphenol count. Other grapes such as cabernet sauvignon contain good procyanidin potential, too, but the riper the grapes and the higher the alcohol, the lower the levels of protective procyanadins.

Dr Corder is not an apostle for red wine as a panacea for all ills, nor is he aiming to encourage people to drink more. He does, however, tell us in The Wine Diet (Sphere, £9.99) how red wine, and especially red wines from south-west France – with their higher procyanadin content – can have significant benefits for a healthy heart and long-term wellbeing when consumed as a natural part of a healthy and balanced diet. Indeed you might almost call it a no-brainer. Next week, I look at the wines of south-west France and some of the reds with Dr Corder's highest heart ratings.