
Why Choose Red Wine?
Red wine is sultry, smooth on the palate, captivating to the senses, and just plain delicious. From the curvy glass, the delicious aroma, and the alluring color, red wine is the ultimate date beverage to lighten and enhance a romantic setting and mood.
Red Wine Is Downright Sexy
Everywhere you look, from swanky hot spots to steamy romance flicks, red wine is the popular date beverage of choice. First off and simply put, it’s red, and who isn’t attracted to that color? Red is used in bullfighting for a reason, right?
My favorite attributes of red wine are:
- It’s not too strong.
- It’s not too dry.
- It has the slightest touch of sweetness.
I love the rich color, texture, and aroma and how there are so many varieties to choose from. For me, it decreases anxiety, helps me relax, let go of inhibitions, and feel more confident with a date or in a crowd.
Red wine is a “full-bodied” drink—that even sounds sexy—which describes its weight and texture. Reds have a rich, lingering flavor and aroma, and it doesn’t hurt that it represents the “color of love” to easily put you in the mood.
Being relaxed and happy with yourself is sexy and red wine does just that. It relaxes facial muscles, dilates pupils, and flushes the face, as if blushing—and how attractive is a little blushing?
Why does this happen? It’s quite simple. Research suggests the compounds in red wine increase blood flow in the body, which then enhances levels of sexual desire in both men and women. So, what are these compounds and how does science believe they work? Keep reading to find out!
Red Wine May Be Good for Your Health
Don’t run away because I shifted to healthy talk. Healthy wine benefits and sexy wine benefits go hand-in-hand. I think we can agree that good health is sexy in its own right, so it makes sense we also understand how red wine brings the two together.
In centuries past, wine was used to treat various health conditions. In recent years, science has indicated this practice could be true for prevention when moderately consumed (one drink for women and two for men).
Resveratrol is the key player in red wine that’s said to contribute to the many health and sexual benefits. Resveratrol is a substance in certain plants that fights off bacteria, fungi, and other microbial attackers, and helps the plant withstand drought or lack of nutrients. Resveratrol is found in red and purple grapes, blueberries, cranberries, mulberries, lingonberries, peanuts, and pistachios.
By reducing the stickiness of blood platelets, Resveratrol is said to help keep blood vessels open and flexible, thus promoting improved blood supply to the brain and other organs.
According to Medical News Today, and 1992 studies from Cornell University, evidence suggests moderate consumption of red wine can/may:
- Help attack “free radicals” in the body (unpaired electrons that look for other unpaired electrons in the body, causing cell, protein, and DNA damage, which = illness).
- Help people live longer by protecting against certain cancers and improving mental and cardiac health.
- Raise levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in the blood, which are believed to protect against heart disease (hint: why red wine tannins do not pair well with fish—that are high in Omega-3s—causing a metallic taste in the mouth).
- Help prevent vision loss such as Diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, the leading causes of blindness in Americans over 50.
- Reduce the size of bowel tumors to prevent colon cancer.
- Lower breast cancer risk by decreasing estrogen and raising testosterone in women due to aromatase inhibitors present in red wine.
- Decrease prostate cancer risk in men who drink one glass a week (six percent less likely to develop).
- Lower the risk of dementia among regular, moderate red wine drinkers.
- Help prevent dental cavities by getting rid of bacteria on the teeth.
It’s important to stress, however, that you should always check with your doctor to discuss your physical and mental well-being before starting regular red wine consumption.
Are you not an alcohol drinker for one reason or another? Never fear. You can get many of the same red wine health benefits from nonalcoholic wines, too!
Warning
Always check with your doctor to discuss your physical and mental well-being before starting regular red wine consumption.
Why Red Wine Is a Potent Aphrodisiac
Now the good stuff I promised. An aphrodisiac is a food or drug that arouses sexual instinct and brings on or increases sexual desire, pleasure, or performance.
The better the wine, the better the aphrodisiac affect. This has nothing to do with price, but rather how the wine is treated and cured before bottled. Expensive wines are more natural—the fruit is less diluted—leaving more of the antioxidants we need.
Theobromine in wine also has aphrodisiac properties as it is a heart stimulant, which is why it routinely races when you have a glass of wine, allowing intimacy to take over.
Alcohol, in small amounts, increases your libido and also makes you hungry. This is because ethanol stimulates a primitive part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This portion of the brain regulates basic human functions, including body temperature, hunger, hormone levels, behavior and, of course, the sex drive.
Olfactory or “smell” memories are some of the strongest and longest-lasting memories we have. You’ve probably experienced memories of certain aromas that bring back specific memories from the past, right? Well, if you’ve had some wild nights in the past with a certain wine and/or certain someone, it’s possible you’ve conditioned yourself to become aroused with that wine’s aromas. To build these memories, start taking the time to really sniff the wines you’re consuming. Plus, it will make you look like you know what you’re doing!
In summary, alcohol, antioxidants, resveratrol, and theobromine, create a perfect storm for a romantic encounter and moderation is key. Remember, you only need a little bit of wine to achieve the desired effect.
Be sure to cast your vote on your favorite red wine type in the poll below to see which is preferred by my readers!
The combination of chocolate and red wine is said to be one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs.