All You Need to Know About Wines

Wine is nothing but a mixture of wild species of grapes, rice and different types of yeasts without the use of sugar, enzymes or any lactic acids. The word "wine" is a Latin word derived from indo-European countries.

Composition of wines: Wines consist of water to a large extent. In addition to this, wines also contain variety of acids such as lactic acids, ethyl acid, minerals such as iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, sulphates and vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin P.

There exist different types of wines according to the base product, two of which are listed below:
1) Fruit wine: ex-apple, berries
2) Vegetable wine: ex- wheat, barley

The production of wines was first found in places of Georgia and Iraq at around 6000 BC to 5000 BC. Traces of wines were also found in Greece, ancient Europe.

Cultivation of wines was started in North East areas at around 3000 BC. Cultivation of red and white wine, as we know them today, first started in Egypt, but wide-scale cultivation of wines began in Rome, which produced the best quality wine. They produced different flavors of wine.

Dry wine is one of the most popular types of wines. During fermentation, when sugar is converted into alcohol, the toxic alcohol kills the yeast and the resulting wine is called as dry wine. Wines are mainly produced from the grape species known as Vitis vinifera.

There exist different types of wines like red wine, white wine etc. They are distinguished on the amount of sugar used and the time required for fermentation.

A few types of wines are listed below:
1) Vintage wines: In order to produce a vintage wine it is a must that at least 95% of the volume of grapes used, are produced in a single year. They are mostly produced in USA.
2) Non vintage wines: They are produced from vintage wines itself. In these, at least 50% of the grapes used should have been produced in the same year.
3) Organic wines: Organic wines are produced from grapes without the use of fertilizers and pesticides. They do not contain any harmful material and are used to cure a number of diseases.
4) Red wines: They are produced from black grapes and are red in color. It prevents cancer and heart diseases because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
5) White wine: They are produced from white grapes; and they are pale yellow in color.
When alcohol is added in a wine it is called as fortified wine. Taste of wines depends on the drinker's palate.

Vintage wines are costliest of all wines. They can cost thousands of dollars per bottle.
Some of the most expensive wines are Bordeaux and Cult wines.

Production:
France is the largest producer of wines. Italy is the second largest producer.
Italy is the largest exporter of wines.

Uses: Wine is the most popular beverage, and can also be used as a flavoring agent.
Wines also have a good effect on cardiovascular problems. Wines can also used for religious and ritual purposes.

Hoodia Diet Patch

Hoodia Diet Patch discovered many centuries ago, by the Bushmen of the Kalahari, Hoodia reduced their cravings for food and water in the extreme desert surroundings and satisfied their hunger after eating only small amounts. Hoodia Gordnii Extract which effectively makes the Hoodia Diet Patch #1 in the diet aid world.

Tom Mangold (from the BBC) has been quoted as saying after trying the Hoodia Diet Patch: "It is a magic plant with a miracle ingredient which could help us all become thin once again."

Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes stated after using the Hoodia Diet Patch:

"it's very different from diet stimulants like Ephedra and Phenfen that are now banned because of dangerous side effect. Hoodia does not stimulate at all. Scientist say it fools the brain by making you think you're full, even if you've just eaten a morsel. Stahl said she felt no after effects. There wasn't a funny taste in her mouth, no queasy stomach, and no racing heart. She wasn't hungry all day.

The New Hoodia Patch is the most effortless way to lose weight. It is also the most powerful diet patch on the market. The Hoodia Diet Patch is 100%, pure Hoodia Gordonii Extract. It has been heralded on 60 Minutes, the BBC and in O, The Oprah Magazine. As mentioned before, there are no side effects, the extract is completely natural and safe.

The process is simple. Apply the patch to a relatively hair free part of the body, and after 24 hours replace the patch with a new one in a slightly different part of the body to allow the skin to breath. By using the Hoodia Diet Patch a 100% of the essence of Hoodia is transfered directly into your body

benefits of chocolate

Although healers in ancient Latin American societies used chocolate extensively in medicinal practice, modern societies took a dim view of chocolate as having benefits. Chocolate has been reputed to cause acne, cavities, and a host of other health problems. Recent scientific evidence however, has been debunking what they call "chocolate myths." And, to the chocoholics delight, concluding that not only is chocolate not detrimental to your health, it can actually be beneficial.

Let us look at the acne myth. There have been two scientific studies devoted to this subject, one at the University of Pennsylvania and one at the US Naval Academy. Both studies concluded that ingesting chocolate had no effect on acne. There have also been other studies which have found that there is no relationship between diet and acne.

Studies have also been done on the effect of chocolate on tooth decay. While chocolate does contain sugar, the Eastman Dental Center found that chocolate contains certain phosphates and other minerals which minimize the effect of the sugar. Therefore chocolate is one of the least likely desserts to cause cavities. Another study at Osaka University in Japan stated that there are antibacterial agents in cacoa that actually counteract tooth decay.

Then what are the health benefits that can be derived from chocolate? Chocolate contains flavonoids, powerful antioxidants, stearic acid, phenylethylamine, theobromine plus many essential minerals such as magnesium and iron.

Flavanoids or phenolic phytochemicals are compounds present in plant foods which have been recognized as having health benefits. In humans they have been found to fight against cancer and heart disease. They exist in a wide variety of foods and beverages such as apples, peanuts, onions, cranberries, red wine, and tea. Two important

In a study conducted at Cornell University, Dr. Chang Y Lee, team leader, compared the presence of the phenolic compound gallic acid and the flavonoid epicatechine in chocolate with red wine and green tea. Chocalate had 611 mg of gallic acid (GAE) as compared to 340 in red wine and 165 in green tea. Chocolate contained 564 mg of epicatechin (ECE) whereas red wine had 163 and green tea only 47.

Antioxidants are important for their ability to destroy free radicals. The effectiveness of antioxidants is measured in ORAC units. Dark chocolate contains over 13000 ORAC units. If the body does not have sufficient levels of antioxidants damages takes place which leads to an increase in plaque formation on arterial walls and an increase in LDL choresterol.

Another nutrient which is the subject of many myths is fat. Nutritionists continually recommend avoiding saturated fats and opting for monosaturated fats as saturated fats raise cholesterol levels.

The fat content of chocolate is one-third oleic acid, one-third stearic acid and one-third palmitic acid. Oleic acid is a mono-saturated fat like olive oil. According to research studies, stearic acid has not effect on cholesterol. Palmitic acid is a saturated fat and does affect cholesterol levels. However, according to Dr. Phillip Drew Minton who has written a book about the health benefits of chocolate, some saturated fat is necessary in diet as saturated fats provide protection against skin cancer and unsaturated fats do not do this.

So, although one can eat chocolate now without guilt, you must eat it properly to derive the maximum health benefits. Dark chocolate is more beneficial than milk chocolate. The chocolate should be high quality to have a high cacao content. It should also be pure chocolate not combined with marshmallow, caramel, nougat and other unhealthy substances. And like all foods, moderation is the key. Don't gorge the entire box but restrict yourself to no more than 3.5 ounces per day.

Notebook vendors flock to Indonesia

If you wonder why I have been reviewing so many notebooks lately, it's because notebook vendors have been upbeat about the Indonesian market and aggressive in promoting their products here.

Their highly positive outlook conforms to International Data Corporation (IDC)'s report I received last week. The IDC says that the shipment of PC microchips reached record levels in the second quarter of 2008. Intel drove the growth with a market share of almost 80 percent. The company particularly dominated the mobile PC processor segment by achieving a market share of 86.5 percent.

Desktop computers are still selling well in the country, but notebooks are now becoming the first choice thanks to lower prices. As quoted by Bisnis Indonesia on Aug 21, Intel's country manager for Indonesia Budi Wahyu Jati said that in Indonesia the sales of notebooks had already surpassed the sales of desktop PCs.

Vendor enthusiasm is also seen in the amount of ads placed in major local newspapers. Take a look at any Indonesian newspaper and you will see notebook product advertisements from various vendors.

These days, it is also far easier for me to get a demo unit than it was before. In a lot of cases, I don't even have to request a loan of the demo unit, as the vendors themselves offer me the opportunity to review their products for two to three weeks.

In fact, I sometimes have to politely decline offers because the models they are about to let me try out are too ordinary or have too many weaknesses.

Further proof of the PC vendors' strong confidence in the Indonesian market is perhaps the scale of their presence in the country. Lenovo and Dell are just two among the newcomers in Indonesia, while the incumbents include companies such as Acer, Asus, Fujitsu, HP, NEC, Sony and Toshiba.

Lenovo has a rep office in Wisma BNI, in the same prestigious building as Acer Indonesia. Earlier this month, Dell inaugurated what it called a "Liaison Office" in the newly built Grand Indonesia Menara BCA