Cooking World

But surplus here is more dangerous, than a shortage - all curative qualities from excessiveness turn to harmful. So, antioxidants, hunters for free radicals, at unlimited drinking turn to them and destroy vessels, strongly diluting blood. The measure was established by English and American researchers who have recognized special benefit of red wine with the big tannin content. The Danish scientists are in general against quantitative restrictions, insisting: the more the person drinks, the longer he will live. They are denied by known French doctor-dietician Michel Montiniak: «No more than half-liter of wine a day».
The basic list of wine’s merits was determined, and the majority of scientific from different countries agrees with this list. Wine:
• stimulate appetite;
• strengthens endocrine glands’ secretion;
• promotes bile flow, secretion of gastric juices and maintenance of normal stomach acidity;
• dilates vessels;
• has antibacterial properties, removes toxins;
• normalizes metabolism;
• improves sleep;
• strengthens an organism;
• raises immunity and vigor;
• promotes restoration of vital forces at their decline;
• enriches an organism with microelements, B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9), amino acids;
• prevent from atherosclerosis;
• promote delay of cells ageing;
• prevents oncological diseases;
• reduces cholesterol content;
• prevent from caries and dental calculus;
• is an as excellent antistress means.

“There are more old wine-lovers, than old doctors”, - says the French proverb. The Frenchmen can be trusted. They have the longest in the world life interval. And at the same time France is the leader on wine consumption per capita in Europe. Experts confirm the truth of the French saying.
The fashion to be healthy
The main fashion which has struck the West is a fashion on healthy mode of life. It has the most direct relation to wine, and new sensational openings prove it. «Wine prolongs life», «Wine treats cancer», «Wine against atherosclerosis» - press of the last years are full of such headlines.
Everybody knows about curative properties of Cahors wine. Perhaps, due to these properties this wine has been used in religious rituals and is considered a church wine – even priests fearlessly gave it to infants during a christening. French authorities “from medicine� consider that the true dry Cahors wine (Cahor) is the unique wine which does not destroy liver, and on the contrary, strengthens it, and besides regulate work of the cardiovascular system.
But doctors very reluctantly advise patients wine treatment. For example, the American association of cardiologists, recognizing wine’s prophylactic properties, nevertheless does not recommend doctors to inform patients of them. It is clear: not everyone can keep measure, and the measure is extremely important. It is known: two - three glasses of wine in a day for men and a maximum one and a half for women.

To the East?
The Eurocommission has approved distillation with the purpose to transform to fuel 30 million liters of the Spanish high-quality wines.
But wine makers, probably, will offer some other positive program to the European Community. In fact any collector of berries understands today that it is impossible to preserve bygone state of affairs. The positive program exists and it even starts to work gradually. This program can be named «To the East!». The most enterprising wine makers do not boast any more by their fragrant experiments, and have started to searches for new perspective markets which can be found very easily. These markets are Asia and Russia. They are these very perspective saviors of the European wine industry and grapevine.
What for to cut it, if India, China, and Russia have developed their middle class, and it just about to conceive a liking for a noble drink in mass quantity? «When Chinese will feel the taste of winet, their requirements for our product will grow, and we, probably, won’t be able to cope with such great demand» - is today the most popular argument in wineries and chateau.

New World attacks
Wine is not sold. European wines languish on shelves while buyers will rather taste wines from the New World - Chile, the USA, Southern Africa, etc. Ireland, for example, imports 70 % from New World. And Australia recently even has left behind France by the amount of wines exported to the Great Britain.
Spain possessing approximately 3 million acres of vineyards, feels these changes as any other country. But Spanish wine makers have quite good chances to overcome the crisis. In the recent report Standard & Poors rating agency has noted, that Spanish wines, alongside with Australian and Chilean, are the main competitors of US wine-making companies.
Red Rioja wines have been popular in the USA for a long time. The same can be told about Toro and Jumilla premium wines. Strict EU rules concerning wine production help manufacturers to emphasize exclusiveness, the top notch of their product.
Spain has good chances to increase demand for its wine. In spite of the most extensive grape areas, Spain has hold only the third place on production volume among all EU countries. Within this limits Spanish manufacturers and distributors are aimed at expansion of their share of the market.

In Europe “the wine conflict” has reached crisis point. It was provoked by Australia, Africa and America - Northern and Southern. Someone strikes terror into all European wine makers. And only Asia and Russia help them.
Globalization has captured European, and global winemaking, and there two reasons that. The first - expansion of Australia, the USA and Chile on traditionally European markets. The second one is a sharp recession of wine consumption in the Europe.
Wine, bread and cheese are «three whales» of the French table.
According to the European Commission’s information, a quarter of a century the Frenchmen and Italians jointly took about five billions liters of wine every year. But since the last year this figure has fallen up to three billions. Wine loses the title of one of three whales of the French meal along with bread and cheese. The Frenchmen have started to drink less, but became more exquisite in preferences. The increased selectivity is only one of two reasons, and, perhaps, not main. And main, in opinion of many French wine merchants is toughening of the laws aimed at restriction of alcoholic drinks consumption, first of by motorists.

Californian rapper Davino Fortunatto for a long time had held the first places in hit-parades with his “alcohol� song Cognac Loungin.
Hennessy. The most popular mark in rapper’s lyrics was mentioned as Henny, Hennydog and Henny-roc. In spite of the fact that rapper wave has abated slightly, till now in America up to 80 % of all cognac is consumed by Afro-Americans.
In 2004 three black brothers created Carvino Unlimited INC Company to arrange supplies of cognac to their native fatherland. In this country Cognac has lost its noble name. They name it “yak”.
Tupic Shakura has already been almost forgotten, but young stars like Aminem continue to shine on rapper’s sky. In their clips audience still may notice Remy Martin, Hennessy and Courvoisier among the stretched vests and gold chains.

In Russia cognac is frequently drunk with a lemon. Though the true connoisseurs prefer cognac as a “solo”.

For Chinese cognac is amalgamation of three basic vital values: love, health and wealth. It is drunk at restaurants, corporate parties, night clubs and on banquets. Usually it is diluted with water and ice; sometimes it is mixed with cold tea.

Mexico is traditionally serious consumer of cognacs and brandy and, by the way, of the first-rate quality. Mexicans adore cocktails and if they meet cognac, ice, Coca-Сola and soda in one glass, they will be very happy.

Americans for a long time have mixed cognac with Cola, not respected too much this “noble alcohol�. But rapper’s movement in 90th has completely effaced gloss from the «divine drink». Martell, in the quantities which considerably exceeded all aristocratic norms, was logical addition to the culture of «new Afro-Americans». The most expensive drinks supplemented aesthetics of leather jackets, pistols, gold chains and limousines.

Modern national traditions of cognac’s use differ substantially. In France cognac is frequently mixed with soda and fruit juices, and received “long drink� is quite suitable for parties.

In England it is more often drunk in pubs, instead of houses in front of a fireplace. It may be mixed with beer (!) or ale (Horse’s Neck) - in the democratic companies. But the aristocratic part of the population still buys rare and expensive cognacs and uncorks them only for serious and important occasions.

In Germany cognac is not mixed with anything, but it is valued as an excellent medical remedy. Unfortunately, Germans can easily drink a couple of beer glasses after the cognac.

In the East cognac is also used unmixed. It is drunk before the lunch, basically by men.

In Italy it is a sign on the status, and in this connection - an excellent gift for any occasion.

The Danes suffering from unreasonable import quotas are true cognac connoisseurs. They drink a little, but appreciate it. It is served mainly in restaurants, and you will hardly see the whole bottle on a table.

The Frenchmen are sure that they have thought up cognac, Englishmen argue with them. Though historical evidence point out at Dutch or even at the medieval Arabian merchants.
To remove superfluous water
In the XVI century French authorities have introduced wine export duty which has forced the French traders to export wine as a strong solution, though even earlier Dutch began to evaporate “superfluous” water.
That very method of evaporation or distillation has been borrowed from unknown Arabian merchants. Having delivered the goods to their destinations, Dutch diluted the “concentrated” wine with water and sold to secondhand dealers.
Englishmen were the first to begin drink brandy in the pure, undiluted kind. So this is the story of appearance of this divine drink.

As it is known, cognac is the drink which has been produced on its historical native land. It turns out, that all Russian, Georgian, Moldavian and Armenian cognacs have no right to wear this famous name. Everything else is brandy. But there is an interesting fact: there is the curious historical document signed by members of the World Parisian exhibition professional jury in 1900, which allows to call a drink of the Russian manufacture as cognac. In fact, this sanction concerns only the Armenian cognac manufactured by Nikolay Shustov. It was sent to that exhibition anonymously, without the indication of the manufacturer, and won Grand prix, having overtaken the true French cognacs.

Company William Grant and Sons Ltd - the owner of the most prestigious world awards and the manufacturer of one-malt Scottish whisky Glenfiddich – has recently presented in the market a new image of the known and popular brand, having declared the real war to its closest competitors. Today the company has made a revolutionary step, having invested in Glenfiddich’s advertising campaign really record sum – about 23 million pounds sterling.
Glenfiddich’s purpose is to become the first one-malt Scottish whisky which will manage to increase the annual sales over one million boxes. No doubts that the updated image and perception of a brand will help to realize these ambitions and become the groundwork of a long-term success.
In quickly developing and full of opportunities world, people, in particular those who are Glenfiddich’s target group in the age of 35 - 50 years, aspire to receive all from the life. A day or a week are too short to measure any essential changes in our life, but a year plays its role already. The same concerns Glenfiddich - quality which is reached by a long aging.