The reason why we’re so hooked on red wine

A closeup of red wine being poured into a glass.
Photo by Dima Sobko/Shutterstock

We all know that red wine can be good for your health. It prevents damage to blood vessels, reduces “bad” cholesterol, it can mitigate blood clots, and recently it’s been found to reduce signs of aging. These facts seem to grant us permission to drink 1-2 glasses per day should the mood strike, but a new study has revealed just what is responsible for the appealing aroma of aged wines and why we crave it. A study by Wiley states that grapevine enzyme CYP76F14, a member of the cytochrome P450 family of enzymes, helps convert monoterpenol linalool into a different compound, (E)-8-carboxylinalool, which is then gradually converted into wine lactone that gives off an enticing odor. According to World Nature News and Science Daily, a technique called liquid chromatograph mass spectrometry utilizing a large sample of French grapes and white wines was used to determine these findings. That’s a lot of information. We ought to pour ourselves a glass of red wine!


Also on RNR: