Take wines to heart

Today's column is inspired by an e-mail a colleague sent to me a couple of days ago. It had a table of all the "cures" wine is supposed to have and a picture of a basement wine cellar that is a Bacchanalian dream. The title of the e-mail was: The medicine cabinet in my kitchen.

Wine, red wine to be more precise, is supposed to be good for you. Regular amounts in moderation will keep your heart healthy. Red wine has an antioxidant called resveratrol that can help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of "good" cholesterol and protecting against artery damage.

But the key word, of course, is always moderation. There is also alcohol in wine, too much of which can hurt you more than it can "cure" you.