SAGRANTINO – The ‘Healthy Heart’ Grape!

In a previous post* on organic wine, we talked about the grape Sagrantino!

Native to the land-locked region of Umbria (but also sometimes found in next-door Marche), this powerful red grape packs a punch not only in the glass but also in terms of health benefits, thanks to it’s high levels of Procyanidins …

ARTERIAL FLOSS

Research into the health properties of wine is ongoing but many useful discoveries have been made regarding polyphenols.

A key benefit of red or orange wine comes from the polyphenol Procyanidin that is found in the skins and seeds of grapes. Our blood vessels suffer from cholesterol plaque but Procyanidin inhabits this plaque build-up (think of them like dental floss for your arteries, or ‘arterial floss’).

Sagrantino grape has naturally high levels of Procyanidins compared to other more famous grapes. In fact, Sagrantino boasts polyphenol levels twice as high as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Did you know? Studies show that the bitter taste in wine is a good guide to the levels of Procyanidin. Perhaps not surprisingly given their naturally bitter quality, tea and chocolate both contain Procyanidins.

SO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Get your hands on a bottle of Sagrantino wine now: SAGRANTINO WINE or grab a healthy bottle of non-alcoholic SAGRANTINO JUICE to kick start your morning!

* HEALTHY WINE post here: https://onceuponavine.sg/blogs/news/the-healthy-option-benefits-of-drinking-organic-wine

Below, read the full details in the flyer made by our Umbrian winery Cesarini Sartori, that explains more about the Sagrantino grape (and at the end click the image to open a hi-res image of the flyer).

SAGRANTINO: HISTORY & LEGEND

This native vine grows in Umbria in a territory of 670 hectares between Bastardo, Bevagna and Montefalco.

In the Middle Ages it was protected within the walls of Benedictine monasteries during the Barbarian invasions and used to produce the wine for the Holy Mass and to be combined with the lamb during the easter lunch. According to the legend the emperor Frederick II in 1240 A.D. healed its Sacred Falcon with Sagrantino: since then it was used as a tonic for convalescents and asthenic.

THE RESEARCH

Our family has always supported these ancient folk beliefs, so we looked for confirmations in Science.

With the universities of Perugia and Florence, we conducted research on the healthy properties of the main varietals: Sagrantino was found to have the greatest amount of sugars, polyphenols and anthocyanins.

POLYPHENOLS AND ANTHOCYANINS ARE ANTIOXIDANTS

Polyphenols are organic molecules present in fruits and vegetables.

As natural antioxidants they fight free radicals and prevent many diseases: connected with aging (alzheimer), degenerative, immunodeficitary, arteriosclerosis, coronary and cardiovascular.

Among  the main polyphenols of Sagrantino we include: anthocyanins (anti- inflammatory, antimicrobial), gallic acid (haemostatic), hydroxycinnamic derivatives (prevent the oxidation  of “bad” lDl cholesterol), catechins, resveratrol, quercetin, proanthocyanidin, etcetera.

PREVENTION BASED ON HEALTHY FOOD

The US Department of Agriculture has developed the scale “Oxygen radical absorbance Capacity”, OraC, to quantify the antioxidant power of foods, based on the absorption capacity of the oxygen radical.

For this scale one of the most antioxidant-rich foods is the red grape juice (1 cup = 5216 units). The grapes, on average, have 2 g / kg of polyphenols. Sagrantino grape has 4.17 g/Kg... More than double!

ANTIOXIDANTS PREVENT AND CURE FREE RADICALS

Free radicals are positively charged molecules (so unstable) because they are devoid of a free electron.

To regain balance they can steal the missing electron from a stable molecule that becomes a free radical, leading to oxidative stress (an excess of unstable molecules) and triggering a chain reaction that weakens the cells and damages the body.

Antioxidants, molecules with a negative charge, inhibit the potential harmful radicals giving the free electron before the cellular structures are modified.

THE VINEYARD: TECHNOLOGY AND HANDWORK TO AVOID THE CHEMISTRY

Thanks to Prof. Palliotti (University of Perugia) we have optimized a cultivation protocol for the Sagrantino grape by which, from 2009, we focus on geo- referencing to avoid the use of herbicides and to reduce the use of chemicals.

A UNIQUE RECIPE

The Sagrantino has a high amount of natural sugars: this allows us to produce a juice with no added sugar and a superior jam in which the amount of sugar is lower than the other jams.

Thanks to research and careful experimentation made in our kitchen we got now a very high quality product with a huge antioxidant content: the Phitolab of University of Florence, directed by Dott. Romani, has certified that our 2014 jam contained 2.84 g / kg!

CLICK BELOW IMAGE TO OPEN HI-RES COPY OF FLYER