10 Healthiest Hospitality Drinks

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

My Uncle Ron is a great guy, and at our last get-together he said, “You always are sharing all this wisdom from your Dad and even your brother-in-law on your blog…..don’t you have something wonderful to say about your Uncle Ron?”

Of course I have a ton of wonderful things to say about my Uncle Ron! First and foremost, anytime you go over to visit Uncle Ron he is quick to make you feel welcome by offering you a drink. He always has a great variety on hand.

In honor of Father’s Day I would like to recognize all the great father figures in my life, along with my own fabulous dad. Thank you all for being such amazing role models, and for always just being there. My Uncle Ron wins the hospitality award!

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Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD is a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor at Fountain Hills Naturopathic Medicine 16719 E Palisades Blvd, Suite 205, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268.

She believes we should utilize natural medicines to treat the root cause of disease rather than just treating symptoms, as symptoms are a message of imbalance sent from the body and will persist until they are properly addressed.

For appointments please visit http://FHnaturopathic.com for more information about Naturopathic Medicine services.
©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Best Organic Cabernet 2008

The Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino County 2006 is simply a delightful, delicious organic red wine.

Most oenophiles will agree that the organic wine industry is pretty limited, young, and newly developing. I would actually rate some of the organic red wines I’ve tasted as worse than the worst boxed wine. The exorbitant price just further leaves a bad taste.

It is important to buy organic wine because grapes are on the “Dirty Dozen” of most pesticide ridden foods. Grapes are the 9th most toxic produce item.

From a biochemical standpoint we are concentrating and extracting lipid soluble toxins with the wine making process.

From a health standpoint, we want to lesson the total chemical burden on the liver by eliminating avoidable pesticides and added sulfites. Wine naturally contains sulfites, but organic wine does not have additional sulfites which translates in to less of a “red wine hangover.”

This is why you can go to Europe and taste many different red wines without the headache, as Italy and France do not allow for additional sulfites in wine making unless they are due for export to America.

Organic red wine is a great way to “cheat the system” for those of you that are always asking me for healthy short cuts. If you aren’t going to give up your red wine for the new year, then just go organic with it!

The best way to maximize the anti-aging benefits from the resveratrol in red wine is to reduce the total toxic burden of the beverage. Organic red wine provides all the power of resveratrol without all the sulfites, pesticides, and other needless garbage that pollutes our system.

Makes plenty of sense, but still it is tough to find an organic wine that is both tasty and affordable.

I was happy to learn from the Safeway wine guy that this Bonterra organic cab scored a whopping 88 points which is pretty significant for an organic red!

Wine writer David Lawrason reviewed Bonterra’s 2006 organic cab as, “a lovely evenness, with bright berry fruit, a touch of Cabernet, green bean and tobacco, and moderate toast and clove. Mid-weight and nicely balanced, with fine tannin. Very good length. Enjoy over the next four years.”

Wine spectator James Laube describes this organic red as, “Supple, elegant and polished, with ripe, fleshy plum, black cherry, mineral, spice and light cedary oak flavors that are well-proportioned, gaining length. Drink now through 2011.”

Be sure you are picking up Bonterra’s 2006 organic cab, as our kitchen table tasters did not particularly care for Bonerra’s merlot.

Since I am not a fan of Cabernet I invited my team of product tasters over to help me with an unbiased review, and they were pleased to highly recommend this organic red.

“Jammy and delicious!”

“Very smooth…”

“I could drink a glass of this every day, and for fifteen bucks a bottle I think I will.”

“Yummy! This is a great cab.”

And of course my favorite comment, “This is guilt free wine at it’s finest!”

I am happy to report that although I typically don’t care for cab’s I agreed with my fellow tasters and found it to be smooth, jammy, sweet, light, and delicious. Most cab’s are too tart for my pallet, but this one was just right.

I was also pleased about the price, for just $12 on sale, this 88 point organic red is definitely a great wine to load up on when sales hit, and you can always just grab a case through your local wine dealer to get a further price break. A perfect bottle of organic wine makes for the perfect holiday party gift. If you have a friend that is a oenophile the rare find of a delicious organic red will absolutely make the perfect gift…and their livers will of course thank you too!

Bonterra is typically available at Safeway, PCC, Whole Foods, and other natural markets that feature organic products.

~Dr. Nicole

If you have an organic product you would like tested at the kitchen table simply contact us.

Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD is a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor at Fountain Hills Naturopathic Medicine 16719 E Palisades Blvd, Suite 205, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268.

She believes we should utilize natural medicines to treat the root cause of disease rather than just treating symptoms, as symptoms are a message of imbalance sent from the body and will persist until they are properly addressed.

For appointments please visit http://FHnaturopathic.com for more information about Naturopathic Medicine services.
©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™