Researchers from the University of Sheffield in U.K. have revealed that a regular intake of alcohol provided protection against rheumatoid arthritis and its painful effects.
The study published in the U.K. journal Rheumatology is said to be the first to have found a link between alcohol and the effects of the debilitating disease.
Dr. James Maxwell, consultant rheumatologist and lead author of the study, explained the findings, saying: “Patients who drank alcohol most frequently had symptoms less severe than those who never drank or only infrequently.”
The study was conducted on two groups of patients with and without the disease to provide details of their drinking habits.
X-rays later showed that there was less damage to the joints, blood tests showed lower levels of inflammation, and there was less joint pain, swelling and disability in those patients that had regular intake of alcohol.
What it showed clearly is that drinking alcohol can not only ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, it appears to reduce disease severity, too.
This, however, is in no way to be taken as a green light for drinking more, the researchers warned.
Here are some excerpts from a recent story in the about Biodynamic farming as it applies to grape growing and wine making.
Explaining Biodynamics to journalists is always fraught with the potential for misunderstanding, and it’s no surprise that the writer of this piece, Joe Eskenazi fails to grasp the underlying philosophy, and many of the subtle underlying concepts and hasn’t undertaken the necessary research to be able to credit biodynamics with much in the way of scientific backing.
Still, what’s interesting here is that biodynamics in grape growing is increasing in popularity, and that this writer is willing to explore biodynamic practices, unusual as they may seem, in considerable detail.
Marcella Smith is the General Manager of , the restaurant of the , where aspiring chefs hone their culinary skills and where their homework is your meal. Highly regarded in the foodie community, the restaurant has received praise from , , and high marks from the hoi polloi on and . We met Smith during a screening of , a documentary about Tool lead singer . Read below to see how Smith likes to waste time…
Describe a typical workday.
Emails, wine list changes, menu changes, staff meetings, meeting with chefs and students on the day’s specials, taking reservations, working the floor during service which includes: bussing tables, opening wine, taking orders, seating guests, answering the phone, running food, etc. and last but not least….wine tastings!
What made you decide to become a sommelier and delve into the restaurant business? What do you love most about your position as General Manager?
I was an actor bartending on the side when my husband and I decided to have our first baby (Hazel is three now). I couldn’t fathom being a pregnant bartender, so I quit acting and took a restaurant management job. I went back and got my sommelier certification right after Hazel was born. I think as general manager, I truly enjoy trying to create an atmosphere that is both welcoming and exciting for guests. Other than that…..cocktail experimentation is pretty damn fun!
For those inexperienced wine drinkers out there, could you recommend two or three great wines to break them in? And for those who hit the bottle on the regular, what are some old standards that you love?
For beginners I recommend starting with . It is unpretentious, light, fruity and goes with any food you can imagine. My go-to wine is anything sparkling. Love it….anytime. For those looking for something different, turn to the . Oxidized whites and obscure reds, both really good with food. There is also some amazing sparkling wine coming out of the Jura.
Are there any new promising wines that we should look out for?
(100% [a type of grape]) is an amazingly under-appreciated wine. It is ridiculously versatile for food pairing:light enough to go with some fish and structured enough to stand up to meat. It is also a great value.
Can you recommend some great wine shops in the city?
The two majors are and . Other than that, there is and .
Since you’re a part of the city’s restaurant/hospitality community, I’m curious about your favorite places to eat and imbibe.
, , , my fire escape (it overlooks the Hudson up in Washington Heights and the sunsets are to die for).
What are some of your favorite NYC neighborhoods and why?
I actually do love Williamsburg. A close friend of mine lives there. When I visit, it seems like I just took a trip back in time to the 80s of my youth. They also have killer restaurants and boutiques. I love (between Washington Heights and Inwood) because it is hardly like you are even in Manhattan. It is right by which houses and .
Since we met at a TOOL event, I’m assuming Maynard and his projects encompass some of your favorite music. What are some of your other favorite bands/musicians?
Hmmm….some of my other favorites are Jane’s Addiction, Lucero and Marvin Gaye.
What are some of your favorite films?
I don’t seem to have the attention span to watch movies anymore. Now I just Netflix TVshows and power watch an entire season in a week. I am a major fan of , , , , and .
What do you love most about the city?
There are a million things to love about this city, but mostly I love that it makes me feel special. Weird right?
What is the best way to beat this darn heat in the city?
Get your calendar ready because August is packed with Oregon wine events all over the Willamette Valley. In the wake of the epic International Pinot Noir Celebration that took place last weekend in McMinnville, those who attended have had a week-long break and should be ready to dust off their Sunday-best for another month full of wine & food. The rest of us who didn’t attend are admittedly jealous, and will finally quench our thirst at these upcoming gatherings. Plus, let’s face it, summertime in Oregon doesn’t last much longer so we better get outside and enjoy it! Here’s just a few of the celebrations and festivals happening this August to get your wine fix:
When: August 6th – 8th Where: Waterfront Park – Downtown Portland Ticket Price: $10 weekend pass, $8 one-day pass, $3 early bird special (no food or beverage included) Participating Wineries: Acrobat by King Estate, Airlie Winery, Arcane Cellars, Bridgeview Vineyards & Winery, Capitello Wines, Chateau Bianca, Cliff Creek, David Hill Winery, Duck Pond Cellars, Erath Winery, Foris Vineyards, Girardet Wine Cellars and Vineyard, Helvetia Winery, Henry Estate Winery, Hillcrest Vineyard, Hinman Vinyeards, Hip Chicks Do Wine, Kings Ridge Wines, Maysara Winery, Namaste Vineyards, Palotai Wines, Rizzo Winery, Sake One, Seufert Winery, Spangler Vineyards, Viridian Wines, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Wines By Joe, Zebra Cellars Food & Other Vendors: There are over 120 menu items to choose from provided by several (too many to list) restaurants, food carts, and chefs, as well as beer from 14 different local breweries. Live entertainment will also be provided on 5 different stages throughout the festival.
When:Saturday, August 14th, 10am – 2pm Where: Maysara Winery - McMinnville, OR Ticket Price: $25 pre-purchase online or $35 at the door (includes AVA Tasting, Appetizers & Etched Tasting Glass) Participating Wineries:Amity Vineyards, Brittan Vineyards, Coeur de Terre Vineyard, Coleman Vineyard, Dobbes Family Estate, EIEIO, Kelley Fox Wines, Maysara Winery, Noble Pig, Seufert Winery, Yamhill Valley Vineyards and Youngberg Hill Vineyards Food & Other Vendors:SubTerra Restaurant, Willamette Valley Cheese Company, Honest Chocolates, Red Fox Bakery, Red Ridge Farms and Joel Palmer House Oregon Truffle Oil
When:Saturday, August 14th, 5pm – 9pm Where: The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club – Aloha, OR Ticket Price: $30 pre-sale or $35 at the door (includes wine and food tasting). A portion of the proceeds will benefit Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation Participating Wineries: Adea, Anam Cara Cellars, Angel Vine Winery, ArborBrook Vineyards, Archery Summit, Ardiri Winery, Artisanal Wine Cellars, Bergstrom Winery, Brooks Winery, Dobbes Family Estate/Wine By Joe, Duck Pond Cellars, Dukes Family Vineyards, EdenVale Winery, Grochau Cellars, Hawkins Cellars, Johan Vineyards, K&M Wines, Matello, Rizzo Winery, Seufert Winery, Solena & Grand Cru Estates, Trisaetum Winery Twelve Winery, VX Vineyards, WillaKenzie Estate, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Woodridge Creek Vineyards, Youngberg Hill, Z’IVO Wines Food & Other Vendors: 50 Plates Restaurant, Aquariva Restaurant, Bamboo Sushi, Bethany’s Table, Chonga’s Salsa, Elements Tapas Bar & Lounge, Fanucchi Oils, Koi Fusion, Maialino Bacon, Phresh Organic Catering, Portland Truffle, Red Star Tavern, Silk Restaurant, Sweet Masterpiece Chocolates, Thirst Wine Bar & Bistro, Trébol, Vintage Room at the Reserve, Volcanic Minerals
When: Saturday, August 21st, 5pm Where: Cubanisimo Vineyards Tasting Room – Salem, OR Ticket Price: $15 per person (includes lesson and tasting or glass of wine) Notes: I went to this last year and it was a lot of fun! The wine tasting before the lesson helps to loosen up your dancing legs. This is a monthly event with dates throughout the year.
When: August 20th – 22nd, 7pm Fri, 7pm Sat, 6pm Sun. Where:Stoller Vineyards – Dayton, OR Ticket Price: Free, food & wine available for sale, feel free to bring your own food but no outside alcohol Notes: Pre-show activities one hour prior, other August performance dates at Reed College in Portland and The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, OR
When: Monday, August 30th, 5pm – 8pm Where: Gerding Theater – Pearl District, Downtown Portland Price: $25 pre-sale or $35 at the door Participating Wineries: Adea, Alexana Estate Vineyard & Winery, Anne Amie, Atticus Wine, Belle Pente, Biggio Hamina Cellars, Carlton Cellars, Carlton Hill Vineyard, EIEIO & Company, Elk Cove Vineyards, Ghost Hill Cellars, Ken Wright Cellars, Kramer Vineyards, Lemelson Vineyards, Lenne’ Estate, Lunimous Hills/Seven of Hearts, Merriman Wines, Panther Creek Cellars, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, Roots, Solena & Gran Cru Estates, Soter Vineyards, Stag Hollow, Twelve, Wahle Vineyards & Cellars, WillaKenzie Estate Winery Food: La Rambla, Joel Palmer House, Nick’s, more TBA
I’m sure there are many more wine & food events throughout Oregon this August so please feel free to add a comment below to include any I have missed!
We will be offering two complementary tasting events in August.
Weekend Aug 14/15 (and possibly 13) – BC Wine. In conjunction with BowFEAST we will feature a selection of BC wines (predominately whites) over the Saturday and Sunday. May do a bonus session Friday evening, but have to confirm on that. Some of the wines in the line up for the weekend include Dirty Laundry, Blasted Church & CedarCreek
The second tasting is Saturday August 21. This will be the second in our Unusual Grapes series and will feature wines from Greece. This country has an ancient wine growing tradition – and it’s not just Retsina any more.
Last night I went to with Whit and Brent, and we were feeling festive because Brent is moving to NYC in a matter of days. Running out of time! So we got a bottle of wine (Gruner… of Austria). (We were on our way to a long movie, and the extra liquids in my bladder would prove near-fatal.)
As we approached the registers, we came upon the desserts. “Is that a chocolate BURGER?” Brent asked. Then: “We have to get one.”
Once the universe starts handing you cake, it just doesn’t let up.
Soon everybody around us (including the people who worked there) were abuzz about the “chocolate burger,” because it is such a hilarious concept. (The girl at the cash register told me that it’s actually called a whoopie pie… .) (And whoopie pie is still a more ridiculous name than chocolate burger.)
I mean, it really did look like a burger.
You be the judge.
It’s two round fluffy cakes with frosting in the middle… the cake version of a macaron.
And THEN as we walked to our table, buzzing about our chocolate burger, we caught the attention of the table next door.
“How’d you manage THAT?” a woman asked. “A bottle of wine!”
“Uh… we bought it?” I said, with maybe a bit of I’m-hungry snark in my voice. Then I realized that the woman was Famous Actress Jennifer Coolidge. Ooops.
We didn’t actually acknowledge that we knew her, so I think she thought we were unawares. She told us that her table of three had eaten FOUR desserts, including the chocolate burger (we had a respectable two desserts– also bought some blueberry cobbler bar thing). She also took a picture of us with our food, because we probably seemed like tourists.
So any actress who eats lots of desserts and is willing to take pictures of idiots with their food is a-okay in my book.
Later, when I recounted this to my mom, she said, “Oh… the ‘bend & snap’ lady?” That hadn’t occurred to me at the time. But yes. Awesome.
I'll bend and snap for cake.
Oh yeah, and the other day I was late for a dinner with some friends (including Brent) and missed seeing JANE LYNCH. That would have been more blog-appropriate. I apologize to everyone.
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