Many of us can admit to searching for “the Fountain of Youth in a Bottle”, an accessible remedy of sorts to the undeniable effects of the aging process. We live in a society fixated on maintaining our bodies as much as our health. Who would have thought local wines would end up on the list of age-defyers and health tips?
San Sebastian Winery, located in the heart of downtown St. Augustine, has been producing Muscadine wines for the past twelve years. Made from a variety of Florida-grown Muscadine grapes, San Sebastian wines offer health benefits noted to lower cholesterol and help fight diabetes, along with several other benefits.
Indigenous to the east coast and southern states, the Muscadine grape is known for surviving in harsh, disease-prone climates, enabling it to possess a high amount of antioxidants, the highest amount ever tested in a natural product. Along with powerful, disease-fighting antioxidants, Muscadines contain ellagic acid, a compound often associated with anti-aging benefits.
The French settlers who migrated to North Florida nearly 450 years ago began harvesting the Muscadine grape and making wine 150 years before vineyard production took place in California. They used the same Muscadines to ferment wines full of antioxidants that San Sebastian Winery uses today. Antioxidants, found mostly in the skin of Muscadine grapes, help eliminate free radicals from the body. Exposure to radiation, tobacco smoke, pollutants or even intense exercise causes free radical production. These can be controlled by consuming antioxidants as part of a daily diet.
In the fall of 2005, a study was conducted by researchers at North Carolina State University and Duke University Medical Center to evaluate the effects of supplementing meals of test subjects who tested positive for Type II diabetes with Muscadine wine and juice. The results showed elevated levels of vitamins C and E, indicating improved antioxidant status. Lower levels of blood glucose, insulin and glycated hemoglobin indicated better glycemic control. Better insulin sensitivity, a lower risk for developing hypertension, and a decreased tendency towards impaired liver function was also apparent.
Dr. Mauizio Trevisan from the University of Buffalo found that “drinking with dinner assures that the protective effects of alcohol are strongest in the evening, when fats from dinner circulate through the bloodstream and carry over to the next morning, when most heart attacks take place.”
Over the past few decades, red wine has made headlines touting benefits for a healthy diet. Various studies have shown several heart-healthy benefits such as a lowering of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), “bad” cholesterol, while raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) “good” cholesterol, along with reducing blood clotting, preventing heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
New developments regarding the health benefits of red wines continue to surface, but caution should be exercised when consuming any alcoholic beverage. Expectant mothers, those with existing health problems, or those prone to addiction should abstain from alcohol consumption. Though Muscadine wines possess a healthy amount of antioxidants, consult your physician prior to altering your diet.
Located at 157 King Street, San Sebastian Winery is open for complimentary tours and tastings seven days a week. Their wines are for sale throughout the state of Florida at most major supermarkets and wine shops. More information regarding Muscadine wine can be found at www.sansebastianwinery.com.

By Sarah Hansen