Tapping Into Health: Wine as Functional Beverage

Abstract

Abstract The various polyphenol families present in wine are important for a number of technological properties of wine such as clarity, hue, and palatal taste. Dietary polyphenols are correlated with several health benefits, protection against chronic diseases, and promoting healthy aging. However, basic and clinical science is shows that the reality is much more complex than this and several issues such as daily ingestion, bioaccessibility, or in vivo antioxidant activity are yet to be resolved. The concentration of phenolic compounds in wine is determined by viticulture and vinification practices, peculiar of different countries. Interesting are the action of specific yeast strains on the amounts of polyphenols found in the wine. In the present chapter, we discuss the latest results regarding the effects of specific classes of polyphenol (soluble acids, flavonols, and stilbenes) on human health and propose novel perspectives for research to enhance the quantity of these healthy compounds in wine.