The Secret to a Long Life...

Ah yes, the power of el vino... Chianti: Secret to Long Life, Says Ancient Recipe Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News Sept. 15, 2008 -- The elixir of life may be a concoction of honey, cherries and secret herbs infused in a full Chianti wine, according to a centuries-old recipe discovered in one of Italy's oldest pharmacies. The 18th century-old recipe was discovered in an old manuscript found among the shelves of a pharmacy in Asciano near Sienna dating back to 1715. "My ancestors left several manuscripts with formulas for digestive drinks, but this one struck me because of its ingredients. I knew it had strong scientific basis," said pharmacist Giovanni De Munari, who found the old recipe from behind a small shelf in his Tuscany pharmacy. Upon finding the recipe, De Munari brewed the beverage, and came up with a "low-calorie, highly digestive alcoholic infusion which tasted delicious." The main ingredient in the elixir is the Sangiovese grape, which is the soul of Chianti wine. Until the middle of the 19th century, Chianti was based uniquely on Sangiovese grapes. Around 1850, Baron Bettino Ricasoli codified the Chianti formula and called for as much as 15 percent white grapes like malvasia. "In our recipe, we only have Sangiovese grapes. This is much more like the famous Brunello variety which grows in this area," De Munari said. The elixir's formula echoes recent scientific studies that credit resveratrol, a compound which is found in the skins of red grapes, with helping to prevent heart disease and other age-related illnesses. "Researchers are currently investigating whether resveratrol acts like a longevity molecule that mimics the effects of a calorie-restricted diet," De Munari said. "My ancestors may not have known the names of the chemicals, but they knew that red wine, and Chianti in particular, had therapeutic properties." The other ingredients in the infusion are regional natural products, and all have antiseptic and antibacteric properties, according to the pharmacist. "They combine with resveratrol to achieve such a convincing result. We are so impressed that we are now working with a distillery in northern Italy to make the elixir on a commercial scale," De Munari said. The elixir will be presented to the scientific community at the "Wine and Health" congress in Montalcino next month. However, not all the ingredients will be revealed. "It's a secret formula, like Coca Cola's recipe. Indeed, pharmacists can create great drinks," De Munari said.