About The Vineyard
The vineyard has never been sprayed by any inorganic pesticide or fungicide. The only inorganic substance ever sprayed in the vineyard was a weed killer. The spray was only applied to the ground; no fruit or branches were touched. This spray was applied 4 years ago and thus is now harmless. Controlling insects, weeds, and diseases is done by organic sprays, manual labor, and insect traps.
Health Benefits of Concord Grapes/Juice
"Concord grape juice (not surprisingly) belongs to the purple family. Recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) revealed that people who consumed purple/blue fruits and vegetables on a regular basis had a lowered risk of metabolic syndrome. (Metabolic syndrome is a condition in which a group of risk factors for heart disease, including stroke, and Type 2 diabetes occur together)."
"Many studies have suggested that moderate red wine consumption is beneficial to cardiovascular health. But what if you'd like to skip the alcohol? Take heart: in a laboratory study, just published in the January 2007 issue of Cardiovascular Research, Concord grape juice worked in a similar fashion to red wine to promote healthy arterial function.
Dr. Valérie Schini-Kerth and a team of researchers of the Université Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg found that Concord purple grapes stimulated the production of nitric oxide in endothelial cells and produced a vasorelaxation effect. It is known that nitric oxide is important in the body's natural system for maintaining healthy, flexible blood vessels and helps support healthy blood pressure. The findings in this study are particularly noteworthy because the beneficial effects of Concord grape juice were observed in arteries of the heart.
Researchers further discovered that Concord purple grape juice - available as Welch's Purple Grape Juice in the UK - produced this relaxation effect by stimulating the same chemical reactions in the arteries that are activated by red wine - showing that it's the components of the grape, rather than alcohol, that produces this beneficial effect for the heart.
This study supports other preliminary research in which Concord grape juice had a blood pressure-lowering effect as it provides a possible mechanism for the effect. So, for those looking for an alternative to red wine, grape juice made from Concord grapes provides a delicious, family-friendly, heart-healthy alternative."
See how we make our juice here.