As if we needed another reason to like wine, it turns out that the left-over dregs after fermentation (the pomace) can yield polyphenol extracts that inhibit bacteria that cause tooth decay (see story)! Apparently, these extracts inhibited glucosyltransferases from two different bacterial strains by a whopping 85%. Bacteria in the mouth use glucosyltransferases to anchor themselves to the teeth and become resistant to toothbrushing. Even better, the research was done at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Cornell University using red grape pomace donated from wineries in the New York Finger Lakes. Cabernet Franc pomace was the best of the three varietals tried (over pinot noir and noiret). Could this be the start of a interstate anti-bacterial rivalry--"Our grape gunk is better than your grape gunk!"? Will this cause the lowly Cab Franc to be the new pinot?
Of course, we're years away from actual drug treatments derived from grape pomace, but at the moment, I can't get the picture of a dentist smearing fermented grape skins over my teeth out of my head! That would be a picture worth a thousand words!!
Salute!
a Wine Student.
