Tapping into healthy: Wine as functional beverage

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 associated with a wide range of health benefits, protecting against chronic diseases and promoting healthy aging.However, basic and clinical science is showing that the reality is much more complex than this and that several issues, notably daily intake, bioavailability, 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 effects of different yeast strains on the final concentration of polyphenols in red wine. We here summarize the recent findings concerning the effects of specific classes of polyphenol (soluble acids, flavonols and stilbenes) on human health and propose future directions for research to increase the amount of these healthy compounds in wine.