Logically Extending Into Infinity, or "Much More of a Good Thing"

As my thoughts still lingered on yesterday's fusion-beverage entry, I ran across two stories that caught my eye:

http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=35063&cat=Today's+Most+Popular+Stories&more=/news/newspopular.asp
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-0605090233may10,1,6540784.column?coll=chi-leisuregoodeating-hed

Yes, I love wine. I'd pair a glass of nice, semisweet Vouvray with my morning mushroom-blue-cheese omelet--or perhaps a lush, slightly peppery Zinfandel if there's any spicy sausage in the fridge to add--if it wasn't so socially unacceptable (well, probably not ... sometimes hyperbole gets the best of me; of course, Saturday brunch is another matter). But there's more to this than my enophilic tendencies.

Wine consumption has been on the rise for a handful of years now, notably with the more-youthful, so-called "Millennial" bracket (see http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,3091,00.html) and--apparently--ethnic consumers tippling the grape these days. Although the dynamics surrounding wine lead analysts to cite several reasons for this increase--including demographic changes and increased wine-industry advertising (think NASCAR wine; see http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/04/02/100tra_tl7manly001.cfm for an example)--health has played a dramatic role in this story.

The myriad health benefits of both wine (think Mediterranean diet; see /news/2006/04/mediterranean-diet-might-reduce-alzheimers-risk.aspx) and, on the ingredient side of the fence, the resveratrol in grape-skin extract (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resveratrol) continue to make headlines. Kicking back with a glass of wine delivers a number of attractive results--not the least of which is the relaxation involved. However, the proven antioxidant and other beneficial effects of grape-skin and -seed extract can add a treasure-trove of health benefits to foods and beverages.

Such healthful ingredients typically find use in functional foods and beverages that immediately shout "health!" to a certain cross-sections of consumers. However, they could also add appeal to a number of retail and foodservice products as a logical extension of the original whole-food ingredient that served as its source. This could either form a "stealthy healthy" approach where manufacturers boost the healthful nature of the product without drawing overt attention to that fact or, for some markets, it could serve as a marketing platform.

For example, consider a moderate to high-end foodservice Cabernet reduction fortified with grape-skin and/or grape-seed extract. The wine is already there--we're just giving it a healthful boost. Perhaps call it a "Super Cab Redux-ion."

Or, in light of the recent research regarding the satiety-inducing merits of pine nuts (see /news/2006/04/pine-nuts-might-help-promote-satiety.aspx), why not add pinolenic acid in suitable levels to pesto? At the foodservice level, operators could add some al dente, whole-grain capellini and lightly sautéed garden vegetables and dub it "Lean, Green Pesto Primavera" or some similiar such moniker. You can see where I'm going with this…

The ability to add healthful ingredients to a wider range of products has much potential. And, in our increasingly healthful-minded U.S. consumer climate, it could prove quite profitable.