Here's some information that I compiled a few months ago. Based on it,
I decided not to start drinking red wine. I posted it to this group
before, but the broken links are fixed below.

Here's one of the anti-wine opinions:

http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20041022-000010.html

----------QUOTE-----------
Until now, no one has known how red wine protects brain, heart and
other organs of the body. It's definitely not the alcohol, as alcohol
is in its own right a metabolic toxin, most especially through its
chief metabolite, acetaldehyde; liver damage is just part of the danger

it poses. Besides, if it were the alcohol, white wine would have as
much beneficial effect as red wine-but that's not the case....Lots of
fruits and vegetables, however, contain flavonoids. But red grapes have

one that few other plants have, called resveratrol.
--------------------------

I've heard that alcohol shrinks the brain from several sources,
including the article below. Or maybe this article is refuting past
studies about brain shrinkage. I'm not sure how to read some of these
journal abstracts.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra
ct&list_uids=15834232&query_hl=5

----------QUOTE-----------
Alcohol-dependent individuals have brain volume loss. Possibly,
moderate drinkers who are not alcohol dependent have similar but less
prominent brain damage....CONCLUSIONS: Neither current nor lifetime
alcohol intake is associated with decreases in brain volumes in male or

female moderate drinkers.
--------------------------

The Mayo Clinic says moderate alcohol use might be healthy, and they
put flavonoids and reveratrol in different categories:

http://www.ohiohealth.com/healthreference/reference/C597C6A7-1091-4984-BA6576BDD
3FDE32A.htm?category=questions

----------QUOTE-----------
Grapes and grape juice both contain phytochemicals, which do appear to
offer health benefits. These phytochemicals include:

Flavonoids. These antioxidants help prevent blood clots and plaques in
arteries.
Resveratrol. This substance, found in grape skins and seeds, increases
high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol).
But it's not known if grapes provide enough resveratrol to have a
significant benefit.
Tannins. These compounds decrease blood clotting.
But wine has one thing that grapes don't: alcohol. Moderate alcohol use

can raise HDL cholesterol and inhibit blood clotting. But in some
people, alcohol can increase blood triglyceride levels and the risk of
heart disease.
--------------------------

Grape juice has lower levels of reveratrol than wine.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1
1804508&dopt=Abstract

----------QUOTE-----------
Concentrations ranged from 1.56 to 1042 nmol/g [I think that should be
10.42] in Concord grape products, and from 8.63 to 24.84 micromol/L in
Italian red wine. The concentrations of resveratrol were silmilar in
cranberry and grape juice at 1.07 and 1.56 nmol/g, respectively.
--------------------------

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/resveratrol.html

----------QUOTE-----------
The resveratrol content of wine is related to the length of time the
grape skins are present during the fermentation process....Grape juice,

which is not a fermented beverage, is not a significant source of
resveratrol.
--------------------------

Here's some more information:

http://www.ynhh.org/online/nutrition/advisor/red_wine.html

----------QUOTE-----------
Recently, researchers have found that moderate red wine consumption may

be beneficial to more than just your heart. One study found that the
antioxidant resveratrol, which is prevalent in the skin of red grapes,
may inhibit tumor development in some cancers. Another study indicated
that resveratrol aided in the formation of nerve cells, which experts
believe may be helpful in the treatment of neurological diseases like
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Which wines should you consume to reap the most benefits?
Researchers at the University of California, at Davis tested a variety
of wines to determine which types have the highest concentrations of
flavonoids. Their results concluded that the flavonoid favorite is
Cabernet Sauvignon, followed closely by Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir.
Both Merlots and red zinfandels have fewer flavonoids than their more
potent predecessors. White wine had significantly smaller amounts than
the red wine varieties. The bottom line is the sweeter the wine, the
fewer the flavonoids. Dryer red wines are your best bet for a flavonoid

boost.

How much red wine should I drink?
A four-ounce glass of wine is equivalent to one serving. Men will
benefit from consuming one to two servings per day. Women should
consume only one serving per day to reap the maximum benefits. This is
not to say that you should start drinking alcohol if you presently do
not. Occasional or binge drinkers have higher mortality rates than
those who drink moderately on a regular basis. In those who consume
three or more drinks per day, there is an increased risk for elevated
serum triglycerides (fat in the bloodstream). Long-term, excessive
alcohol consumption can damage nerve cells, the liver and the pancreas.

Heavy drinkers are also at risk for malnutrition, as alcohol may
substitute for more nutritious foods.
--------------------------

A paper written by Evan H. Siemann and Creasy, "Concentration of the
Phytoalexin Resveratrol in Wine," The American Journal of Enology and
Viticulture, Vol. 43, 1992, says N.Y. Pinot Noir wine has the most
resveratrol.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/98/2.5.98/resveratrol.html

----------QUOTE-----------
Creasy's study, consisting mostly of 1995 vintages, included 70 New
York state red wines, 19 from California and 22 from other states or
countries. New York wines had the highest resveratrol
concentration...The type of wine with by far the highest resveratrol
levels was pinot noir, with 11 of the 17 New York wines registering
above 10 µM. For pinot noir, the average levels were 13.6 µM for New
York, 11 µM for all non-New York and 10.1 µM for California.

Variations were striking in the cabernet sauvignon category. New York
wine had an average of 8.3 µM in this category, with all non-New York
cabernet sauvignons at 3.7 µM, and California's at 1.7 µM. New York
cabernet sauvignon Francs averaged 8.6 µM, but non-New York wines were

not analyzed for comparison in this category.
--------------------------

I read that last article first, then I did research into where to buy
N.Y. Pinot Noir, and found Vintage New York. I chose them because of
their large selection of N.Y. Pinot Noir, and also because they only
sell wine (I'd rather not give business to a place that sells alcohol
that's not healthy). But now I'm afraid of my brain shrinking and
becoming less alert. I need my brain for thinking and stuff, and
sometimes I think of big things.

Here's another good source of information on wine and health:
http://www.hkam.org.hk/temp/wine_health.html