A beautifully wrapped box of chocolates has always been considered a very romantic gift. So if special person in your life is a self-confessed chocoholic, you know one surefire way to please them on special occasions. But surprising news from scientific community is that this reputedly decadent treat actually has some health benefits, especially if you choose your chocolate wisely.

Is Chocolate A Health Food?

Chocolate contains over 300 chemicals, and has been subject of a number of studies by universities and other scientific organizations. Here's a quick rundown of results. We have no way of proving or disproving these claims so we offer them here as a stimulus for further research. If you're really interested in subject, this may provide you with a starting point.

* Cacao, source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. Of course this is counteracted by high sugar content of milk chocolate.

* The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.

* Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.

* The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.

* Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may actually diminish appetite.

* Men who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don't.

* The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic.

* Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in blood.

Novice wine lovers soon come across concept of blended and varietal wines. The two questions that spring to mind are, “what does it mean?” and “does it matter?”

At basic level, difference is quite simple. Varietal wines are made from a single grape variety, while blended wines are made using two or more. The most obvious example is difference between two great red wine styles of France. Burgundy red wine is composed of single variety Pinot noir. Bordeaux red wines are most often blends of up to five varieties, Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit verdot. There are a few Bordeaux wines made from a single variety, but they are exceptions that prove rule.

So much for theory. The distinction between varietal and blended wines is less clear in practice. Many varietal wines are made from blends of wine grown in several regions. Australia’s iconic Grange is such an example. Each year hundreds of samples from many vineyards are tasted and evaluated before final blend is decided upon. The result is a blend of regions, rather than varieties.