FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions with replies to help you understand our products and services

If you cannot find the information you require please contact us and we will respond promptly. We welcome all your enquiries and the opportunity to help and explain.



Q.    I don’t have credit cards and would like to buy some of your wine, do you accept cheques?
A     We are an internet wine online retailer that has the facility to pay online.  We do not have our own retail store. But you can pay by cheque no problem. After you have completed your purchases, the Checkout page has 3 payment options. You can send a cheque as you requested. The other 2 options are - do an internet banking Direct Credit to an account it will give you, or an immediate Credit Card payment. When the cheque or Direct Credit has cleared in our bank then we ship the wines.

Q.    I would like to visit your shop. Could I have the address?
A.    We are an internet wine online business only. There is 100% money back guarantee for any unopened wines. Our wines are from the best producers in the French Appellation Madiran and are receiving great reviews. See the Contact Us page for our Akld phone number.

Q.    What are your courier costs to the South Island?
A.    Click here to see courier charges around NZ and our freight policy.

Q.    I love your website and saw an article about your wines in the Dominion Post and www.Stuff.co.nz.  What is the difference between Procyanidins and Resveratrol - as I though it was the latter that provided the health benefits in red wine.
A.    Thats a big question. The quick answer is that resveratrol in wine is a myth.  Procyanidin is a flavonoid and resveratrol is a non-flavonoid. Now while resveratrol may be good for you, Prof Roger Corder has tested wines and it is in minute quantities in red wine. He quotes the research of others that says you need to drink a thousand glasses a day to get the benefits that were observed in mice in the laboratory, and does it follow that equivalent high doses of resveratrol is good for humans?
The issues with resveratrol appear to be -

• where are the populations that get high doses from foods naturally that could be the basis of support for the research on mice, worms, fish, etc
• there is no evidence it is the basis of the French Paradox as some advertisers claim
• some research has shown that a large percentage of the doses in supplements are simply passed out into the urine because the body does not absorb it, in fact almost zero reaches the blood system
• human metabolism is different to mice
• there is concern that high dose resveratrol supplements are not proven to be safe in the long term.

Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute of Aging in USA, which has supported resveratrol studies, said that people should wait for the results of safety testing. Substances that are safe and beneficial in small doses, like vitamins, sometimes prove to be harmful when taken in high doses.

Procyanidins on the other hand have been found in the greatest concentration, up to 1200gms per bottle, in the wines of the Madiran which is also a region where the population have the greatest longevity in France and much of Europe. It is consistent with a couple of other places such as  Sardinia where the same grapes and wine making methods are used. Also the laboratory testing by Prof Corder was on cultured human tissue, not other animals. The concentration of procyanidins in high dose  wines is similar to the concentrations in other foods types such as the 70% dark chocolate.  It is also shown that exceptional longevity occurs in the populations receiving high doses naturally from those foods as with the Madiran wines.
Have a look at the video of Prof Corder from the link on the Home page. Or buy his book that we sell. It is a great lifestyle read, not only about wine but also foods rich in procyanidins, diet plans, the research and more.

Q.    After opening a bottle of Madiran and consuming a couple of glasses what is the life span / keeping capabilities of the remainder? Also what is the best method of storage after opening?
A.    These wines keep well for 3 or 4 days if you replace the cork, or longer if you use a vacuum top and pump. In fact they improve as they open up  from contact with the air. This is what we do and we have had them open for longer than 4 days. In summer place in the refrigerator and let your daily glass return to room temperature before consuming.

Q.    Do the Madiran wines lose their medicinal benefits after opening?
A.    No, the procyanidins only deteriorate slowly over many years of storage. The wines we sell were tested when released to the market by which time they are already several years since vintage.

Q.   What is the difference for health between healthy compounds in foods naturally and high dose supplements such as with resveratrol?
A.   That's a great question but it would not be correct to answer it in general terms for all supplements.  But in regards to resveratrol the following is common with many other opinions. 

Is it true that resveratrol supplements, sold in drug and health food stores, mimic estrogen?
Thomas Walle of the Department of Pharmacology, University of Southern Carolina, who has studied the metabolism of resveratrol supplements in humans, answers:  "It is difficult to give a straight answer, as it is with most dietary components. From some in vitro studies it would seem that resveratrol can mimic estrogen. There are, however, no clinical studies to support such a use. As it is with all dietary supplements, they appear to be nontoxic if used in moderate doses for a short period of time. Thus, it is up to the user to use it cautiously. It is not until such dietary components can be thoroughly tested in humans like legitimate drugs that we can give recommendations."

 

Q.    Are there any white Madiran wines? Congratulations what a brilliant concept and product.
A.    It is only the red wines that are so heart healthy. This is a result of the contact of the juice with the skins and seeds which does not occur with the white wines. It is the skins and seeds that contain the procyanidin compounds that are found in the Madiran wines at the highest concentrations. Not all red grapes will be high in procyanidin. Grapes such as Pinot Noir with thin skins and few seeds will never produce highly concentrated procyanidin wines. We do have a small selection of other wines from our Madiran winemakers but they are not heart healthy.

Q.    What are these Madiran red wines like?
A.    These wines are not like the soft, sweet, added sugar, anytime easy drinking reds that are so common. These are well-structured wines that are strong, intense, complex wines with long-lasting tannins and good acidity. The wine makers refer to them as being very well balanced. The almost exclusive use of new French oak barrels while the wines are ageing and other recent production method improvements is producing wines that have subdued tannins compared to in the past. Our customers are really enjoying these wines which are different to most new-world wines. If you browse the website there is lots of information and also food matching recommendations. See our Awards page for wine reviews.

Q.    What is the minimum order quantity from Lifestylewines.co.nz?
A.    You can order just a single 2 or 3 bottle sampler pack or just a book if you wish. Otherwise the minimum quantity is 3 mixed wines. You will need to select the correct Delivery Method for your region for all purchases.

Q.    I am really interested in the health benefits of this wine, but would prefer to 'try before I buy'. Could you tell me, please, if retail shops are selling your wines.
A.     Firstly we have a money back guarantee on any unopened wines. We also have 2 bottle sampler / gift pack. Otherwise the minimum order is just 3 bottles of your own selection. We have many approaches from other retailers and have supplied the following shops, supermarkets and restaurants.  More will follow.
Andiamo Restaurant & Bar, Auckland
Bacchus Cellars, Remuera, Auckland
Bennetts Chocolates, Mangawhai, Northland
Boulcott Street Restaurant, Wellington
Clooney Restaurant, Auckland
Decant wineshop, Christchurch
First Glass, Takapuna, Nth Shore City
Le Canard Restaurant, Thorndon, Wellington
Logan Brown Restaurant, Wellington
New World, Albany, Nth Shore City
New World Masterton
New World Devonport, Nth Shore City
New World Victoria Park, City, Akld
New World Remuera, Akld
New World Eastridge, Mission Bay, Akld
New World Metro, Willis St, Wellington

Q.    Dear Doctor. I am about to place my orders of your wine, but confused as to which is really good for supporting healthy blood pressure levels and cholesterol. Can you let me know which are the most powerful?
A.    All our wines have been tested and all are very high in the procyanidin compounds. See the 4 ♥♥♥♥ and 5 ♥♥♥♥♥ (heart) ratings against each wine. The highest are Lenclos, Montus and Berthoumieu Charles de Batz (all 90% or more Tannat grape). The others are almost as high with ♥♥♥♥.  One glass of these wines is equal to up to 2 bottles of new world red wines. It is important to buy wines that have been tested, as our range has been. When Prof Corder excluded the Madiran wines from his testing results, only 1.5% of all other tested wines rated ♥♥♥♥♥.

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