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Tue 11 Dec 2007
Wine Without The Whine
Casa Mia present us with the holy grail — hangover-free wine.
Now we all know the symptoms of a hangover very well: the aching body, the splitting headache, the waves of nausea, if not actual vomiting. Yes, all these fun feelings await us this holiday season and, as we enter the year’s most hectic party period, with an office party here and drinks with friends there, the hangovers that follow are not easily avoided. Until now.
The release of a new hangover-free wine is here and the delightful people at Casa Mia Grande in Chapel Allerton have managed to get their mitts on it for us all to try. It’s called Kardio Fulax, which literally translates as ‘the guardian of the heart’ and the secret behind the wine is that it contains no sulphites. “Sulphites?” we hear you cry. “What on earth are you talking about? I thought wine contained grapes!” Well, we did too, so here’s the sciency bit. Sulphites are commonly used as a preservative in wines to prolong shelf life, so are in most wines we drink. According to government guidelines, the daily intake of sulphites is 42g per day for a 60kg woman (that’s about nine and a half stone for all us non-metric lasses) and, as a medium glass of white wine contains approximately 26g of sulphites, you can’t even have two glasses without overdosing.
Now before the horror sets in and the thought of no more lovely vino drives us all mad, breathe and relax. The new Kardio Fulax, which is being sold at £39.95 per 750ml bottle in the restaurant, is an Italian white wine made from a blend of Trebbiano, Chardonnay and Passerine grapes, making it a crisp, light wine perfect for a variety of foods ranging from fish to white meats to cheese. With only 3,090 bottles being made this year, Francesco Mazzella, owner of Casa Mia Grande, has fought to get his hands on the 300 he now has in stock, which will complement the Kardio Fulax red wine that he already has.
“It is now acknowledged by most authorities, including the World Health Organisation, that sulphites are not safe for everyone,” he says. “Many people are sulphite sensitive and experience terrible hangovers with wines containing just an average level of the chemical. Kardio Fulax is ideal for people who may have that disposition and a refreshing option for those of us without it.”
Being so exclusive, we asked what he was doing to keep it secret from other bar and restaurant spies trying to get their paws on it.
“The bottles of Kardio Fulax are now kept under lock and key in our temperature controlled wine cellar. My advice is to come and visit us soon to experience this very special wine for yourself — and hopefully say goodbye to your hangover.” Kardio Fulax is also available to take away from the polish deli Buratynski’s (next door to Casa Mia) for a reduced price of £31.95 and will also be available from the website, www.casamiaonline.com, for the same price.
Casa Mia Grande, 33-35 Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, 0870 444 5154; Buratynski’s, 39 Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton, 0113 262 1422
Lindsay Durham