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Winter is an important time for micro- and craft-brewers. The colder months mean that the heavier beers sell better, and beer aficionados love their holiday-themed beverages. The heavy ales and porters — beers that warm the drinker — lead to sales spikes in the winter. For one of their special holiday beers, Ridgeway brewers had Gary Lippencourt paint them a Santa.

Lippencourt painted a warm image of Claus; the jolly man is sitting atop a large beer barrel (or “butt” in industry lingo) with his back to the viewer, a stein in one hand, and his famous list in the other. The painting wasn’t meant to cause controversy. No, it was meant to be a clever visual pun, perhaps bringing a chuckle, and hopefully sell some beer. The man’s face had been synonymous with Christmas and giving and holiday cheer for decades. Santa, or his visage, would be everywhere and on everything following Thanksgiving. It seemed like everything from Coca-Cola to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade would have a Santa in 2006. Well, everything except for one of the Ridgeway beers that Dan Shelton of the Shelton Brothers was trying to import into a pair of American states. The label for Ridgeway’s Santa’s Butt Winter Porter, which had the Lippencourt Santa, was officially banned by the state liquor authorities of New York and Maine.

For Dan Shelton, and for the Ridgeway beers he imports from England, this wasn’t the first holiday beer that he’d had blocked. A year prior, Connecticut had barred him from selling two Ridgeway ales which had a mischievous elf on the label. Connecticut’s reasoning, the same reason which was paraphrased by New York and Maine, was that depicting such images appealed to children, and could lead to an increase in underage drinking.

Though he had acquiesced in 2005, Shelton was not going to let two states ruin Christmas in 2006. According to his logic, the iconic images of Santa Claus, elves, and reindeer appealed to smaller children, not those likely to buy his beer. Dan stated firmly that his beer wasn’t even remotely marketed at underage drinkers, nor many of those of legal age. To put it bluntly, Dan’s beer is expensive, with the importer quoting in a press release that the average prices are “about five or six bucks a bottle.” No, what seemed to be happening was various state liquor authorities were picking on the proverbial little guy. As Shelton himself put it, banning his beer due to Santa being on the label was “just an easy way to appear to be doing something about [underage drinking] without actually doing something about it.”

While the Shelton Brothers distribution company let Connecticut slide previously, New York and Maine would not be so lucky. Dan Shelton retained Albany-based attorney George Carpinello to bring suit against New York. Carpinello was a sound choice; less than a decade ago he had championed a similar case all the way to the Federal Court of Appeals. The ruling from that case set the precedent Dan was banking on — beer labels were protected as artistic statements under the First Amendment. Though states were granted the right to regulate alcohol sales, denying a product based simply on the label was constitutional infringement.

In Maine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union (MCLU) helped the Shelton Brothers file suit against the Maine Bureau of Liquor Enforcement (MBLE) on those very same grounds. Through the course of that December, it looked like Dan Shelton and Santa would have a pair of very hot court cases on their hands. Or would have, if Carpinello’s case hadn’t been so sound the first time around.

New York, the first to ban the beer label that year, was also the first to fold. The state’s official statement came out on the heels of a press release by the Shelton Brothers after retaining Carpinello. New York State Liquor Authority stated that the label had originally been banned at a “staff level”. When it was reviewed by the New York State Liquor Authority General Counsel, it passed without issue.

Maine took a bit longer, perhaps waiting for the lawsuit to be fully filed, perhaps examining the evidence, or maybe they were just waiting for fallout from New York’s reversal. Either way, on December 22, 2006, the Maine Bureau of Liquor Enforcement mailed Shelton to inform him of their decision to reverse the ruling against Santa’s Butt Winter Porter. Dan was out of the country at the time, so he didn’t receive the news until after the holiday season, but it did prove his point. While beer lovers consider what’s in the bottle to be art, the federal government considers the art to be the outside.

Written by Lawrence Reaves. Article provided by http://MaverickLabel.com, providing online label printing quotes, online proofs and online ordering to make quick work of your label projects.

If you are planning on starting your own catering business, here are some catering tips and tricks for you. Catering may be a tedious business but it sure is a profitable one. Follow these steps and have the best of luck in your endeavor!

1. Decide what kind of catering would you like your business to focus on. If you’re just starting in the business, you might want to try to cater small events first before engaging in a big event that may overwhelmed you and your staff. You don’t need to hurry with these things because several successes on small event are worth remembering than one flop catering service at a big event. You need to decide if you want to try home based catering first or school catering or corporate catering or small events catering first. Once you’ve gained experience and the much needed accomplishments, you can start courting clients for big occasions.

2. More than anything else, you need to make sure that the place where you prepare and cook the food is impeccably clean - this is actually one of the most important catering tips you can live by. It doesn’t matter if your starting business doesn’t have the flare as the old caterers have YET. What matter’s is that you’re serving your clients and guests the best food that you can offer and under the cleanest conditions. They may not be able to verify, see and inspect you place but the health and sanitation committee in your State will do, so make it a point to have a clean environment when cooking.

3. Aside from the supplies and food ingredients, clients and guests, you also need to have all the necessary permits, certifications and authentications to legalize your business. This is one of the most important tasks that you need to do even before having your first client. When you have legal papers, a large chunk of worry is lifted off your shoulder, for sure. You can stop by your local town hall and state offices to find out what sort of certifications and inspections you might need. If you are preparing food in your home, expect to make some changes to comply with all the regulations.

4. Finally, you need to be flexible and accommodating to your customers as it’s a given that they will probably change their mind about at least one of the things ordered. While you cannot give in all the time, it helps your business to provide good customer service so try to be accommodating with any changes that do not hurt your bottom line. When outlining a contract, make sure you stipulate up front any additional charge for changes and substitutions.

Starting a catering business can be a fun and rewarding task but it can also be a lot of work. When dealing with food, you have to provide a high level of customer satisfaction as well as pay close attention to the cleanliness of your prep areas. These catering tips will help you get an idea of what’s involved in the start-up of your operation.

For more great catering tips, visit http://www.eventcateringtips.com.

Pinot Grigio is the Italian name for Pinot Gris wine. This wine is made from grapes that range in color from bluish gray to pinkish gray which is where they get their name. In fact, clusters of grapes on the same vine can be of different colors.

The grapes have varying levels of sweetness, which tends to dissipate as the grapes ripen. There are different names for the grapes and thus the wine made from them depending on the country in which they are grown. In Burgundy they are known as Pinot Beurot, In Germany, they are called Rulander, not to be confused with Riesling (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Riesling/).

The main area for production of Pinot Grigio is the Fruili region of Italy. There are also sizeable vineyards in Alsace, France and Oregon in the US. In Alsace, this grape is known as the Tokay d’Alsace and the wine has a very distinctive flavour. The Italian variety from Fruili has the best taste of all, perhaps due to the attention given to the growing and vinifying processes.

The typical flavor of the wine is delicately fragrant and has a slight lemon taste. However, the taste does depend on the wine making process used and can range from tangy to light and can be full-bodied. You can also get flavors of this wine that taste of pears, melons and tropical fruits, much like a Sauvignon Blanc (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Sauvignon%20Blanc/). The Oregon versions of the wine have mainly tastes of peach and apricots, while those from Germany have a more earthy and austere taste.

The color of Pinot Grigio is usually light yellow in color and the texture is very smooth. It works well with cheese and fruit trays and with foods that are high in acidity because of the high acidic taste of the wine itself. This is a very simple wine that can be a very refreshing drink on a hot summer day. Because of its simplicity it is often overlooked for use at events and with meals. In Alsace it is most often paired with desserts or rich tasting foods. As a rule, it is mainly a cocktail wine.

Some of the most popular brands of Pinot Grigio are:

• Graffigna. This wine comes from the wineries of the San Juan region of Argentina and very closely resembles the Pinot Grigio of Alsace with its peach and pear aroma.

• Villa del Borgo. This wine has a fine, silky and succulent taste with a hint of fresh cream. It is inexpensive, but has the taste of a really expensive wine that you can have as an aperitif.

• Di Lenardo. Direct from Fruili, Italy, the home of Pinot Grigio, this wine has a crisp and refreshing taste. It is the perfect choice for relaxing at the end of the day.

• Villa Girardi. Produced in Venetto, Italy, this brand will give you a Venetian style of Pinot Grigio. It has a medium body and an aromatic flavour that just lends itself to use at a wine and cheese event.

• Jean-Baptists Adam. These wines from Alsace have a tendency to stimulate your appetite. They are the perfect choice as cocktails before dinner so that your guests will really enjoy the cuisine you prepare.

• Terlano. If you want a Pinot Grigio wine for sipping while you have stimulating conversation, this wine from Alto Adige, Italy, has the taste of minerals and lemon. It is the perfect wine to accompany seafood dishes.

Sarah Martin is a freelance marketing writer based out of San Diego, CA. She specializes in international travel, cuisine, and fine wine varietals. To browse a wide selection of wines including Pinot Grigio and Riesling, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com.

The Sangiovese grape comes from the Tuscany region of Italy and is the grape used in making Chianti wines. Wines made from this grape have a fruity strawberry taste when they are first produced, but as the wine ages they take on an oak flavour from the oak barrels in which they are aged.

Although the wine will last for a long time, the berries are very resistant to rot and care has to be taken when they are growing on the vines. They are blue-black in color and need very hot climates for growth. They do require a long growing season because they ripen very slowly.

The Sangiovese grapes were brought to California by Italian immigrants who started growing them in vineyards. They are also used in the wines produced by the vineyards of Virginia and in the wineries of Australia, particularly in Syrah (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Syrah/Shiraz/) blends.

There are 14 duplicates of the Sangiovese grapes and many different clones of the wines. Wines bearing the name of Prognolo Gentile are true wines from this grape as this is an Italian synonym for Sangiovese. The best wines of this nature to choose are:

• Brunello. This is regarded as one of the best Italian wines. The name comes from the clone of the Sangiovese grape used in production. This grape is small with a brown hue to the skin. The wines are aged for three to four years, with a large percentage of that time in oak barrels. Although you can drink this wine as soon as it is bottled, it tastes a lot better if you let it age for a further 3 or 4 years and some producers allow the wine to age for as long as 20 years.

• Chianti Sangioveto. This is the classic red wine made from the Sangiovese grape. It should be served at 59?F and will last in the bottle for up to ten years. It can be served with any foods that are well-seasoned. This wine comes from the Chianti region of Tuscany and only the wines from this region carry this brand name. This is one of the ways in which you know you are drinking a true Sangiovese wine.

• Asinone. This wine from the Montepulciano region of Italy is composed on 90% Sangiovese grapes, with the remaining 10% coming from Merlot (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Merlot/) grapes.

Wines made from these grapes have a spicy taste, smooth texture and medium bodies. The grapes are often blended with other grapes in the Super Tuscan wines that come from Northern Italy. The best known of these Super Tuscans that uses the grapes is Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the premier red wines of the world.

There is a great deal of experimentation taking place with growing these grapes in many parts of the world that have the climate needed for the growing season. This is because the wines made from the Sangiovese grapes are smoother than most other wines and go well with virtually all kinds of food.

Experiments are also being conducted on blending the grapes with other varieties to produce new wines. Because it is the most commonly planted grape in Italy, this wine is not expensive and continues to be a best seller all over the world. You can do a general search online for retailers or narrow your search by year to find a wine that you can serve at any occasion.

Sarah Martin is a freelance marketing writer based out of San Diego, CA. She specializes in international travel, cuisine, and fine wines. For a wide variety of wines including Sangiovese and Merlot, please visit http://www.wineaccess.com/.

If there is one dish that has earned for itself a reputation as a universal favorite, it would definitely be pasta. Pasts can be cooked up a myriad different ways and is the best food around that can cater to a wide range of tastes. It can be served as a salad, a main dish and even as dessert! The possibilities are endless, as are the ingredients that you can use to accompany the pasta.

Because of this, pasta can be the ultimate dish-to-the-rescue for quick-fix meals. It is a quick lifesaver when you have surprise guests or when your teenager decides to hold an impromptu dinner or slumber party with his friends. Pasta is the easiest dish to prepare in times when you feel you are too worn out to do any kind of serious, complicated cooking.

Preparing a pasta dish is certainly a better alternative to ordering takeout or eating out, since the best way towards healthy eating and living is to always try to prepare your meals yourself.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Always have pasta in your pantry. When you have the time to do the shopping and the cooking, it is best to stock up. Pasta comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and because it can be stored for long periods of time, it is best to buy and stock several different varieties. You can choose from fettuccine, tagliatelle, bucatini, farfalle, fusilli, route or sphagetti. Just drop these in a pot of boiling water and you have pasta ready in minutes. With different shapes and textures, you can always make each dish look unique and appetizing. It would always seem that you did a lot of work when in reality; you only prepared the dish in minutes.

For emergencies, you can store different sauces in the freezer. On a day when you find yourself with no other pressing chores, spend some time in the kitchen preparing batches of different types of pasta sauces. Whether you choose a marinara sauce or any other variety, you can store these in clearly labeled containers in your freezer. When you are ready to use it, it can be easily thawed in the microwave or on the stove until it begins to boil, which will only take minutes. You can do this while you are boiling the pasta and when you are ready to eat, your pasta and its accompanying will be ready to be tucked into.

Bringing out the Crock Pot

If you rarely have the time to work in the kitchen, using a Crock Pot will be a good way to stock up on sauces for your pasta dishes. Since the Crock Pot is closed and cooks using low temperatures, it is safe to just leave it unattended as it cooks, allowing you to go about your work day worry-free while still getting the cooking done.

Even lasagna is a breeze with the crock pot. Sautee the meat, onion and garlic and cook the cheese sauce. Layer the meat, cheese, sauce and pasta in the crock pot and leave to cook for 4-6 hours. Then go about doing whatever you want. At the end of 6 hours, you have lasagna for an immediate meal plus plenty more that you can store for emergencies.

What is great about pasta sauces is that they only get better in time. You will always be the gourmet cook with the flavorful meals – all prepared with ease. Just don’t let anyone in on your little secret.

Bill is an avid home cook who loves to share his favorite crock pot recipes with the rest of us. He finds the crock pot recipes at www.A-Crock-Cook.com to be the easiest to follow. And suggest you try on of the crock pot pasta recipes there.

It is always a challenge for parents to provide healthy meals for their children. As the kids grow and become more active, they need all the nutrients they can get. As healthy meals are not a popular choice among kids, planning a nutritious meal is as important as preparing something that they will actually want to eat.

Facing the Challenge

Whether you are working in an office or just at home most of the day, your responsibility as a parent simply does not change. Fortunately, there are several healthy meal recipes that you can easily follow. A Crock Pot and a collection of good Crock Pot recipes are all you need and you’re good to go.

You may even be amazed with how many different kinds of meals you can prepare with the use of your Crock Pot at home. You can prepare tasty beef stew, glazed chicken, pork roast, macaroni and cheese, lasagna and mashed veggies. Since these are the foods that your kids can also find in their favorite dining stop, they will be more than pleased to have them on your dining table at home.

Adding onions, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes and other vegetables can greatly improve not only the taste and aroma of the food, but also the nutritional value. One important feature of crack pots is its ability to retain the nutrients in the meal.

Making Fun Meals

To encourage your kids to eat what you serve them, you need to make a little more effort on the appearance of the food. Try forming faces using vegetables on their plate, or serving the vegetables as pizza toppings. You can also top salads with cheese and chocolate.

Do not force children to eat the meals you have prepared. By pressuring them, you only push them to dislike the food more. They need to be encouraged, not bullied into eating the right meals.

You may also want to involve your kids in the process of meal preparation so they develop better interest on their food. The fun in preparing the meal makes the eating part enjoyable, too.

Make Every Meal a Family Event

Experts always say that setting a good example is the best way to teach kids. This also applies with having meals. Showing them that you are a healthy eater is the best way to train them. Kids always look at their parents as their role models. You will never be able to convince them to eat what you don’t eat.

Also, be sure that the family is complete during meals so the kids can look forward to every meal as a special family gathering. Put the TV off while eating as this can distract you and your kids from sharing the perfect meal together.

No one said parenting is easy. Cooking healthy meals and making sure your kids eat them may sound like a struggle, but when you have the right strategies going, your kids will not only eat what you serve them, but they will even come back for seconds and thirds.

Lisa is an avid home cook who loves to share her favorite crock pot recipes with the rest of us. Discover all her crock pot recipes at www.A-Crock-Cook.com. And be sure to try one of her healthy chicken crock pot recipes.

In Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, James Bond ordered his martinis to be made in a very particular way. The recipe - which was originally included in Ian Fleming’s first 007 novel, Casino Royale - is as follows:

* 3 measures of Gordon’s gin

* 1 measure of vodka

* ? a measure of Kina Lillet

The ingredients should be shaken until ice cold and serve in a deep champagne goblet - or in a martini glass in the movie - with a large thin slice of lemon peel.

While Gordon’s gin and vodka are easy to find, many Bond fans had never come across Kina Lillet. And to make matters worse, the name of the product was changed decades ago and the product formula changed to remove the bitter aftertaste mentioned in the film.

So what is - or what was Kina Lillet?

Kina Lillet was introduced in the late 19th century, when it was fashionable to drink wine based tonics that included a variety of flavourings, including quinine, as well as fruit liqueurs. While the original product was known as “Kina Lillet” - kina signifying that it contained kina-kina, or quinine - contemporary ads show that “Kina” was gradually reduced in prominence and by the 1930s it seems that the product became known simply as “Lillet”. When Ian Fleming wrote Casino Royale in 1952 it coincided with a cocktail renaissance and Lillet became popular in both England and the United States.

Kingsley Amis questioned Fleming’s choice of Kina Lillet in what was later dubbed the Vesper, saying that its bitterness would have made the cocktail undrinkable and that Fleming had meant “Lillet vermouth” - probably a product known as Lillet Dry, formulated for the English market.

However, it is impossible to test Amis’ assertation because the company that produces Lillet was taken over in the 1980s and modernised. Part of this included updating manufacturing techniques to modern standards, but it also included changing the recipe for Lillet to make it more appealing for the modern palate, and that included reducing the amount of quinine and therefore the distinctive bitterness from the drink.

Today you can find two varieties of Lillet; Lillet Blanc and Lillet Rouge, which was introduced in the 1960s. It is the former that you should acquire if you want to mix Vespers at home.

While the bitterness has been much reduced, it has been proposed that to achieve the original flavour of James Bond’s cocktail, one should add quinine powder to the cocktail mix. Another alternative is to add a dash of bitters to give that distinctive flavour.

Today Lillet is still manufactured in Podensac, in the Bordeaux region of France. The company changed hands from private ownership in early 2008, when it was taken over by Pernod Ricard. While the increased interest in Kina Lillet seems to have taken the company by surprise and they have failed to capitalise on the free publicity provided by James Bond, it remains to be seen whether the new owners will do more to boost its popularity once again.

Are you interested in learning where to find Kina Lillet and other 007 related info? For extensive coverage of Ian Fleming’s books and the popular film series see The James Bond Dossier.

At about 2 years of age, children may become picky eaters. They start to smell everything before they will eat it. Little ones change from a baby that you can cuddle and provide them all their nutrients in a bottle to little independent people who want to select what they eat.

Now is the time to come up with some creative solutions to get kids to eat foods that are good for them. The positive side of this age group is that they will mimic what they see. When you are slicing up veggies, offer them a bite.

Give the child a plastic knife and paper plate so they can pretend to cut up veggies next to you. When you take a bite of the carrot or other veggie, the toddler will copy your actions.

Depending on their age, they can combine ingredients and mix them using a blender or wooden spoon or anything else you can think of that would be age appropriate. Come up with ways that they can help you prepare a meal. They can pull lettuce apart for salads, and add olives and cherry tomatoes. You will see the delight in their faces when the family consumes one of their masterpieces. The important thing is kids will generally consume what they help make.

Get the children involved in the kitchen when it is time to prepare a meal for the family. You can make the children responsible for making the salad. Children can help you wash vegetables. They can also count out the number and types of vegetables that you will use in the salad.

Have the children make a salad bar for the family. Put out some lettuce, some sliced or chopped tomato, slices of cucumber, shredded carrot, slices of red and yellow peppers, small broccoli flowerets and other nutritious veggies.

Let the children select their favorite salad dressings. Make it a fun event as you prepare nutritious choices for your family. Don’t forget the croutons and shredded cheese.

Keep these quick but nutritional snacks readily available. They can help you shop for groceries and help you prepare snacks that are good for them.

Some quick nutritious snacks to prepare in your kitchen with children include:

* Vegetable sticks with a small container of salad dressing for dipping Offer them some raw vegetables with some ranch dressing to dip them in? Many kids who don’t care much for cooked vegetables will eat them up if they can dip them.

* Fresh fruit cut into bite sized pieces may be more appealing to a small child

* Pretzels are fun snacks and easy for kids to use

* Celery sticks filled with cream cheese or peanut butter and raisins provide healthy nutrition

* Fruit yogurt provides calcium

* Pudding cups are a quick snack that children can easily navigate

* Crackers–plain or with peanut butter or cheese

* Cheese sticks are full or protein

* Graham crackers a quick snack that can be combined with pudding cups

* Dried fruit – a quick way to get 2 servings of fruits

* Fruit leather – nutritious snack

* Nuts

* Tortilla chips with a small jar of salsa

For more great kid friendly ideas go to http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com

Tea is enjoyed the world over, but every now and then this question arises- is black tea good for you?

All true teas, including this widely known beverage come from the Camellia sinensis plant.

Whether the final product will be a white, green or even black, it is determined by the amount of time the tea is allowed to oxidize or ferment.

Green and white tea are not oxidized and are processed very minimally while black tea is a fully fermented beverage.

This oxidation/fermentation process does alter the chemical composition of the plant, thus altering its beneficial properties.

Now with this being said, this pleasurable beverage is very good for you.

While it may not be as high in antioxidants as white or green tea, the differences are not earth shattering.

This beverage is very high in tannins and has many other beneficial properties.

Studies have shown that this amazing drink slows the aging process with its free radical scavenging abilities.

Studies have also suggested that this beverage slows cancer growth. It achieves this by causing simply causing the cancer cells to self destruct. But unlike chemotherapy, the healthy cells are unaffected by the compounds found in black tea.

Did you know that it is also an effective weapon in the arsenal of anyone suffering from hardening of the arteries or high cholesterol?

The components found in this drink help your arteries to relax and expand which lessens your risk for heart attack or stroke and reduces the bad cholesterol levels.

Who knew that a drink, enjoyed the world over since times immemorial, is also so healthful!

There have also been studies which show that drinking this beverage with milk may also alter its ability to provide these cancer fighting and high blood pressure reducing services.

The milk contains a protein known as casein and this protein has been shown in several studies to negate the beneficial properties found in this wonderful beverage. By adding milk to your black tea, you may be doing yourself a disservice if you wish to reap the full benefits of this amazing beverage.

In a study conducted by a German professor of cardiology, the subjects who were given this amazing drink with milk had significantly lower instances of arterial expansion. Similar studies were also conducted using laboratory rats and once again, the arteries of rats given this beverage with milk were not relaxing nearly as much as arteries belonging to rats who were given black tea without the addition of milk.

More studies need to be done, and this is by no means a definitive conclusion.

As an added bonus, it can also help you burn fat and speed up your metabolism!

Can this tea get any better?

More and more studies are being conducted daily which further prove and substantiate what Chinese herbalists have known for centuries- this satisfying drink is healthy for you.

So to put the question “is black tea good for you” to rest, the answer is a resounding YES!

Drinking this wonderful beverage is one of the best things you can do for yourself, but maybe just hold off on the milk!

Rose is a tea enthusiast and a health advocate. Find out more about black tea and visit her online store at www.theteaavenue.com where you can find organic tea and fine tea accessories. She also would like to share with everyone her passion and knowledge on tea and its effects on your overall well-being.

Wu-yi (or Wu-long) stems from the Chinese words “wu” and “luong” for “black” and “dragon” respectively. Even legends exist surrounding how this famous tea got its name!

The mere mention of this well-known tea evokes an air of mystery; instantly conjuring in our minds a faint scent of jasmine and the exotic mystique of the far off Orient.

Let’s explore the mythical black dragon and find out what it is and why it has been used by traditional Chinese herbalists for centuries.

What is Wu-yi?

Also known as oolong in the West, this wonder drink is made from the same plant as all true teas - Camellia sinensis. While more full-bodied in flavor and higher in caffeine than green tea, its flavor profile is typically less sweet and contains less caffeine than black tea. There are several varieties of oolong tea, with the two most popular grown in the Wu-yi Mountain Province and Taiwan.

Wu-yi, like green (and to a lesser extent) black tea, contains antiviral and antibacterial properties as well as powerful antioxidants. These disease fighting powerhouses and anti-aging antioxidants, known as catechins, have been shown in scientific studies to inhibit some forms of cancer According to the National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/tea

Oolong is processed more than green tea, but oxidized and fermented for less time than that of black. As a result, the amount of phytochemicals and antioxidants present in this amazing drink differ from the two.

The level of oxidation a tea leaf undergoes effects the properties it contains. While catechin levels are reduced the longer a tea is allowed to oxidize and ferment, other benefits are increased.

Why Wu-yi?

Simply because it has a reputation as a wonder tea and there’s no wonder why!

Used to manage and treat all sorts of ailments from high cholesterol, allergies, eczema, high blood pressure and even diabetes, wu-yi’s benefits are nearly too many to name.

Scientific studies have shown that older women who regularly drink tea are less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than non tea drinkers of the same age. Also, regular, long-term tea drinkers (versus non tea drinkers) can add higher spinal bone mineral density to the long list of oolong benefits.

A healthy diet that includes regular cups of oolong tea is most definitely beneficial to nearly anyone.

Even children can enjoy a weakly brewed cup of this delicious and nutritious tea!

The benefits of oolong do not end here. There have also been studies that show this pleasurable beverage is extremely efficient in boosting the metabolism and plays a key, fat burning role.

Combined with a suitable exercise routine and healthy balanced diet, this can be a valuable addition to the life of anyone seeking to keep fit.

It doesn’t take numerous amounts of tea per day before one can start to see the benefits of oolong. A mere half a cup of this marvelous tea per day can reduce your risk of high blood pressure by nearly 50%. Those who regularly drink two and a half or more cups of oolong tea per day can enjoy an even greater reduction.

So you see, it doesn’t take much and it’s never too late or too early to begin reaping the benefits of this amazing tea!

The next time you decide to indulge yourself with the gift of tea, try considering wu-yi - The Black Dragon Tea.

Rose is a tea enthusiast and a health advocate. Find out more about wu-yi and visit her online store at www.theteaavenue.com where you can find organic tea and fine tea accessories. She also would like to share with everyone her passion and knowledge on tea and its effects on your overall well-being.