Dr. Thomas Fogarty is one of many medical men making wine and his Thomas Fogarty Winery in the Santa Cruz mountains has been a consistent award winner for its Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer. In his day job, Dr. Fogarty is an internationally recognized heart surgeon, inventor and Stanford University professor. He recently received a cool half million in the form of the Lemelson-MIT Prize for invention and innovation.
Dr. Fogarty immediately donated the award toward future medical research. He plans to establish a foundation to help fund research in non-invasive surgical equipment to, in his words: " promote applied research to make life easier for patients."

Wine is definitely one of those things that make life easier for us, and we keep getting evidence of its benefits. The latest is the Copenhagen City Heart Study which reports that those who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol have better health prospects than non-drinkers, and notes specifically that wine drinkers have a better chance of avoiding the fatal effects of coronary heart disease and cancer than non-wine drinkers. The results may, of course, be influenced by the lifestyles of wine drinkers, but even so, it's nice to know that you're doing the right thing. Here's to wine one of the few pleasures of life without a significant downside.