Addressing Alcohol • Linda Bisson -- professor and chair of viticulture and enology, as a Nutrient (916) 752-1717, lfbisson@ucdavis.edu. Using her expertise in metabolism, Bisson will discuss the question of whether alcohol should be studied as a nutrient. In particular, she'll explore the concept of metabolic syndrome X, proposed by Stanford University investigators in 1988, which describes the consequences of problems in the metabolism of certain nutrient sources of energy, such as ethanol. Wine's Impact • Edwin Frankel -- adjunct professor in food science and on Disease technology, (916) 752-4478, enfrankel@ucdavis.edu. • Bruce German -- associate professor of food science and technology, (916) 752-1486 or 752-1057, jbgerman@ucdavis.edu. • Andrew Waterhouse -- assistant professor of viticulture and enology, (916) 752-4777, alwaterhouse@ucdavis.edu. For several years, these researchers and colleagues at UC Davis have been studying the health impacts of nonalcoholic compounds in wine and grapes called "phenolics." These "antioxidants" have been found to inhibit the oxidation of fatty substances called lipids, in particular low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). This oxidation is now thought to be a key factor in the clogging and clotting in human arteries that can lead to heart attacks. These researchers will discuss their studies of this phenomenon in 20 commercial red and white wines, as well as test-tube studies of the absorption of a major phenolic compound called catechin in human blood plasma. They also will talk about the role of antioxidants -- such as the phenolics in wine and grapes -- as nutrients that combat the deleterious effects of the oxidation process, which contributes to conditions such as coronary disease, cancer, inflammation and autoimmunity. In addition, Waterhouse and a colleague have analyzed the major phenolic components in 180 California wines and compared the level of these components as a function of grape variety and vintage year.