Discovery is reporting that Chianti may be the elixir to a long and healthy life – great news for us wino’s and good news for those who have yet to come into the wonderful world of wine:

Sept. 15, 2008 — The elixir of life may be a concoction of honey, cherries and secret herbs infused in a full Chianti wine, according to a centuries-old recipe discovered in one of Italy’s oldest pharmacies.

The 18th century-old recipe was discovered in an old manuscript found among the shelves of a pharmacy in Asciano near Sienna dating back to 1715.

“My ancestors left several manuscripts with formulas for digestive drinks, but this one struck me because of its ingredients. I knew it had strong scientific basis,” said pharmacist Giovanni De Munari, who found the old recipe from behind a small shelf in his Tuscany pharmacy.

Upon finding the recipe, De Munari brewed the beverage, and came up with a “low-calorie, highly digestive alcoholic infusion which tasted delicious.”