posted August 15, 2007 04:47 PM            

By: Ben Hewitt; Photograph: Kenji Toma
Jan 2, 2007 - 4:42:57 PM

Our all-star panel of doctors, scientists, nutritionists, and chefs will tell you why and show you how.

Spinach

It may be green and leafy, but spinach is also the ultimate man food. This noted biceps builder is a rich source of plant-based omega-3s and folate, which help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. Bonus: Folate also increases blood flow to the penis. And spinach is packed with lutein, a compound that fights age-related macular degeneration. Aim for 1 cup fresh spinach or ½ cup cooked per day. SUBSTITUTES: Kale, bok choy, romaine lettuce FIT IT IN: Make your salads with spinach; add spinach to scrambled eggs; drape it over pizza; mix it with marinara sauce and then microwave for an instant dip. PINCH HITTER: Sesame Stir-Braised Kale Heat 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger, and 1 tsp. sesame oil in a skillet. Add 2 Tbsp. water and 1 bunch kale (stemmed and chopped). Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain. Add 1 tsp. soy sauce and 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds.

Yogurt

Various cultures claim yogurt as their own creation, but the 2,000-year-old food’s health benefits are not disputed: Fermentation spawns hundreds of millions of probiotic organisms that serve as reinforcements to the battalions of beneficial bacteria in your body, which boost the immune system and provide protection against cancer. Not all yogurts are probiotic though, so make sure the label says “live and active cultures.” Aim for 1 cup of the calcium- and protein-rich goop a day. SUBSTITUTES: Kefir, soy yogurt FIT IT IN: Yogurt topped with blueberries, walnuts, flaxseed, and honey is the ultimate breakfast—or dessert. Plain low-fat yogurt is also a perfect base for creamy salad dressings and dips. HOME RUN: Power Smoothie Blend 1 cup low-fat yogurt, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 cup carrot juice, and 1 cup fresh baby spinach for a nutrient-rich blast.

Tomatoes

There are two things you need to know about tomatoes: Red are the best, because they’re packed with more of the antioxidant lycopene, and processed tomatoes are just as potent as fresh ones, because it’s easier for the body to absorb the lycopene. Studies show that a diet rich in lycopene can decrease your risk of bladder, lung, prostate, skin, and stomach cancers, as well as reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Aim for 22 mg of lycopene a day, which is about eight red cherry tomatoes or a glass of tomato juice. SUBSTITUTES: Red watermelon, pink grapefruit, Japanese persimmon, papaya, guava FIT IT IN: Pile on the ketchup and Ragú; guzzle low-sodium V8 and gazpacho; double the amount of tomato paste called for in a recipe. PINCH HITTER: Red and Pink Fruit Bowl Chop 1 small watermelon, 2 grapefruits, 3 persimmons, 1 papaya, and 4 guavas. Garnish with mint.

Carrots

Most red, yellow, or orange vegetables and fruits are spiked with carotenoids—fat-soluble compounds that are associated with a reduction in a wide range of cancers, as well as reduced risk and severity of inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis—but none are as easy to prepare, or have as low a caloric density, as carrots. Aim for ½ cup a day. SUBSTITUTES: Sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, yellow bell pepper, mango FIT IT IN: Raw baby carrots, sliced raw yellow pepper, butternut squash soup, baked sweet potato, pumpkin pie, mango sorbet, carrot cake PINCH HITTER: Baked Sweet Potato Fries Scrub and dry 2 sweet potatoes. Cut each into 8 slices, and then toss with olive oil and paprika. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. Turn and bake for 10 minutes more.

Blueberries

Host to more antioxidants than any other popular fruit, blueberries help prevent cancer, diabetes, and age-related memory changes (hence the nickname “brain berry”). Studies show that blueberries, which are rich in fiber and vitamins A and C, boost cardiovascular health. Aim for 1 cup fresh blueberries a day, or ½ cup frozen or dried. SUBSTITUTES: Açai berries, purple grapes, prunes, raisins, strawberries FIT IT IN: Blueberries maintain most of their power in dried, frozen, or jam form. PINCH HITTER: Açai, an Amazonian berry, has even more antioxidants than the blueberry. Mix 2 Tbsp. of açai powder into OJ or add 2 Tbsp. of açai pulp to cereal, yogurt, or a smoothie.

Black Beans

All beans are good for your heart, but none can boost your brain power like black beans. That’s because they’re full of anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that have been shown to improve brain function. A daily ½-cup serving provides 8 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fiber, and is low in calories and free of saturated fat. SUBSTITUTES: Peas, lentils, and pinto, kidney, fava, and lima beans FIT IT IN: Wrap black beans in a breakfast burrito; use both black beans and kidney beans in your chili; puree 1 cup black beans with ¼ cup olive oil and roasted garlic for a healthy dip; add favas, limas, or peas to pasta dishes. HOME RUN: Black Bean and Tomato Salsa Dice 4 tomatoes, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 jalapeños, 1 yellow bell pepper, and 1 mango. Mix in a can of black beans and garnish with ½ cup chopped cilantro and the juice of 2 limes.

Walnuts

Richer in heart-healthy omega-3s than salmon, loaded with more anti-inflammatory polyphenols than red wine, and packing half as much muscle-building protein as chicken, the walnut sounds like a Frankenfood, but it grows on trees. Other nuts combine only one or two of these features, not all three. A serving of walnuts—about 1 ounce, or seven nuts—is good anytime, but especially as a postworkout recovery snack. SUBSTITUTES: Almonds, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts FIT IT IN: Sprinkle on top of salads; dice and add to pancake batter; spoon peanut butter into curries; grind and mix with olive oil to make a marinade for grilled fish or chicken. HOME RUN: Mix 1 cup walnuts with ½ cup dried blueberries and ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks.

Oats

The éminence grise of health food, oats garnered the FDA’s first seal of approval. They are packed with soluble fiber, which lowers the risk of heart disease. Yes, oats are loaded with carbs, but the release of those sugars is slowed by the fiber, and because oats also have 10 grams of protein per ½-cup serving, they deliver steady muscle-building energy. SUBSTITUTES: Quinoa, flaxseed, wild rice FIT IT IN: Eat granolas and cereals that have a fiber content of at least 5 grams per serving. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed on cereals, salads, and yogurt. PINCH HITTER: Quinoa Salad Quinoa has twice the protein of most cereals, and fewer carbs. Boil 1 cup quinoa in a mixture of 1 cup pear juice and 1 cup water. Let cool. In a large bowl, toss 2 diced apples, 1 cup fresh blueberries, ½ cup chopped walnuts, and 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt.

posted November 01, 2007 11:17 PM            

The effects are all too familiar: a fancy dinner, some fine wine and then, a few hours later, a racing heart and a pounding headache. But a device developed by University of California, Berkeley, researchers could help avoid the dreaded "red wine headache."

Chemists working with NASA-funded technology designed to find life on Mars have created a device they say can easily detect chemicals that many scientists believe can turn wine and other beloved indulgences into ingredients for agony.

The chemicals, called biogenic amines, occur naturally in a wide variety of aged, pickled and fermented foods prized by gourmet palates, including wine, chocolate, cheese, olives, nuts and cured meats.

"The food you eat is so unbelievably coupled with your body's chemistry," said Richard Mathies, who described his new technology in an article published Thursday in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

Scientists have nominated several culprits for "red wine headache," including amines like tyramine and histamine, though no conclusions have been reached. Still, many specialists warn headache sufferers away from foods rich in amines, which can also trigger sudden episodes of high blood pressure, heart palpitations and elevated adrenaline levels.

The detector could prove useful to those with amine sensitivity, said Beverly McCabe, a clinical dietitian and co-author of "Handbook of Food-Drug Interactions," a book cited by the article for its descriptions of the effects of amines on the brain.

The prototype — the size of a small briefcase — uses a drop of wine to determine amine levels in five minutes, Mathies said. A startup company he co-founded is working to create a smaller device the size of a personal digital assistant that people could take to restaurants and test their favorite wines.

The researchers found the highest amine levels in red wine and sake and the lowest in beer. For now, the device only works with liquids.

Mathies suggests the device could be used to put amine levels on wine labels.

posted December 15, 2007 04:24 PM            

If Santa gives you this gift for Christmas, you've really been exceptionally good this year: A bottle of 81-year-old Scotch sold for $54,000 earlier this month at New York's first liquor auction since Prohibition.

It became the most expensive bottle of Scotch whisky ever sold by the auction house, said Christie's, which has been holding similar sales in Europe for a decade.

Bought by a private New York investor, the Macallan was bottled in 1986 after spending 60 years in a wooden barrel. It had originally been expected to sell from between $20,000 and $30,000.

The $54,000 adult beverage was distilled at Macallan in Scotland in 1926, bottled in 1986 and rebottled in 2002.

The United States outlawed the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages during Prohibition, which ran from 1920 through 1933. But New York state did not pass laws authorizing wine auctions until 1994, and spirit auctions until August of this year, said Frank Coleman, vice president of the Distilled Spirits Council.

Richard Brierley, head of wine and spirits sales for Christie's America, was asked at an earlier press briefing if anyone would actually drink such a Scotch.

"Absolutely. Something like this is bullet-proof," he said. "Unlike fine wines, which after being opened are really something that should be consumed that night. These whiskeys can be enjoyed for years. You can open it up, have some, close the bottle and enjoy it again at your leisure. It's not going to spoil."

posted January 14, 2008 01:48 PM            

Apparently, raising the price really does make the wine taste better.

At least that seems to be the result of a taste test. The part of the brain that reacts to a pleasant experience responded more strongly to pricey wines than cheap ones — even when tasters were given the same vintage in disguise.

Antonio Rangel and colleagues at California Institute of Technology thought the perception that higher price means higher quality could influence people, so they decided to test the idea.

They asked 20 people to sample wine while undergoing functional MRIs of their brain activity. The subjects were told they were tasting five different Cabernet Sauvignons sold at different prices.

However, there were actually only three wines sampled, two being offered twice, marked with different prices.

A $90 wine was provided marked with its real price and again marked $10, while another was presented at its real price of $5 and also marked $45.

The testers' brains showed more pleasure at the higher price than the lower one, even for the same wine, Rangel reports in this week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In other words, changes in the price of the wine changed the actual pleasure experienced by the drinkers, the researchers reported.

On the other hand, when tasters didn't know any price comparisons, they rated the $5 wine as better than any of the others sampled.

"We were shocked," Rangel said in a telephone interview. "I think it was because the flavor was stronger and our subjects were not very experienced."

He added that wine professionals would probably be able to differentiate the better wine — "one would hope."

"Our results suggest that the brain might compute experienced pleasantness in a much more sophisticated manner that involves integrating the actual sensory properties of the substance being consumed with the expectations about how good it should be," the researchers reported.

Next step: pain.

Rangel wants to see if people perceive pain differently, depending on their expectations. He hopes to administer mild electric shocks to subjects and measure their reaction when told a shock was going to be stronger or weaker.

"We are trying to understand how the brain encodes experiences and what variables can manipulate this," he said. "It helps us understand what it means to be human."

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

___

On the Net:

PNAS: http://www.pnas.org

posted March 02, 2008 11:17 AM            

For many Americans, the credit crunch and the mortgage mess have left their pocketbooks – and their cupboards – bare. These same consumers, many living paycheck to paycheck, have relied on these cheaper foods to keep their expenditures down. Not anymore.

In the past few months, the news has gone from bad to worse:

Pizza makers have seen their cheese costs soar this year from $1.30 a pound to $1.76 a pound. Even worse, the flour used to make the dough has gone from $3-$7 dollars a bushel to $25 a bushel in less than a year.
Beer makers have been forced to raise their prices because of the skyrocketing price of hops – one of the principle ingredients. The price of hops has gone from about $4 a pound in September to $40 a pound. The price of barley, beer’s other main ingredient, has nearly doubled.
Bagel shops have struggled to hold the line on prices and keep their customers. The exploding wheat prices have made the $1 bagel a fact of life in big cities such as New York. Donuts are averaging $1.50. And many shop owners fear a wheat shortage will drive prices even higher.
Even the lowly hot dog is getting more expensive. Gray’s Papaya, a New York hot dog institution, will be jacking up the price for its $3.50 “Recession Special” – two hot dogs and a 14-ounce drink. Nicholas Gray, owner of the frankfurter chain, has yet to set the price increase, but he indicated it is coming soon.
Overall, retail food prices rose 4 percent last year – the biggest jump in 17 years. The USDA officials predicted another 3 percent to 4 percent increase this year and continuing price hikes, faster than the pace of inflation going into 2010. And the price pinch has hit the lower-income shoppers hardest.

Why is this happening? Call it the perfect storm of inflationary pressures.

Bob Goldin, executive vice president of Technomic Inc., a food industry consulting firm, described the cost increases as a "disaster scenario," with no real end in sight and limited ability for most to pass on the bulk of the costs to consumers.

Surging energy costs have driven up the price of transporting goods from farm to storefront. The national average for a gallon of gas jumped to $3.164, creeping closer to last May's record of $3.227, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Diesel prices jumped 1.5 cents to a new record national average of $3.642 a gallon.

While most Americans fuel their cars with gasoline, most of the products they buy are transported by trucks, trains and ships that burn diesel. While gas prices are unlikely to rise as high as $4 a gallon, diesel may well pass that psychologically important level this spring, boosting prices of virtually every consumer product, said Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service in Wall, New Jersey.

"It's everything that gets shipped," Kloza said of diesel fuel's impact on the economy. "That is the one that is much scarier."

Another reason for the sharp hike in food prices is the increasing demand for ethanol, which has driven up the price of corn – and at the same time created a shortage of wheat as farmers shift their crop to the more lucrative corn.

“There are several reasons [for higher food prices], but at the core is corn, the largest and most important of agricultural commodities,” said Bill Lapp, president of Advanced Economic Solutions.

Which brings us back to the price of flour — and the pricier pizza. Jimmy Ferrell, owner of the four Fat Jimmy's pizza restaurants in Louisville, Ky., said the price of flour has forced him to pass the cost onto his customers. "You have to raise (prices) a couple times a year just to keep up," he said.

Ferrell thinks the rising flour prices have hurt small operators more than national chains.

"The national chains have a lot more pull and they can negotiate prices. I don't think we have the same buying power that a Papa John's or a Domino's obviously has."

Food industry consultant Goldin doesn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. "There are no simple solutions," he said. "The trend will be to reduce product costs, and some of that may very well affect quality.”

So, how can budget-conscious consumers stretch their dollar? There is one – albeit artery-clogging — alternative.

Fast food companies, looking for a way to attract budget-conscious customers, are increasingly offering more food for less money. The “dollar-menu” option is growing at chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King and Quiznos.

That's good news for diners like Boston resident Shekia Scott. While lunching with friends at a Burger King, Scott said higher prices for food and gas were hurting her budget. But, she added, "the dollar menu's been a help."

So there you have it. Your best option for cheap eats is a gut-busting McDonald’s double cheeseburger for a buck. Makes you want to cry in your beer … if you can afford it.

posted March 18, 2008 10:43 AM            

The Lloyd's of London insurance market has insured the nose of a leading wine maker and taster for 5 million euros (3.9 million pounds), covering the Bordeaux producer against the loss of his nose and sense of smell.

Lloyd's is famous for creating policies for giant corporations but also for insuring celebrity limbs, from Fred Astaire's legs to the hands of Rolling Stones' Keith Richards.

It said on Tuesday that Ilja Gort, the Dutch owner of Chateau de la Garde in Bordeaux, producer of Tulipe Wines, said his nose could distinguish millions of different scents and was essential to guarantee the quality of his wines.

"The nose and sense of smell of a winemaker are as important as the fingers of a chef," Jonathan Thomas, lead underwriter at Watkins Syndicate who co-insured the policy.

Lloyds worked with Allianz Nederland and British reinsurance broker Benfield to create the policy, co-insured by Watkins.

Gort's will not be the first nose insured by Lloyd's, which famously insured U.S. comedian Jimmy Durante's trademark. It also insures the taste buds of restaurateur Egon Ronay.

(Reporting by Clara Ferreira-Marques)

posted March 24, 2008 01:24 PM            

Dough rising in Pizza Capital of the World
Story Highlights
Old Forge, Pennsylvania, calls itself the Pizza Capital of the World

Most of the pizza café owners' relatives came from Felitto, Italy

The pizza is rectangular with a thick crust

By Jill Dougherty
CNN
OLD FORGE, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- My best friend from childhood is Italian-American. Very Italian-American. So when Mary Immaculata Ferrario Rinaldi invites me to visit the Pizza Capital of the World, I don't ask questions. She knows pizza.

We head out of Scranton, Pennsylvania, toward Old Forge, population approximately 10,000. In about 10 minutes we're driving down Main Street. I start counting the pizza cafés, as they call them here: Rinaldi's, Brutico's, Arcaro & Genell's, Anthony's, Ghigiarelli's -- 11 on this street alone. Within just a few blocks, there are at least nine more. Even the florist on Main Street is called "Pizzazz."

Mary said we would need reservations, and she's right. It's 4:30 p.m. and Revello's is packed. The place attracts locals and celebrities. Hillary Clinton was here a couple of weeks ago. Just for fun we ask if we can sit in the booth where she sat. "No problem, honey," the waitress, Dorothy, says.

Now, if you are thinking regular pizza, forget it. This is Old Forge pizza and all the cafés here make it. It's not round, it's rectangular and it's "red" or "white." Red is made with tomato sauce and cheese; white is cheese only, double crust, with olive oil and rosemary sprinkled on top, although they recently introduced a new version with broccoli.

Old Forge also is famous for "black" pizza, my favorite. No tomato sauce. Just cheese, black pepper, olives and anchovies.

While Dorothy is getting our sodas, I meet Pat Revello. He's the co-owner with his mother, Delores. His parents bought the café 41 years ago. I ask him if they have the best pizza in town.

Bad question. No one here in town claims to be the best. There's very little competition. After all, Old Forge, Pat says, is a place "where everyone knows your name."

"Well, it's really a matter of taste," he tells me.

The pizza café owners in Old Forge are a loyal bunch. Most of their families originally came from the same town in Italy -- Felitto, near Naples. The owners advertise together. They named their town the "Pizza Capital of the World." No one is "best," they say. They're all "the best."

So, what make the best pizza in the world? Pat takes me back to the kitchen. Andy Sopp, who has worked here for 40 years, is sprinkling grated cheese on a "red" pizza. Next to him is a stack of pizza crusts. He's the brother of the owner. Of the café's 25 employees, three-quarters of them are related.

I ask Andy for the secret of great pizza. "It's the cheese blend," he says. "So what kind do you use?" I ask. "We make our own," he says, "We have to keep our secrets."

Pat tells me they use only fresh ingredients and grind their own California tomatoes. They still use the original cheese grater from 40 years ago.

Local legend has it that Old Forge pizza began 88 years ago with grandmother Ghigiarelli, whose family restaurant, Ghigiarelli's, still stands on Main Street. Mrs. Ghigiarelli lived below a gentlemen's club where the clients played cards. They asked her for something to eat. She grabbed a rectangular baking pan and baked a pizza on the old coal stove. The rest is history. Today, some Old Forge cafés ship their pizza across the country and around the world.

It's 5:30 p.m. and the line of customers at Revello's is out the front door. At the back door there's a crowd waiting for takeout. Pat tells me his first worker gets in at 5 a.m. to make the dough. "Once the dough starts rising, the people come in," he says.

Waitress Dorothy comes by to freshen up our drinks. She's on the run, trying to keep the customers happy. "I wish I had another hand instead of a mouth," she says.

posted April 19, 2008 12:54 PM            

Sat Apr 19, 11:47 AM ET

While the global credit crunch has forced many consumers to rein in spending, one Beijing-based billionaire has splashed out a record $500,000 on 27 bottles of red wine, London-based Antique Wine Company said on Saturday.

The anonymous Chinese entrepreneur bought a mix of vintages of Romanee Conti, a Burgundy wine and considered to be among the world's most exclusive with only 450 cases produced each year.

The client bought 12 bottles of Romanee Conti 1978, two bottles of the 1961, 1966, 1996 and 2003 and single bottles of the 1981, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2001 and 2002.

"It is the highest price that has ever been achieved for a single lot," Managing Director Stephen Williams of the London- based Antique Wine Company told Reuters on Saturday.

"I don't think he has bought this as an investment -- he has bought it to drink," he added. "The fine wine industry is completely immune from the global credit crunch."

The client's biggest previous purchase was 30,000 pounds ($59,880) for a case of 1982 Chateau Petrus.

Williams believes the Romanee Conti sale marks a significant change in Chinese wine buying habits.

"In the past, the Chinese have been drawn to the magnificent but simplistic qualities of the wines from the great chateaux of Bordeaux.

"Now, our leap in sales of Domaine de la Romanee Conti to mainland China this year in particular is indicating a broadening of their fine wine education and appreciation to the more complex wines of Burgundy."

The highest prices paid for fine wines are for extremely special bottles, for example, those that reputedly came out of Thomas Jefferson's cellar.

In his day, wine bottles were not labeled, so Jefferson poured the premium wines he imported in casks from Europe into bottles etched with his initials.

Malcolm Forbes, the late publisher of Forbes' magazine, set a record in December 1985 when he paid 105,000 pounds, then about $162,750, for a 1787 bottle of red wine made by Bordeaux's prestigious Chateau Lafitte.

posted May 16, 2008 11:09 PM            

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Robert Mondavi, the pioneering vintner who helped put California wine country on the map, died at his Napa Valley home Friday. He was 94. Mondavi died peacefully at his home in Yountville, Robert Mondavi Winery spokeswoman Mia Malm said.

posted May 17, 2008 09:22 AM            

Kingfish Café features a menu of sublime soul-food classics

Smith is a lodge-themed bar with 40 different beers

By Karla Starr
(Budget Travel) -- An authentic crêperie, a homey Ethiopian place and a down-home soul-food joint are among the city's favorite eateries.

Green Leaf

Imagine a Hanoi café crossed with a tiki lounge and you're close to understanding the appeal of Green Leaf, located in the International District. The hour-long wait is instantly forgotten once you've tasted the bucket-size bowls of pho. Good luck trying to squeeze your way out. (Happily, the restaurant is adding a second floor, doubling the amount of space.) 418 Eighth Ave. S., 206/340-1388, entrées from $7.

La Côte Crêperie

The neighborhood of Madison Valley has been generating buzz for its French restaurants, including this authentic crêperie. Packed since it opened in January, La Côte uses dense buckwheat in its savory dishes, while sweet options include a tatin crepe made with carmelized Red Delicious apples. Pretty much any of the crepes pairs nicely with one of the hard ciders. 2811 E. Madison St., 206/323-9800, crepes from $4.

Smith

Linda Derschang's new venture (she also owns Linda's Tavern and Viceroy) is a lodge-themed bar with 40 different beers. Tyler Palagi's menu includes alphabet soup and devils on horseback (dates stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in pancetta). 332 15th Ave. E., 206/709-1900, entrées from $10. BudgetTravel.com: Drink beer better

Kingfish Café

When sisters Laurie and Leslie Coaston decided to open a soul-food joint, they traveled around the U.S. in search of ideas. The result of their quest is a menu of sublime classics: buttermilk fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and a sweet-potato pecan pie that's baked by the Coaston sisters' mother, Geraldine. 602 19th Ave. E., 206/320-8757, entrées from $11.

Elemental@Gasworks

This quirky spot seats only 17 and takes no reservations. Owner Phred Westfall pairs obscure wines with chef Laurie Riedeman's eclectic dishes, including ribs wrapped in a garlic waffle and a bread pudding made with pear and blue cheese. 3309 Wallingford Ave. N., 206/547-2317, entrées from $18.

Meskel

posted May 30, 2008 09:29 AM            

Soccer star David Beckham has treated his wife Victoria to a vineyard - so she can make her own fine wine.

The L.A. Galaxy star reportedly paid a seven-figure sum for the Californian yard as a birthday present for former Spice Girl, who turned 34 last month.

According to British newspaper The Sun, the 33-year-old sports superstar has recruited a team to help them run the vinery.