Posted on October 21, 2004 at 10:25 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Francois Booyse, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2004-2005 Silver Wine Productivity Tray by the Vinifera Wine Growers Association.

The prestigious award is given annually to individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to the growth and viability of the American wine industry. Past recipients include Virginia U.S. Senator John Warner and television personality Willard Scott. In addition to the award, the VWGA also contributed a $1,000 grant to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for Wine and Cardiovascular Health.

Booyse, professor of medicine at the UAB School of Medicine, is a cardiovascular disease expert and prominent wine researcher who leads a multi-disciplinary team of more than 17 researchers in exploring the genetic and molecular mechanisms by which alcohol and polyphenols — two key wine components — work to prevent heart disease. The research — which further examines the heart protective benefits of moderate wine consumption — is supported by a $7.6 million five-year grant awarded to UAB in 2003 by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. It is the first-ever multidisciplinary NHLBI Program Project Grant focused specifically on studies of the mechanisms underlying wine and cardiovascular health.

Booyse was instrumental in establishing the UAB Center for Wine and Cardiovascular Health. The center provides a formal structure that builds on UAB’s existing strong and unique government-funded research base by incorporating innovative program initiatives, strategies and opportunities aimed at better promoting wine and cardiovascular health research nationally and internationally.

VWGA is among the oldest Eastern U.S. wine organizations. Established in 1973, it was an early supporter of planting Vinifera wine grapes, the production of quality commercial wines and the building of a wine industry along the Eastern seaboard. Today, the international wine trade association promotes public wine education and appreciation, affordable and quality wine production and environmentally sound and sustainable wine industry practices. It also works with state and national government on issues that challenge the growth and economic viability of the U.S. wine industry.