Wine consumption in the United States has nearly doubled over the past 20 years, going from about 464 million gallons in 1995 to an estimated 895 gallons in 2014, according to the Wine Institute. If you enjoy wine, it can be fascinating to discover new varietals and contemplate potential health benefits.

Wine lovers usually have a preference of either white or red. If you have made a resolution to count your calories and improve your health, you may be wondering which wine offers the most health benefits.

While some home brewers use raspberries to provide additional taste to grape wines, the foundation of raspberry wine is the raspberry itself. You don't need a large vineyard or distillery to make your own wine. With a few standard pantry ingredients and kitchen items, you can make your own.

Plum wine is a sweet alcoholic drink made from ume plums native to China. China introduced the ume plum to Japan in the sixth century, and plum wine became a popular drink in Japan during the 17th century. Today, typically served chilled as an aperitif, Japanese plum wine is a popular drink in Japan and worldwide.

Red wine contains a number of compounds called flavonoids, antioxidants and polyphenols, including one called resveratrol, that may have health benefits. However, drinking alcohol to excess can be detrimental to your health, so balance the possible benefits with the possible risks to determine how much to drink.

Wine is a source of polyphenols -- abundant antioxidants that help prevent an array of health problems, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases.

In recent years, news stories from the "Los Angeles Times," CBS News and the "New York Daily News" reported that drinking a moderate amount of wine daily might help prevent you from gaining weight. This is not the same as saying that wine actually will help you lose weight.

Many women, once they find out they're pregnant, worry about the behaviors in which they engaged during early pregnancy. One of the most common concerns in mothers-to-be is that alcohol consumed before they found out they were pregnant will hurt the baby.

Sipping a glass of wine with dinner or after a long day is typically a pleasurable experience. However, while enjoying the taste, you might not realize that you're adding calories and carbs to your diet.

Gallo Zinfandel wine is produced by the Ernest & Julio Gallo Twin Valley Wine Vineyards, from the Zinfandel grape. The wine can vary widely in its flavor but reliably provides about 9 percent alcohol.

Santa Margherita pinot grigio ranks high among wine drinkers. Like all other types of wine, however, pinot grigio is also high in calories, with little nutritional value. A 6-ounce glass has 120 calories. This is lower than than average for pinot grigio, which typically contains around 140 calories.

Charles Gordon Maynard introduced wine gums in Britain in 1901. They are firm, chewy sweets similar to gum drops but without the sugary coating. Cadbury, a famous British candy maker, now distributes the candy under the name Maynards Wine Gums. According to Cadbury, red and black are the most popular flavors.