Does red wine contain something specifically good for you that other alcoholic beverages don't contain?

Resveratrol: Resveratrol is found in red wine (as well as other plant based foods) and is thought to help with anti-aging, cancer prevention, heart disease prevention, etc. The "medical jury" is still out and awaiting the outcome of unbiased studies to determine its possible benefits. So, drink red wine to enjoy it and not for any perceived health benefits, but limit your alcohol to 1/day for women, 2 for men.

Maybe, maybe not: On the heals of the red wine research (which focused on anti-oxidants), other studies looked at the alcohol itself. The result has been the suggestion that moderate consumption of alcohol can help to raise your HDL (good cholesterol) and lower your overall risk of heart disease. This equates to 2 "standard drinks" per day for a man, 1 for a woman (10 and 5/week, respectively). Beer, wine, whiskey.