Vinotherapy

Many consumers believe that moderate wine consumption is good for them, but does it have the same health benefits when applied externally?

At Les Sources de Caudalie, they definitely think so. It started in 1993, when a Professor of Pharmacy in Bordeaux convinced the owners of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte that the grape seeds they discarded after the harvest had unexpected, positive effects—they contained polyphenols that trap free radicals and are thus beneficial for restoring the skin. The owners of the Chateau established the first vinotherapy spa on the grounds of the Grand Cru in Graves. Later research proved the professor right—tests proved that grape seeds are 10,000 times more powerful than Vitamin E in combating free radicals, which are responsible for 80% of skin aging . Today the Caudalie empire encompasses subsidiaries in five countries, a complete line of beauty products, and spas in France, Spain and the U.S.

 In New York, the Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa is located in Manhattan’s newly renovated Plaza Hotel. You can begin with a Wine Barrel Bath, a large Jacuzzi filled with hot spring water infused with grape residue and essential oils. Next is the Honey Wrap, a body wrap featuring honey from Bordeaux and wine yeast. After an Intoxicating Massage, sip red wine herbal tea or a glass of grape juice in the Tea Room.

At the nearby Beauty & Wellness Day Spa, you can grab a Blueberry Wine Facial. In Long Branch, New Jersey, the Aquamedica Spa features Wine and Roses, a Napa Valley grape seed body scrub. At A Time To Spa in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, you can get a Cabernet body scrub, grape seed cleansing and wine infusion wrap; across America, you can indulge in a Champagne facial in Oklahoma, an Antioxidant Red Wine Peel in Richmond or a Red Wine Facial in Michigan.

For those who don’t have the leisure time to visit a Vinotherapy Spa, Les Sources de Caudalie produces 35 beauty products and 7 oils. 2.5 ounces of Contouring Concentrate, “the only 100% natural anti-cellulite treatment,” is $35; one ounce of Firming Serum runs $79; a 1.7 ounce jar of Premier Cru, their “ultimate anti-aging” cream, will cost you $150. On the other hand, who can put a price on age and beauty?