Vino...What? The Anti-Oxidant Virtues of Grape Polyphenols

The antioxidant properties of grape polyphenols (found in grape seeds) are well-documented. However, grapes also prove to be a powerful elixir of youth for the skin.

The cosmetic and wellness industries have harnessed the precious properties of wine's main component to create vinotherapy. While still relatively uncommon in France, several spas offer grape-based treatments.

So, would you dare to immerse yourself in a grape marc bath, try a fresh grape pulp massage, or apply a Merlot exfoliant to your face? Here are three vinotherapy spas where you can enjoy these treatments.

1. La Cour du Bailli

Located in Bergheim, Alsace, La Cour du Bailli is a former wine cellar converted into a spa specializing in vinotherapy. On the menu: a facial treatment with a creamy preparation of crushed grape pulp and seeds, a body wrap with grape seed oil followed by a steam bath, and a draining foot and leg massage to improve blood circulation.

If you need to refuel between treatments, the establishment also has a "Vitibar" offering a discovery menu with wine pairings.

VitisSpa, Centre de Bien-Etre Par la Vigne

57, Grand’Rue

68750 BERGHEIM

Tel: 03.89.73.73.46

VitisBar, Bar à Vin & Restaurant

3, Route du Vin

68750 BERGHEIM

Tel: 03.89.22.31.92

2. Bourgogne Vignes et Bien-Être

Next, head to Beaune. The spa Bourgogne Vignes et Bien-Être emphasizes tradition by offering authentic vinotherapy treatments. You can dive into a winegrower's vat (large wooden tub) filled with water and red grapes or enjoy a back, leg, and foot massage with pouches filled with Echezeaux grape marc and warm grape seed oil.

Bourgogne Vignes et Bien-Être

5, rue du Château

21200 Beaune

Tel: 03 80 21 19 91

3. Les Sources de Caudalie

The first vinotherapy center in the world, created in 1995 by Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas, Les Sources de Caudalie remains the absolute reference in vinotherapy. The establishment offers numerous specialized treatments such as hydromassage with red vine extracts, a Merlot wrap, or a honey and grape scrub. There are two Caudalie spas in France: one in Bordeaux and another near Paris, at Les Étangs de Corot.

Les Sources de Caudalie

Chemin de Smith Haut Lafitte

33650 Bordeaux-Martillac

Tel: +33 (0)5 57 83 83 83

Les Étangs de Corot

55 rue de Versailles

92410 Ville d’Avray

Tel: +33 (0)1 41 15 37 00