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When I’m under pressure, I get stressed; if I’m late for something, I get irritable. So when I was delayed on the way to my first vinotherapy massage, I was rightly annoyed¾and ready for some rest and pampering.

Vinotherapy, the latest trend in spa treatments, uses grape mixtures to soothe skin and slow the aging process. Beyond Wrapture, in Kelowna, BC, is one of only two spas in Canada that offer these new treatments. The other is in St. Catharines, Ontario.

The Science of Seeds, Skin, and Stems

Vinotherapy may sound like a passing esthetics fad, but it has a strong base in scientific research. Wine grapes are the perfect fruit for skin conditioning, as they are very high in antioxidants, particularly polyphenols and resveratol.

Polyphenols are a type of flavonoid with potent antioxidant abilities, capable of protecting the body from damage by oxidizing free radicals. In grapes, polyphenols are concentrated in the skins, seeds, and stems, exactly the parts used in vinotherapy. Another type of flavonoid found in wine grapes is resveratol. According to Andrea Schaffer’s Red Wine for Your Health, resveratol, with its antifungal properties, is found in greater concentrations in grapes grown in cool, moist regions. Canadian-grown grapes, then, are a perfect source of resveratol.

Debra Pender, the owner of Beyond Wrapture, is excited about vinotherapy’s potential, especially for menopausal women. “I stumbled across vinotherapy when I was beginning menopause. I asked my doctor what I should do about the symptoms, and he told me to eat as many polyphenol-rich foods as possible.” Women experiencing hot flashes, skin dryness, and general irritability may find relief in vinotherapy because grape antioxidants cool inflammation, and soften and repair damaged skin. In addition, the massage component calms nerves and soothes aching muscles.

If grapes are the perfect fruit, then Kelowna is the perfect place to grow them. Debra has an arrangement with Summerhill Estate Winery, which grows organic grapes. Summerhill provides her with the skins, seeds, and stems left over after crushing-the dregs of the winemaking process. But this is purple, mushy gold to Debra. However, vinotherapy isn’t as simple as rubbing somebody down with grape slop. First, the grape mixture is dried, and then ground to a fine pulp. Because certain substances in the grapes may cause irritation when in contact with the natural yeast on human skin, other natural products are added. Debra experimented a long time to get her mixture just right. But get it right she did, and after less than a year of offering vinotherapy, it’s quickly becoming very popular.

Just Relax

My treatment was the two-hour “Stairway to Heaven,” a combination of the scrub and massage. I was introduced to my masseur, Robert, and learned he had studied massage in Hungary for a number of years. He explained what would happen at each stage of the treatment.

My first instructions were to visit the sauna and warm up. Sitting in the hot cedar room, I tried to relax, but wondered about the time. I had been 15 minutes late arriving for my appointment. Would that back up Robert’s schedule for the rest of the day?

Entering the treatment room, my worries disappeared. The spa, in a converted heritage home, offers several treatment rooms, each decorated with batik fabric swags, candle sconces, and plants. Tribal music plays in the background and the smell of sandalwood fills the air. How could I worry in a place like this?

The scrub was first. Robert rubbed me with grape-seed oil and then applied the warm grape mixture-first to my shoulders, neck, and back, and then to each arm and leg, followed by my stomach and upper chest. It was vigorous but wonderful. After the scrub, I took a quick shower to rinse off, and then took another sauna.

Returning to the freshly tidied massage table, I was instructed to lay face down in the sweetly scented sheets. Robert started massaging my shoulders, back, and neck, and then moved to my arms. He had an exacting procedure for each section, moving slowly and methodically, giving the same amount of attention and applying the same amount of pressure on each side of my back, each hand, each arm, and each finger-a perfectly symmetrical dance of relaxation. I realized that I was relaxed. Things to do? What things? Getting out those tough knots under my shoulder blade, relieving the kinks in my neck¾these were the only things that mattered.

Robert instructed me to turn over, and gently massaged my face. Then he vigorously massaged my head. When he was finished, I looked like Medusa, but didn’t care. After Robert left the room, I lay on the table and stretched a while, then dressed slowly and went to my car. I felt relaxed for hours after and my skin, though a bit sticky at first, felt smooth and soft for several days. The best part was that on my way home from the spa, I didn’t even check the time.

References available. Heather Picotte is the assistant editor of alive. She enjoyed her vinotherapy massage, and plans to have many more.

Source: alive #254, December 2003