Culture: 9 Wine

Jul 29, 2023

Culture Travel

We don’t know who needs to hear this, but you don’t necessarily need to drink wine to reap its purported health benefits. And we’re not just talking about oasis-like spas on-property at your favorite vineyards. Wellness resorts across the globe lean into vinotherapy, a variety of spa treatments that use ingredients associated with wine or wine by-products—think grapes, grapeseed oil, grapeseed extract and perhaps even the vino itself. Some claim these ingredients possess anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, yielding softer, smoother skin post-treatment.

“Research shows that grape seeds, stems and skins contain antioxidants called polyphenols, which are 10,000 times stronger and 50 times more healing than vitamin E,” says Debra Pender, the owner of Beyond Wrapture Day Spa in British Columbia, Canada.

If you’re intrigued, add these wine-infused spa treatments—from wine-infused body wraps and wine-splashed massages—to your bucket list.

Spa Talisa at the Four Seasons Napa Valley in Calistoga, California

After wine-tasting your way through Napa Valley, stop at Spa Talisa in the Four Seasons Napa Valley for the property’s signature 50-minute vineyard scrub. The antioxidant and vitamin-rich treatment features an exfoliating sugar scrub enriched with locally grown Cabernet Sauvignon seeds, most of which are sourced from the on-site Elusa Winery. Resort Manager Janet Wruck describes it as a “seed-to-spa experience.” After the soak, you’ll be treated to a soothing body butter application, leaving your skin feeling soft and glowing.

Salamander Spa at the Salamander Middleburg Resort and Spa in Middleburg, Virginia

Loudoun County, Virginia—known as D.C.’s wine country, due to its proximity to the nation’s capital—is home to dozens of wineries and tasting rooms. Here you’ll find the sprawling Salamander Middleburg Resort and Spa, which includes a Pinot Noir body wrap among its handful of wine-infused spa treatments. The service starts with an antioxidant-loaded “Grand Cru scrub” infused with Pinot Noir grape pomace from the Mongeard-Mugneret winery in Vosne-Romanée, France. Then, guests enjoy a mineral-rich body wrap containing grape skins. Finally, a full-body massage helps lock in all that hydration.

The Spa at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California

You don’t have to travel to Napa or Sonoma to indulge in a one-of-a-kind, wine-infused spa treatment in California. Instead, oenophiles can head straight to San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito. It’s just two hours from Los Angeles and offers therapeutic vinotherapy wine wraps. The treatment kicks off with a full-body exfoliation, followed by a nourishing wine wrap made with Mediterranean grape seed extract. Then, after a relaxing rain shower, you’ll be slathered in a chocolate cream moisturizer. Post-treatment, sip on a bellini out on the spa patio.

The Royal Spa at Royalton CHIC Resorts in Cancun, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

At the Royal Spa at Royalton CHIC Resorts, wine-loving duos can book the signature wine therapy for couples. This 80-minute treatment utilizes grape seed oil from Pinot Noir grapes and combines vinotherapy and aromatherapy. Guests begin with an exfoliating body scrub, followed by a nourishing mud mask formulated with skin-care staples like oil-absorbing kaolin, conditioning shea butter, hydrating hyaluronic acid and, best of all, antioxidant-laden grape seed oil. It all concludes with an aromatherapy massage, which also features grape oil.

Beyond Wrapture Day Spa in Kelowna, British Columbia

Next time you find yourself in British Columbia in Canada, make your way to Beyond Wrapture Day Spa and book the red or white wine vinotherapy massage. The treatment begins with a lathering up in grapeseed oil, conditioning shea butter and massage lotion blended with either red or white wine. The wine used is from the nearby Summerhill Estate Winery, which grows its grapes organically. Pender is also quick to note that the grapes are grown in the wine region of Okanagan, which purports to produce fruit with a higher concentration of resveratrol (a type of polyphenol known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties) thanks to its cooler climate.

AIRE Ancient Baths in Multiple Locations

At AIRE Ancient Baths, wine-loving wellness-seekers can book the 180-minute-long signature wine experience, which can be enjoyed solo or with a partner. It all starts with a 30-minute private red wine soak featuring red grapes (Tempranillo, to be exact) from Spain’s renowned Ribera del Duero wine region. The fun continues with an hour-long massage with moisturizing grapeseed oil, a hydrating mask and a cranial massage.

Spa Terra at The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, California

The Meritage Resort and Spa is popular among wine enthusiasts for its on-site tasting rooms and expansive vineyard, where guests can sip, stroll and enjoy gourmet picnics. For more wine-fueled fun, visit the resort’s Spa Terra, which is aptly housed in an underground estate cave. As part of the Trinitas vinorefined body treatment, guests enjoy a crushed Cabernet Sauvignon grapeseed scrub (which gently sloughs away dead skin) and a nourishing body wrap. Of course, the experience isn’t complete without a glass of the property’s very own Trinitas wine (included).

Velaa Spa at Velaa Private Island in the Maldives

If you can swing it, a trip to the uber-luxe Velaa Private Island in the Maldives gives you the chance to enjoy the spa’s signature Chardonnay luxury ritual. The two-hour-long treatment, which—you guessed it—uses grape seed extracts of Chardonnay, begins with an exfoliation followed by a body wrap containing a mix of grapeseed extract and Champagne. According to spa manager Claudia Jean-Louis, “Crushed kernels of the grape keep the skin perfectly exfoliated, while grapeseed oil [which is high in vitamin E] helps to reduce cell damage and fight free radicals.”

The treatment concludes with a massage that utilizes grapeseed oil. The result? Silky-smooth and moisturized skin.

Lost World Spa at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Canungra, Queensland

O’Reilly’s is a family-owned-and-operated eco-retreat. Nestled deep in Australia’s World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park, the property boasts a tranquil spa where guests can book unique offerings such as the vinotherapy ritual. The three-hour treatment kicks off with a warm steam and an aromatic soak featuring fragrant safflower, geranium and orange oils, as well as a splash of red wine made with grapes from O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley vineyard. As a bonus, the soak takes place in a tub made from a wine barrel. Next up is a full-body treatment complete with grape-infused products, an aromatic yogurt body wrap, a scalp massage and, finally, a fantastic full-body massage.

Last Updated: July 13, 2023

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