Wine Therapy

Filed in archive Wine News on August 24, 2007

On more than one occasion, after tasting a spectacular wine, I've exclaimed, "This wine is so amazing I could bathe it it!" But to tell the truth, soaking in a tub of cool wine doesn't really sound like something I'd like to do. However, I might be in the minority. A Japanese spa offers a soak in a wine bath as one of its services.

From ABC News:
Real red wine is poured into the water. Bathing in red wine rejuvenates the body and supposedly even Cleopatra used to bathe in red wine. Hakone is a mountain famous for its hot springs and Japanese style spa, not to mention its breathtaking views of Mount Fuji.

You've got to head over the ABC News' Web site to check out the photo. Tell me... would you go for a swim in a pool of wine?

But then I got curious. Was this the only spa to offer wine therapy services? A quick search online brought up quite a few results for vinotherapy. Touch Salon in Houston, Texas offers quite a variety of wine therapy services include a champagne facial and a pedicure that begins with a soak in Cabernet Sauvignon.

Soon I found more and more spas that offer these services and finally came upon a list of vinotherapy spas around the world. It's not comprehensive, but a good starting point for anyone who might be interested in learning more. Maybe I'm living in the dark ages (or maybe I just don't get out and pamper myself enough), but I had never heard about this before.

And if you can't afford to rejuvenate at one of these spas, you could turn your own bathroom into a home spa. Olavie is a skincare company whose products contain French Chardonnay grape seed extract. According to the company's Web site, Chardonnay grape seed prevents skin cell damage and aging caused by free radicals. It also stimulates the renewal of cells and collagen.

Interesting stuff!