Sonomaceuticals symposium explores chardonnay marc as active ingredient

19 Oct 2023 --- This week, Sonomaceuticals organized a symposium with the goal of presenting the health and sustainability advantages provided by its WellVine brand, derived from chardonnay marc, when infused into food and dietary supplements.

The WellVine chardonnay marc is hailed as an innovative superfood, crafted through an exclusive process that involves drying and milling the grape marc (pomace).

The Vine to Bar premium dark chocolate with chardonnay represents the first commercial application of the ingredient.

 “Right now, from an innovation standpoint,  there are a few things in formal development by the WellVine team, such as creating a concentration of nuts with the chocolate. We have already seen that our chocolate-covered almonds are popular with consumers,” Ed Klein, managing director of Vine to Bar, tells Nutrition Insight. 

Health benefits 
Chardonnay Marc contains oligosaccharides, a type of prebiotic fiber, polyphenols, flavanols and catechins, which include epicatechins and proanthocyanidins. 

These nutrients have been suggested to help maintain a healthy gut and cardiovascular system. In particular, the oligosaccharide fibers are known for their prebiotic benefits.

Speaking about the effects of soluble and insoluble prebiotic fibers on the gut microbiome and gut barrier at the symposium, Dr. Derek Timm, a specialist in nutritional science, said, “Soluble fiber dissolves in water and can form a gel in the gut to delay gastric emptying and attenuating the postprandial glucose repose. 

He points out that prebiotics are more often soluble fibers, however, he adds, “the chardonnay marc is actually primarily insoluble. It is kind of a nice, complementary way of looking at it.”

“Because soluble fibers dissolve in water, they have different properties once in the body. It could slow gas or empty it, which has a lot of benefits downstream, whether it be increase in satiety or attenuate the blood glucose response.”

“Insoluble fibers tend to absorb water and swell, which promotes food movement through the gut and is associated with stool bulking.”

He further outlines that insoluble fibers can bind some toxins, allowing them to be excreted.

Flavor enhancer  
Speaking at the symposium, Scott Forsberg, COO of Sonomaceuticals, described the ingredient as a “trifecta offering improved taste, sustainability and health benefits.”Chardonnay Marc could replace certain other ingredients to reduce the sugar content. 

He asserted that the initial exploration of chardonnay marc was focused on its potential health benefits, particularly for gut health, and its use in waste reduction, given that marc is inherently an upcycled product. 

He explained that the flavor introduced by this ingredient was not initially anticipated in the product. However, Forsberg pointed out that the chardonnay marc’s flavor-enhancing properties have been utilized in their dark chocolate bars, effectively diminishing bitterness even more effectively than sugar.

“The WellVine Chardonnay Marc could replace certain other ingredients that provide natural sweetness or help reduce the sugar content in various products, such as shelf-stable beverages. Klein mentioned that an intriguing possibility lies in ice cream, specifically chocolate-flavored ice cream enhanced with our product. Numerous developments are underway in this area,” Klein informed us.

“We believe there are numerous opportunities with various types of nuts and different ways to combine them with chocolate. This is an area we are actively exploring. Nutrition bars represent another category that is ready for development. The upcoming innovation will likely be the WellVine Chardonnay Marc cacao.”

He further suggested that the ingredient can also be used in smoothies: “ My personal favorite is using almond milk and banana as key ingredients, paired with a plant-based protein such as peanut powder. This combination offers high nutritional value, low-calorie content, and excellent absorption properties, making it a truly appealing option.”

By Milana Nikolova