UC Davis Researchers Find New Life For Wine Grape Residue

According to research from the University of California Davis, chardonnay wine grape pomace could potentially transition from waste to a useful tool for human health. Lead author, Amanda Sinrod, said this research is one of the first to investigate the potential bioactive compounds in Chardonnay marc, particularly, oligosaccharides and phenolics.

"Both of them are known prebiotics, so they're really good at enhancing the gut microbiome. They've also each individually shown many health effects like cardio protective effects, neurological effects, anti-cancer.”

The initial research indicates the oligosaccharides​in Chardonnay marc can potentially deliver the same health benefits if consumed.  Sinrod, said researchers are identifying a variety of ways to get wine grape pomace into diet and they're working with company, have a new product, luxury chocolate bars, to do just that.

"They put whole chardonnay marc into the chocolate to enhance the flavor and sweetness and reduce the amount of added sugar, because the natural sugar in the oligosaccharides that come with adding the marc.”

Sinrod noted The UC Davis team analyzed the molecular composition of chardonnay residue provided by Sonomaceuticals and Jackson Family Wines.

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