The beginning of Wine Therapy

Wine therapy is an alternative treatment that arises from the fusion of ancient traditions and the knowledge of the therapeutic benefits of wine. 

One of the most distinguished peoples in the development of wine were the Greeks, and it was precisely in ancient Greece where medicine had a great development, acquiring a scientific character and separating from the magical practices and superstitions that until then conferred priests and other characters of similar character. 

Hippocrates contributed with great merit to transforming the situation. 

Hippocrates was born in 460 B.C., on the island of Cos, famous for its wines since antiquity, where he founded the medical school of the same name. 

Among the subjects dealt with in his writings, it is important to focus on those related to nutrition, way of life, work, physical exercises, etc.  From this source we know that he used wine as an antiseptic and healing agent. 

Asclepiade handled a much less aggressive therapy than the other Greek doctors: his diets always coincided with the tastes of the patients, he avoided purgatives and emetics, he recommended rest and massages, he prescribed wine and music for fever.

In Ancient Rome, women used face masks based on seeds and grape skins to prevent the appearance of wrinkles. 

The modern history of wine therapy runs parallel to the origin of Europe's oldest wineries and vineyards.

Specifically, it began in the region of Graves, near Bordeaux (France) where Matilde Cathiard and Bertrand Thomas were its precursors and who created the first spa specializing in wine therapy baptized as Les Sources de Caudalie. Later its practice was introduced in other countries of wine culture such as Italy or Spain.

In more recent times, the development of the leisure and tourism industry and the knowledge of wine oenology and culture have led more and more people to become interested in everything that surrounds wine production, not only as an object of gastronomic study, but also for its beneficial properties for health and as a natural source of beauty and youth. 

When studying the composition of wine, scientists have found that it contains numerous antioxidants, elements that are very valuable when it comes to fighting free radicals, as well as other essential nutrients for the cellular regeneration of our skin (polyphenols, procyanidolics and anthocyanosides). Thus, wine not only delights your palate, but when applied externally it can cure certain affections of the epidermis, stop the appearance of wrinkles and even improve its elasticity and firmness. Today, wine therapy has a large number of followers from celebrities like Catherine Zeta-Jones to royalty like Princess Carolina of Monaco.

At Lanzaloe we launched our Vinoterapia Line in 2011. We work with Malvasia grapes from the island of Lanzarote and organic Aloe vera from our own plantation, creating unique products such as the Volcanic Malvasia Cream or Handmade Soap.