French Wineries May Produce Powder Wine Extracts

PARIS--In the June 7 London-based Times, it was reported that a co-operative of 20,000 French producers of wine may soon be exporting a powdered wine extract. The Society of French Distilleries (www.france-distilleries.com) began researching the polyphenols that were extracted from red and white wines, rather than from the grapes, four years ago. According to the paper, the co-op has sold approximately $150,000 worth of the powder so far, but it believes that there is an interest in this extract in northern Europe and the United States. The Society stated that it buys barrels of wine from the French vineyards, extracts the polyphenols to make the powder and then gives any profits from the powder back to the wine producers. Reportedly, the extract is made with wines rich in tannins (a phenolic compound).