Those who can afford it are now bathing in the organic matter used in the winemaking process. Fans say it helps with everything from anti-aging to preventing cancer.

The French Paradox speaks to the benefits of a longer life among the French due to drinking red wine despite lower exercise rates and more rich foods than other nations. But the French don’t just drink red wine, they also bathe in it.

Decades ago French chemists found that certain chemicals in wine helped with attacking the aging process. More recent studies show that yes, the chemical compound Resveratrol helps fight acne when applied topically to the skin in conjunction with other acne-fighters like benzoyl peroxide. Continuing with the trend wine baths, which were first made popular by the French company, Caudalie, have caught on. The practice, vinotherapy, has participants bathe in a mix of water and stems, leaves and skins – all byproducts of the winemaking process. Dumping a few bottles into the bath and hopping in would not get the same effect: wine is drying to the skin.

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French scientists develop yet another way to use science to stop wine fraud.

Wine fraud and wine scandals have been making the news lately. Whether talking about Italian reds or fighting fraud in South Africa with new labels, it seems that both fraud, and ways to beat it, are at the forefront of the wine world’s mind.

During the aging process, wine is barreled while developing flavor. While most people do not drink wine that is French oak-barreled, but about 2% of premium French wines are and are bought for this reason. A specific fraud worrying French wine experts is passing off wine barrels as French oak when they are made from cheaper, Eastern European oak. French oak helps flavor wines with its tannins for a distinct mix of vanilla, smoke, caramel and clove.

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