Study Highlights Distinct Compounds of Chardonnay Grape Pomace Ingredient, Wellvine

A new study on Wellvine, an ingredient sourced from Chardonnay grape pomace, challenges assumptions that all whole-food grape pomace ingredients should be thought of as the same source of fiber, polyphenols, and other beneficial compounds.

The peer-reviewed study, published in Molecules, conducted by UC Davis researchers, analyzed pomace from four widely grown California wine grape varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. The researchers used advanced analytical methods capable of mapping individual molecular structures, revealing far more complexity than was previously recognized.

“What emerged was far more than a simple comparison of nutrient content. Each grape variety displayed its own distinctive molecular fingerprint, with unique patterns of naturally occurring oligosaccharides and phenolic compounds. But Chardonnay stood apart,” said Daniela Barile, lead researcher and professor at UC Davis.

“Interestingly, the phenolic profiles also varied among the pomaces, including between the two white varieties. Chardonnay contained the highest levels of catechin and epicatechin, compounds associated with a range of potential health benefits,” said Bruna Paviani, PhD candidate and study author.

The research uncovered 29 distinct oligosaccharide compositions in Chardonnay grape pomace, which was the most diverse among the four grape varieties studied. White grape pomaces exhibited substantially greater soluble carbohydrate content and overall oligosaccharide diversity than the red wine pomaces analyzed.

Rather than simply thinking about the list of individual nutrients found in grapes, the findings should highlight that grape pomace is a whole-food ingredient with biological complexity only visible through advances in modern analytical science, Wellvine reported.

“Every meaningful scientific discovery changes the question we ask,” said Scott Forsberg, CEO of Wellvine. “For years, we’ve known grape pomace contained valuable nutrients. This research suggests we’ve only begun to appreciate just how sophisticated this natural food system really is.”

Wellvine noted that, for decades, nutrition science has focused on identifying individual nutrients and bioactive compounds, but research is trending toward the recognition of foods as organized biological systems whose naturally occurring components work together in ways not yet realized. Preserving natural compositions of fiber, polyphenols, oligosaccharides, and other plant compounds is generating interest.

“This study doesn’t tell us everything about how these compounds function,” said Forsberg. “But it gives scientists a much clearer picture of what’s actually there. That’s how meaningful science progresses: first by seeing more clearly, then by asking better questions. We believe this research represents an important step toward understanding why whole-food ingredients can behave differently than isolated components.”