Gluten Free Wine Flours For Cooking

A couple of years ago, the Kendall-Jackson family of California wine brands started a company called WholeVine, which recycles unused grape skins and seeds from various vineyards up and down the California coast (see map).

Flours derived from the seeds and skins are available for 8 different grape varieties, ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir to Riesling and Chardonnay.

Take a peek. They look pretty tasty to us!

Grape Skin Flour Varieties:

Grape Skin Flour Varieties
Grape Skin Flour Varieties

Grape Seed Flour Varieties:

Grape Seed Flour Varieties
Grape Seed Flour Varieties

You can buy any of the flours on their website. If you’re not the baking type, you can also order cookies and varietal grapeseed oils. The site also features features recipes and some general cooking tips for working with the grape skin and seed derived flours:

Grape skin flour has excellent versatility. It can be used in virtually any sweet or savory preparation. For breads, I like to use between 3 and 8 percent of the weight of the flour. This percent, although it seems small, will pack a huge punch and produce a great grape (wine) flavor and beautiful color.

Color is one of the main things about using these flours. If you’re trying to make something like pie crust or pound cake (unless you want to change the color), you should use one of the lighter flours, such as Chardonnay, Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. For items such as chocolate cakes or dark cookies, you should use the darker flours. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah flours especially add a great earthy, almost chocolate element which will enhance any chocolate based dessert.

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