Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario — Southbrook Vineyards, one of Canada’s foremost wineries producing organic and biodynamic wines, is excited to introduce Bioflavia™, a unique natural health product made of organic red wine grape skin powder, at the CHFA (Canadian Health Food Association) Expo West. The conference and trade show takes place from April 14 to 17 in Vancouver and is regarded as the most influential trade event in Canada for the natural health product market. In addition, Southbrook will debut Bioflavia™ at Toronto’s Green Living Show, Canada’s largest green consumer show, held at Exhibition Place, from April 15 to 17.
Bioflavia™ contains very high levels of powerful antioxidants, in particular reseveratrol and quercetin, and its arrival on the market marks a first in Canada for the wine business as well as the natural health product industry.
For Southbrook owners, Bill and Marilyn Redelmeier, their commitment to the earth and sustainable business practices are always top of mind when managing their winery – from their dedication to biodynamic and organic grape growing, their winemaking philosophy , their award-winning LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold-certified hospitality pavilion and now to Bioflavia™.
The making of Bioflavia™ starts with organic wine pomace or what is commonly known as “wine waste.” After grapes are crushed for wine production, grape skins and seeds, or the pomace, are left over and usually discarded. “The idea of taking pomace that was going to waste and finding a way to turn it into a valuable health product was a very appealing challenge to me,” said Bill Redelmeier, co-owner of Southbrook Vineyards. “We initially made a similar red wine grape skin powder to enhance the dough for the pizzas we serve at the winery each summer. But when we researched the antioxidant levels of the powder, we were surprised just how high they were,” he adds. “We began to seriously look at how the grape skin powder could be marketed to consumers and that is how Bioflavia™ was developed.”
In addition to their own pomace, Southbrook also purchases pomace from other organic vineyards in Niagara to produce Bioflavia™ for the Canadian market. The pomace is first put through a complete drying process before the skins and seeds are separated. The grape skins are furthered dried to a specified moisture level and milled to a fine powder. Organic grape powder and Vitamin C are added and the final Bioflavia™ product is packaged in 300g tamper-proof plastic canisters at a Health Canada site licensed production facility.
“Bioflavia™ is the only certified organic red wine grape skin powder currently sold in the Canadian market,” notes Robert Egli, Bioflavia’s Director of Sales and Marketing. "The initial reaction to Bioflavia™ from retailers and the trade has been extremely positive. The fact Bioflavia™ will be designated as a Natural Health Product by Health Canada and we have carried out extensive scientific product analyses fully validates Bioflavia's health-promoting antioxidant benefits.”
According to product analyses conducted by Nutrasource Diagnostics Inc. of Guelph, Ontario, a world leader in scientific, evidence-based research for the natural health product industry, a 10g serving of Bioflavia™ supplies 11,000 ORAC Units when measured against peroxyl and hydroxyl free radicals found in the body. The level of antioxidants in foods is measured in Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity Units (ORAC). ORAC is a measure of a food’s ability to neutralize the process of oxidation and cell damage caused by free radicals in our bodies.
A daily consumption of antioxidants is recommended to help protect us from diseases including heart disease, atherosclerosis, certain cancers, autoimmune disorders and advanced ageing. To ensure our diets include a rich and diverse supply of antioxidants, Health Canada recommends consuming seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. With today’s busy lifestyles, it’s not always possible to get the recommended daily amount. A suggested 10g serving of Bioflavia™ is a convenient and delicious way to provide additional protection to ensure we meet our daily antioxidant requirements. Add one scoop (10g) Bioflavia™ to your morning smoothie or juice, or stir into yogurt or cereal. It’s also ideal to use in baking, such as in muffins, bars and breads, and in dips, sauces, burgers and stews.
Bioflavia™ is distributed nationally by Purity Life Health Products, the largest distributor of natural health products across Canada. A 300g canister of Bioflavia™ has a suggested retail price of $29.95 and will be available in fine food shops and natural health food stores in the coming weeks. Bioflavia™ is also available at
Southbrook Vineyards, located at 581 Niagara Stone Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Tel: 905.641.2548.
For additional information, a list of store locations where Bioflavia™ will be sold and for recipe ideas, go to
website here. (The website is expected to be launched Friday, April 15, 2011.)
