While the health benefits of an occasional glass of wine have been heavily documented, it turns out that everything grape-related – seeds, vines, wines, and oils – are rich in polyphenols that combat free-radical damage throughout the body at a cellular level. Deep in Germany’s picturesque Black Forest, Karl Kellner, M.D., is putting his extensive studies regarding the health benefits of grapes and grapeseeds to practical use. Kellner’s Spa, a small, elegant, family-run hotel in the charming walking town of Badenweiler, offers treatments featuring grapeseeds and oils, while the dining room’s gourmet menu includes breads made from grape flour, cold-pressed grapeseed oils, and regional wines. From the hotel, an elevated glass tunnel leads to the water therapy building, where a selection of saunas, steams, and pools feature the essence of each season. The tepidarium, representing spring, has room temperature water for soaking, while the Finnish sauna embodies the dry heat of summer. The humidity of the caldarium represents damp autumn weather, and the icy waters of the vital shower capture the chill of winter. Drinking water is bottled on-site from mineral springs, and the spa uses Caudalie’s line of luxurious, grapevine-based skin care products. Traditional therapies from around the world, including Ayurveda and Shiatsu, are available, but opt for a deep tissue massage, and a staff physiotherapist will come to your room an hour beforehand to deliver a long pillow filled with hot grapeseeds. You’ll lie on the pillow, wrapped in a blanket, and be left to doze before being escorted to the massage room for a full body massage with grapeseed oil. For more information visit www.med-spa.de

– Debra Bokur

July/August 2007

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