WHO IS SONOMACEUTICALS?
Santa Rosa-based SonomaCeuticals was started in 2009 by two Sonoma County wine entrepreneurs, Barbara Banke and Peggy Furth [MORE] who set out to develop vineyard-derived healthful and pure products for consumers and industry. WholeVine Products is their consumer brand, using noble varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and more, with fresh essences of flavor, color and texture never before experienced—as well as a surprisingly wide spectrum of nutritional complexity.
WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU CURRENTLY PRODUCE?
ANSWER
Gluten-free cookies (4 types) [MORE] and Gluten-free flours (16 types) [MORE] flours from grape seeds and skins, 8 each including Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Chardonnay. It’s available for use by both home and commercial bakers. Culinary Oil (8 types) [MORE] varietal-specific oils crafted from grapeseeds. Cold-pressed and unrefined for natural, full flavor essence. Artisan Wheat Crackers (8 types) which include 3 Savory Salt recipes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay) and 5 other artisan crackers (Sauvignon Blanc Tarragon Sage, Cabernet Sauvignon Herbs de Provence, Syrah Black Pepper Black Onion Seed, Chardonnay Sesame Seed, Zinfandel Caraway Cracked Rye). [MORE]
WHERE DO I FIND INGREDIENT AND NUTRITION INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS?
ANSWER
Cookies For our retail line of cookies, this information is online [HERE]
Flours An independent lab report appears online [HERE]
Oils Check out our oils information online [HERE] and [HERE]
MORE QUESTIONS? EMAIL US
Gluten-free cookies (4 types) [MORE] and Gluten-free flours (16 types) [MORE] flours from grape seeds and skins, 8 each including Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Chardonnay. It’s available for use by both home and commercial bakers. Culinary Oil (8 types) [MORE] varietal-specific oils crafted from grapeseeds. Cold-pressed and unrefined for natural, full flavor essence. Artisan Wheat Crackers (8 types) which include 3 Savory Salt recipes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay) and 5 other artisan crackers (Sauvignon Blanc Tarragon Sage, Cabernet Sauvignon Herbs de Provence, Syrah Back Pepper Black Onion Seed, Chardonnay Sesame Seed, Zinfandel Caraway Cracked Rye). [MORE]
WHAT WAYS ARE YOU EARTH-FRIENDLY AND HUMAN-FRIENDLY IN YOUR PRACTICES?
ANSWER
(1) We see value others pass by. To us, making wine is just the beginning of what a vineyard’s purpose can be. We also believe that everything should be used for its highest best use [MORE] rather than discarding it, especially with the effort and care that goes into cultivating fine wine vineyards...our only source for ingredients.
(2) We let nature shine through in sourcing and keep harmful processes out of the equation, preferring gentler, earth-friendly handling, resulting in impressive purity, nutrition and flavor.
(3) Everything we do is part of a full cycle of sustainability [MORE] which includes renewability and support for the land and its people. It begins in sustainable vineyards [MORE], leads to our using only natural processes to craft healthful products, and ultimately goes to fund research, education, and children’s charities. [MORE]
ARE YOUR PRODUCTS CERTIFIED ORGANIC?
ANSWER
No. While our products are not currently certified organic, some of the vineyards we source from may include organically grown vines and grapes. In fact, 100% of these vineyards are certified sustainable. [MORE]
ARE ALL YOUR PRODUCTS GLUTEN-FREE?
ANSWER
No. Our vineyard-sourced ingredients are gluten-free, specifically, our culinary oils and our grape skin and seed flours. We make a line of cookies that are also gluten-free. But we also produce other items that are not gluten-free for those who enjoy those foods; for example our artisan crackers, while using our gluten-free flours, also contain wheat.
FOR ITS GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS, WHY DOES WHOLEVINE USE A PRODUCTION FACILITY THAT ALSO PROCESSES INGREDIENTS SUCH AS WHEAT AND PEANUTS?
ANSWER
It is true that the production plant we use also handles wheat and peanuts, primarily for other customers. We understand the significant challenges faced by those who are extremely allergic to specific ingredients, which is why we put a notice of this fact on our labels. As a small privately owned company, we do not have a dedicated production facility. We carefully selected our current food processing plant for its ability to produce consistently fresh, superior quality WholeVine products, all in keeping with one of WholeVine’s founding tenets to strive for top quality and natural purity in everything we make. Since the inception of our relationship with our food processor, we’ve worked together to ensure proper standards are in place to support our Gluten-Free certification. Under the supervision of Dr. Torey Arvik, WholeVine Director of Applied and Research Science, we are confident that we are fulfilling both the spirit and letter of the major gluten-free certifying agency in the United States, the GFCO [MORE] whose seal appears on our gluten-free products.
HOW DO YOU PROTECT AGAINST CROSS-CONTAMINATION SO THAT GLUTEN-FREE REALLY MEANS GLUTEN-FREE?
ANSWER
We are aware of the potential for cross-contamination at various stages of sourcing and production of gluten-free products. We scrutinize and test ingredients that arrive from our hand-selected suppliers to ensure that all materials are gluten-free. We maintain the highest standards, rejecting those ingredients that do not fulfill the requirements of gluten-free certification. While millers and farmers are getting better at maintaining separation and cleaning equipment completely, nevertheless, we will continue to be vigilant of this issue. Under the supervision of Dr. Torey Arvik, WholeVine Director of Applied and Research Science, we are confident that we are fulfilling both the spirit and letter of the major gluten-free certifying agency in the United States, the GFCO [MORE] whose seal appears on our gluten-free products.
DO YOUR COOKIES CONTAIN EGG, MILK, SOY, PEANUTS, WALNUTS, OR ALMONDS?
ANSWER
Yes. Depending on the recipe we may use any or all of these ingredients in our retail cookies. If allergies do not permit you or your family to enjoy our cookies, but you like to experiment with unique recipes in your kitchen, perhaps you’ll consider trying some of our flour and oil products (which bring out unique flavor, nutrition, color and texture in most any recipe). If you do, we’d love to hear from you about your success, and maybe even share some recipes for others to enjoy! The flour will be in stock shortly online. [HERE]
