September 10, 2026 — Food & Function, one of the world’s most highly regarded scientific journals in the fields of food, nutrition and health, has published a study highlighting the positive health effects of a wine enriched with polyphenols, which are antioxidants.
The research evaluated the effects of moderate consumption of a reduced-alcohol wine enriched with polyphenols derived from grape skins, compared with a traditional wine. This was assessed through a randomised clinical trial involving adults who were overweight or met at least one diagnostic criterion for metabolic syndrome, such as elevated fasting blood glucose. Participants drank one glass of wine (125 mL for women and 250 mL for men) with lunch and dinner for five to six weeks. At the end of this period, the results showed improvements in some of the health parameters measured, including reduced levels of alanine aminotransferase, a marker of liver health. In addition, unlike the control wine for certain parameters, the polyphenol-enriched wine prevented the increase in uric acid levels observed in the control group and reduced plasma kynurenine levels, both of which are associated with inflammatory processes.
“The most significant contribution of this study is that it provides scientific evidence obtained in humans through a controlled clinical trial on the effects of consuming a wine characterised by its high polyphenol content on certain biomarkers of both liver health and inflammation in blood serum and plasma. The results open up opportunities for further research into the potential of antioxidants found in grapes and into how food innovation can contribute to the development of products with differentiated characteristics,” said Felipe Ávila, PhD in Chemistry, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Universidad de Talca, and a specialist in oxidative stress, antioxidants and bioactive food compounds.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile y Universidad de Talca and co-funded by CORFO (independent Chilean government agency that supports entrepreneurship, innovation, and the country’s economic competitiveness). The Viña Concha y Toro’s Center for Research and Innovation supplied the wine enriched with polyphenols extracted from grape skins, a common by-product of winemaking, using a technique developed in its laboratories. This increased the wine’s concentration of polyphenols, anthocyanins and flavonoids, as well as its antioxidant capacity.
The research was also selected for the cover of the Food & Function issue, a distinction reserved for work of particular scientific relevance.
The publication marks another milestone for the Center for Research and Innovation, reaffirming its commitment to science-based innovation and to developing solutions that contribute to a sustainable future for the industry. “This publication demonstrates how research and innovation can generate new knowledge from resources inherent to winemaking. We are proud that work carried out in Chile has been recognised by a prestigious international scientific journal and also selected for the cover of the issue,” concluded Gerard Casaubon.
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ABOUT VIÑA CONCHA Y TORO
Viña Concha y Toro is a leading global wine company with a history spanning more than 140 years. It is Latin America’s leading wine exporter and one of the world’s most important wine brands, with 11 distribution offices in its key markets worldwide, enabling its products to be present in more than 130 countries. Its winemaking origins in Chile, Argentina, the United States, France and Mexico give its wines character and identity, creating a broad family of unique global brands recognised worldwide for their quality, innovation and sustainability, including Casillero del Diablo, Don Melchor, Trivento and Bonterra, among others.
Headquartered in Santiago, Chile, the company has more than 12,000 hectares of vineyards planted in the main wine valleys of the countries where it operates.
Since 2021, it has been a Certified B Corporation and was recently recognised by S&P Global in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Index as the world’s most sustainable wine company for its ESG practices. Its shares have been traded on the Santiago Stock Exchange since 1933.
ABOUT THE VIÑA CONCHA Y TORO CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
The Center for Research and Innovation (CRI) was inaugurated in 2014 in Chile’s Maule Region. This pioneering initiative was conceived to research and develop new technologies in viticulture and winemaking, seeking to contribute to the development and competitiveness of the wine industry in Chile and around the world, while generating knowledge and new solutions to address the sector’s future challenges.
The CRI comprises an Agricultural and Oenological Laboratory, a Molecular Biology Laboratory, an Experimental Winery and an Extension Centre. Each area is equipped with cutting-edge technology and contributes to the aim of making the wine industry more efficient and competitive. Through its Extension Centre and a range of training opportunities, new knowledge and technologies can be shared and incorporated into viticultural and winemaking practices. The Centre has achieved significant advances in applied research across the entire production chain, addressing the industry’s challenges in quality, adaptability and productivity.
