You may have seen my earlier review or entered the recent giveaway for WholeVine Natural Products’ gourmet, award-winning cookies. WholeVine also produces excellent gluten-free grape skin and grape seed flours in a variety of distinctive flavors. You’re likely to find one that suits your taste. Their grape skin and grape seed flours come in Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. Read on for a review by gluten-free baking expert Dr. Danielle West, watch the WholeVine video, and see the giveaway details below.
WholeVine gluten-free wine flours are produced by a GFCO-certified baker and packer. GFCO (Gluten Free Certification Organization), part of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America, tests products to under 10 ppm gluten using the EZ Gluten/ELISA method. They also arrange outside lab verification testing when needed.
Salute!
A review of WholeVine Gluten-Free Wine Flours
By Dr Danielle West, ND
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I don’t know about you, but I have physical reactions to drinking wine or other alcoholic products, and yet in earlier years when that wasn’t an issue I enjoyed cooking and baking with wine. Combine that with now needing to be gluten-free and it sometimes feels like the available options shrink. Enter WholeVine Gluten-Free Wine Flours — they opened up a whole new world of flavor for me.
I reviewed four of their flours: two grape seed flours and two grape skin flours, all sourced from Sonoma County vineyards in California: Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Syrah. I put them to use in several recipes — here’s what I made and how they performed.
Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Seed Flour:
I created a decadent chocolate cabernet cheesecake and cabernet brownies. The Cabernet seed flour added a deep, wine-like note that complemented chocolate beautifully, giving baked goods a rich, sophisticated flavor.
With Merlot Grape Skin Flour I made a slow-cooked Merlot pot roast. The aroma filled the house while it cooked and the meat developed a deep, rounded flavor. I also baked Merlot-chocolate cupcakes — a winning combination since red wine notes pair naturally with chocolate and red meats.
The Chardonnay Grape Seed Flour was delightful in bread. I baked a loaf that was flavorful and moist, with the Chardonnay giving a subtle, pleasant backdrop. As a seed-based flour it lends itself well to being mixed with other seeds for texture and nutrition. I also used it as part of a light breadcrumb coating for fish fillets, which produced an elegant, flavorful dinner.
The Syrah Grape Skin Flour worked wonderfully with lamb. For my husband’s birthday I marinated a lamb steak in Syrah and olive oil, then grilled it after a long marinade — the Syrah notes complemented the lamb beautifully. I also used Syrah flour in meatballs earlier in the week with excellent results.
Overall, these flours expanded my gluten-free baking and cooking options with truly distinctive flavors. When friends and family say, “You’d never know it was gluten-free,” I know I’ve succeeded. WholeVine has created exciting, flavorful products that add depth to both savory and sweet recipes. I’m looking forward to ordering more.
Carla’s Notes: See WholeVine’s Chef’s Flour Tips for advice on using these flours. They offer helpful guidance on bread baking and other applications.
Keep in mind that flours high in fiber and protein, like these grape flours, absorb more liquid than typical gluten-free flour blends. Adjust liquid in recipes accordingly to achieve the right texture.
Watch the video below to learn more about WholeVine’s oils, flours, and cookies.
THE GLUTEN FREE GIVEAWAY
Eligibility
This giveaway was open to U.S. shipping addresses only.
Prizes
Two (2) winners each received:
- 1 – 1/2 lb. package Cabernet Seed Flour
- 1 – 1/2 lb. package Chardonnay Seed Flour
- 1 – 1/2 lb. package Merlot Skin Flour
- 1 – 1/2 lb. package Syrah Skin Flour
Total prize value: $52.00 ($26.00 per winner).
How to Enter
To enter, complete step 1 below (mandatory) and follow additional steps for extra entries. Each comment counted as an entry.
- Comment on the post requesting entry and explain why you wanted to enter. (mandatory)
- Like “Gluten Free Carla” on Facebook and leave a separate comment saying you did so. If you had already liked the page, state that in a separate comment. (1 extra entry)
- After liking the Facebook page, share the giveaway on Facebook and leave a separate comment stating you shared. (1 extra entry)
- Follow @GFrecipebox on Twitter and leave your Twitter handle in a separate comment. (1 extra entry)
- Tweet about the giveaway and leave a separate comment stating you did so. (1 extra entry)
- Follow any of Carla’s Pinterest boards and state what you did in a separate comment. If already following, note that in a separate comment. (1 extra entry)
- Add Carla to a Google+ circle and state so in a separate comment. If already added, note that separately. (1 extra entry)
- Leave a comment on another recipe or article on the site (limit two) and state what you did in separate comments. (1 extra entry per comment)
- Share the giveaway on other social networks and leave a separate comment for each share. (1 extra entry per share)
- Sign up for the newsletter and leave a separate comment confirming signup. If already subscribed, state so. (1 extra entry)
- Like WholeVine on Facebook and leave a separate comment with your Facebook name. (1 extra entry)
- Follow @TheWholeVine on Twitter and leave a separate comment with your Twitter name. (1 extra entry)
What you should know
- The giveaway ended at 11:59 pm PST on February 2, 2013.
- The winners were announced on this page on February 3, 2013.
- Winners had until 11:59 pm PST on February 6, 2013 to reply to the notification email with a U.S. shipping address and phone number. If a winner did not respond within that period, a new winner was chosen. All contact and shipping information was kept confidential.
- Winners were selected at random using contest software.
Disclaimer: WholeVine provided free product samples for review. The reviewer was not obligated to review them or to write a positive review, nor was the reviewer obligated to host a giveaway.
And the winners are…
Carrie Elsass and Linda Stilson!
Congratulations to both winners. You had until February 6 at 11:59 pm to reply to the winner’s notification with your U.S. shipping address and phone number. If no reply was received within that time period, a new winner was selected.