Bordeaux wine baths to start in May at Wine Beer Spa

his is one bath that Sylvie Kebbal discovered by chance, “during a trip to Prague, in fact, when we discovered beer baths, an ancient tradition in Eastern Europe, which also exists in Belgium and is gaining traction in France”, she recounts.

After visiting the Czech capital, Kebbal’s experience quickly sparked an idea. Though not involved in the wine industry, she lives in Bordeaux. “I was sure that this idea of beer baths would appeal in France but, as a good Bordeaux citizen, I had to include wine in the experience”, she continues.

The project slowly took shape until she finally found the right premises on the Allées de Tourny, in the centre of Bordeaux. “I was looking for an intimate atmosphere along the same lines as a spa and relaxation. And this is it, with its vaulted ceilings, its bare stone, different rooms for bathing alone or with two people per bath, and rooms equipped with several wooden baths made in Hungary, which can accommodate up to 6 people at the same time”, says Kebbal who has called her brain-child the Wine Beer Spa.

Patrons will be able to take a wine or beer bath. “I stress that the concept is a wine bath and not bathing in wine. Just like with beer baths, only the components of wine are mixed with water at 41°C. The components are the same as those used in beauty products, renowned for their beneficial effects on the skin, with their anti-oxidants, anti-ageing properties and vitamins”, explains Kebbal. It isn’t hard to imagine that a lengthy bath in wine, with its acidic pH, may not have the best effect on skin.