I slipped into a wine spa and felt woozy – but not for the reason you might think. 

Portland, Oregon is a city known for its offbeat spirit, vibrant food and drink scene and sustainable ethos, drawing travellers to this creative Pacific Northwest hub. Now, an emerging wellness culture is adding another layer to the city’s appeal and none more unique than Wine Spa Portland, recently named one of Time’s 100 Greatest Places in the World to Visit. 

As a lover of wine and wellness, I knew this had to be part of my Portland itinerary. Here, guests soak in baths infused with wine while sipping a glass of their favourite varietal. The practice is known as vinotherapy and it sounds like the ultimate way to “un-wined", right? 

What to expect at a Wine Spa 

On arrival, we’re welcomed into a serene lounge with a glass of the owner’s current favourite drop – a crisp, summery pinot gris. Owner Kelly Lewis champions women-owned wineries from the nearby Willamette Valley and sipping their creations feels like the perfect introduction to the region. With wine in hand, soft music drifting and conversation flowing, I’m already beginning to unwind. 

The interiors are a calming blend of whites and neutrals – definitely more day spa than cellar door (although there’s a bottle shop conveniently next door), accented with olive trees and wine country imagery. Soon we’re led to our treatment rooms: intimate, candlelit spaces where you can slip into the bath wearing either a swimsuit or nothing at all. 

The water is a blend of botanicals and Epsom salts heated to 37-40°C. Then comes the theatrical flourish, as my therapist pours a swirl of deep red wine into the steaming bath, releasing aromas of berries and spice. I slide in. The water is warm, enveloping and oddly comforting and the inky colour is like slipping into the ocean at night. 

What is Vinotherapy? 

While Vinotherapy might sound like a gimmick, it’s a practice rooted in history and science. It uses wine and grape byproducts for their antioxidant properties, believed to reduce stress and inflammation. Some trace the tradition back to Roman times when wine was used to cleanse gladiators’ wounds; others point to Cleopatra’s penchant for bathing in wine as a fountain of youth. 

More common in Europe, vinotherapy is relatively new to the United States, with Portland’s spa the first of its kind stateside. Given Australia’s love of wine and wellness, how long before we see a wine spa here? 

Sustainable Wellness 

Wine Spa Portland has cleverly woven sustainability into its ethos. The spa partners with local Willamette Valley wineries, upcycling surplus wine – often bottles with labelling errors or batches that would otherwise go to waste and transforming it into luxurious spa treatments. For guests, this win-win approach means indulgence with a side of eco-consciousness. 

Wine Spa Treatment options 

The spa menu playfully pays homage to the grape. My friend chooses the “D-I-Wine," a signature package combining a vinotherapy soak, grape glow body scrub and red wine face mask, perfect for newcomers. I go one step further with the “Pinot Dreams Deluxe," which layers a massage onto the vinotherapy immersion.  

The spa also offers signature facials featuring Caudalie, the renowned French skincare line born in Bordeaux. The products harness the power of the grape and vine: resveratrol from the stalk delivers anti-ageing benefits, while viniferine from the sap is said to be 62 times more effective at brightening skin than vitamin C. Kelly tells us the French saying goes, “when the vines cry, the women’s faces glow." 

Whether from dehydration after a day of sightseeing or the sheer release of travel tension, I emerge lightheaded, as though my body has been purged of toxins. Within an hour I feel balanced again, proof perhaps, of how deeply I’d relaxed. 

Beyond the Spa 

Portland is quietly emerging as a wellness destination. CASCADA, a recently opened eco-hotel with onsite thermal springs and spa, invites guests to slow down, recharge and reconnect with both themselves and nature. We also took a restorative soak at Knot Springs, a modern rooftop bathhouse offering saunas, steam rooms and plunge pools, all framed by sweeping panoramic views of the Portland skyline and surrounding mountains. 

Whether it’s the wine, the soak or the massage, the ritual leaves me glowing in both body and spirit making for a truly unique and multi-sensory experience that captures Portland’s fresh take on wellness.