For many people, wine is synonymous with celebration, camaraderie and relaxation.
Many have incorporated it into their daily routines, enjoying a glass of wine before bed or after a long day of work. It helps them wind down and prepare their minds for the dawn of a new day. However, as they enter middle age, more people are having to give up wine as they get tired of the headaches, congestion, skin flush, upset stomach and hangovers that sometimes come from drinking the alcoholic beverage.
Grapevine-based company PureWine wants to change that with technology that addresses wine intolerance and allows people to still enjoy both the experience and health benefits of wine.
The company, which is part of Capital Factory's VIP Accelerator, removes histamines and sulfite preservatives, which cause the unwanted side effects. And they can remove these elements from all varieties of wine without impacting the flavor.
“Our goal is to really help people bring wine into their experience, into their lifestyle, so that they don’t have any of the side effects they may have started experiencing,” said David Meadows, who, together with his son Derek, founded the company in 2014. “And to really enjoy all the health and social benefits that wine has historically provided and continues to provide to people, and not force them into other alcoholic beverage categories."
The idea began when David, a biomedical engineer, and later Derek, began experiencing wine headaches and allergic reactions to red, white, rosé and sparkling wines. But they weren’t about to give up on wine. Instead, they spent two years in a laboratory working on a solution to combat the side effects of wine. Eventually, they made their great discovery and found a way to remove histamines and sulfites without changing the chemistry of the wine.
David compares PureWine’s filtration system to Brita’s water filtration system, only for wine.
The father and son duo launched their first product, “the Wand,” which filters a glass of wine, in 2016. Then they introduced “The Wave” which aerates and filters a bottle of wine in 2018.
They say the product has proved life-changing for customers who can once again enjoy both the experience and health benefits of wine, including better cardiovascular health, reduced metabolic disease, greater longevity and improved cognition. Wine is the only alcoholic beverage that can help people live longer and healthier, so the discovery was a defining achievement for the Meadows men.
According to PureWine’s website, 39 million people, which makes up 35 percent of the wine drinking population, suffer moderate to chronic side effects from drinking wine. Meanwhile, 70 percent of women older than 45 years old suffer these effects.
David said PureWine’s products are safe, effective and reliable, tested according to FDA standards for food-grade materials, and are manufactured with BPA-free components.
