If you believe we are what we eat and drink and slather on our bodies, and you like to put your money where your mouth is, then the recent Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, a market for retailers, brokers, distributors and makers of all things natural, is the place for you. As one of 58,000 attendees (consultants to Health Essentials) we checked in for a day and found a few products worth mentioning for WineWomanWorld followers. There were over 3000 exhibits from over 1800 companies, so excuse us if we don’t mention all of our favorite products. We won’t get into emerging trends like Vitamin D3 and sustainably harvested krill oil here, but if you like your resveratrol served up on a daily basis, and enjoy a WineWomanWorld lifestyle, you might enjoy our pure and natural recommendations.
In the wine department we stopped by the annual wine tasting event and met up with old friends at Frey organic (and biodynamic) wines. Katrina was on hand pouring. As America’s first organic winery, they have worked hard to keep sulfites out of organic wines. Check out what the Frey family is doing (and farming) on their blog. freywine.com/blog.html
Set up next to their organic/no sulfite friends, we sampled the organic La Rocca Vineyards (Forest Ranch, CA) and chatted with founder Phil La Rocca.
The Women in Naturals networking party sponsored by Reserveage Organics, served their own delicious wine. Their age-defying grape seed products exceed international pharmaceutical standards and are all pure and sustainably hand crafted from French vineyards. reserveage.com/home.php
What a perfect place to meet up with producer Judy Brooks from the PBS show “Healing Quest.” healingquest.tv/
One of the more “energetic” products we encountered was Sacred Geometry Glassware. Carafes and wine glasses are made in Austria originally (and now other eastern European countries and China) utilizing the Fibonaaci Sequence in their design.
Designer Thomas Chochola developed an affection for the synergy of music, water and glass in his spiral structures. He utilizes “the flower of life symbol” at the bottom of his carafes, tumblers and glasses, and claims vitalizing and energizing effects. You can revitalize wine, water or the drink of your choice – but sorry you cannot turn the water into wine.
The mouth-blown wine glasses cost around $40 ea. Their beautiful glass drinking straw is only $14.95 and is a perfect counterpoint for those on the run who might have to drink out of plastic and want to eliminate the plastic flavor. tcenergydesignusa.com
The Napa Valley is also home to Napa Soap, made in small batches (under 50 bars at a time) with grape seed oil and wine. Figs and Zinfandel mmmmmmm. You can visit their shop in person at 655 Main St. St. Helena, CA 94574 napasoap.com
Another alternative to grape seed oil soap, is the pureness of kasu soap. All Pureness soaps are enriched with kasu, which is a natural fermentation process that transforms brown rice into easily absorbable proteins, amino acids, enzymes and antioxidants. Call it brown rice vinegar, or even plum vinegar, then pass the sake! The soaps are lightly scented in simple botanical fragrances and are currently selling at Fred Segal in Santa Monica. purenesshealth.com
We enjoyed meeting Kelly from Native Touch. Based in North Carolina, Native Touch has a full herbal product line of soaps, scrubs and rubs. They don’t contain any grape products but they are a Caribbean Native American owned and operated business, and all the formulas are created by Laralyn RiverWind who is working on her doctorate in Naturopathy.
Her husband Joseph is a U.S. Army veteran who serves on his Tribal Council as the International Cultural Ambassador for the Jatibonicu Taino Indian Nation of Boriken. Besides making beautiful Native music together they have created an incredible line of natural products. Our favorite was the Blue Corn Sugar Scrub with natural sugar cane, oatmeal, ground blue corn and poppy seeds with a fragrant blend of citrus oils. It smelled good enough to eat! The size is 16 oz. and costs $20.
Your purchase of their Pearls and Roses Bath Premier Bath Salts helps build hospitals, schools and houses in an impoverished neighborhood in the Afar Tribal Community. Fair trade feels good for everyone. nativetouch.us
We ran into the lavender ladies of Laytonville from Harvest Moon Farms in Mendocino County. Martha Betz, the plant person and K.C. Chamberlain, the people person, have been enchanting northern Californians for over 10 years with their certified organic lavender products. They informed me that recent gas chromography tests of their lavender have shown that the vibrational quality is off the charts.
Their hand salves and massage oils and essentials oils and spritzers are soooooo uplifting and relaxing. A 2 oz. jar of Royal Velvet Body Lotion sells for $20.00 and is a yummy blend of butters and oils and perfume grade English lavender. Make a gift basket of their product line for those you love. harvestmoonfarmslavender.com
This spring we will visit with Lydia Mondavi of 29 Cosmetics (and new mother of Robert Mondavi III) and her luxury line of grape seed extract-based cosmetics and spa care products — and their age protecting benefits.