Besides wine and grape seed oil, there is another noble liquid that the grapevine produces entirely without human intervention and in its own interest. Vine water – the Ancient Romans called it Lacryma vitis or Aqua vitis – is the liquid that the vine allows to flow through its branches after hibernation to supply and activate the entire stock with vital nutrients. If the vine branches have previously been cut by the vintner for controlled shoot growth, the precious liquid drips from the cut surface. This has a clear purpose for the vine: it fends off bacteria that could enter the grapevine through the open wound and seals the wound with resin, which eventually forms from the vine water. What looks like a dripping tap is nothing other than the visible immune system of a grapevine.
For the Ancient Romans, the miraculous tears of their plants were extremely fascinating. They collected the liquid, examined it, cautiously tasted it, and documented their observations on its medicinal efficacy over many years. One of these early researchers was Pliny Secundus, who lived from 23 to 79 AD. He attributed a healing effect against skin diseases to vine water. Hildegard von Bingen, on the other hand, more than 1,000 years later, recommended the use of vine water for eye ailments or toothaches. The first cosmetic use, however, dates back to 795 AD: in a recipe in the Lorsch Pharmacopoeia, vine water was an ingredient in a skin ointment. The range of applications was broad in any case – from strengthening the stomach to combating neurodermatitis. Vine water was henceforth used as a miracle cure for minor ailments, but also for serious illnesses. Although knowledge about the tears of the grapevine was not lost, it gradually fell into oblivion and eventually almost completely disappeared from the collection of old home remedies. The good thing about it: over the course of history, vine water has also been "rediscovered" several times and scientifically investigated with increasing possibilities.
But what does the grapevine actually produce? Four researchers at the Vienna Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry investigated this question in 1993 and analyzed the sap of a grapevine from the Weinviertel region using gas chromatography. The result: 32 ingredients such as cineole, alpha-terpineol or thymol were found. These are highly effective bio-active substances with antibacterial and disinfecting properties. However, the question could not be fully answered, as science could not identify a certain proportion of the vine water. A secret that, even thousands of years after its discovery, has not yet been revealed.
dieNikolai uses only vine water that comes from its own Demeter-certified vineyards and – freely following Hildegard von Bingen – is processed into a soothing eye serum. Together with witch hazel extract, camelina oil, and grape seed oil, I have developed a particularly light texture for the care of the delicate skin around the eyes. The eye serum provides moisture, strengthens the skin, and supports an "alert look" entirely without chemical preservatives or exotic ingredients.
Photos by Stefan Fürtbauer
