Vine to Bar is doing something most chocolate brands don't dare: upcycling winemaking waste into a functional ingredient that actually improves flavor. Co-founded by winemakers Peggy Furth and Barbara Banke, the brand uses Chardonnay grape marc—skins, seeds, and pulp left after pressing—to reduce bitterness in dark chocolate while adding antioxidants and fiber. Now culinary icon Cat Cora has joined as a partner, lending both credibility and culinary chops to a brand that's landed distribution at Publix and is pushing hard into the better-for-you chocolate lane.
"Consumers were being asked to choose between something delicious and something healthy, and we believed they shouldn't have to choose," Furth says. Taste tests showed that WellVine™ Chardonnay marc smooths out dark chocolate's rough edges without the usual sugar load or compromises. It's a formulation win in a category where functional usually means cardboard.
Cora's buy-in is straightforward. "As a chef, everything starts with the ingredients. If you begin with high-quality, thoughtfully sourced ingredients, you don't have to do much to make something great," she says. "That's what I love about Vine to Bar—it's premium chocolate made with purpose, sustainability, and ingredients you can actually feel good about eating. I also love that it's female-founded." She's not just a face on the label; she's involved in product development, ensuring the brand doesn't sacrifice taste for story.
The sustainability angle is more than marketing. Upcycling grape marc tackles food waste, delivers a cleaner label, and gives retailers a differentiated story in a deeply entrenched category. "Retailers are actively looking for innovation and differentiation, and Vine to Bar offers a completely new story—upcycling, functional ingredients, and premium positioning," Furth notes. The Publix win validates that shoppers will try functional chocolate if it doesn't taste like punishment.
At Expo West, buyers and attendees gave the brand strong marks. "People were really surprised by how good it tastes, and it melts right in your mouth," Cora recalls. "Once people hear 'functional chocolate,' they sometimes expect it to taste like a health product, but this tastes like premium chocolate." That reaction matters in a segment where taste is still king, and function is the kicker, not the lead.
Vine to Bar is carving out space in a category that hasn't seen much real innovation beyond origin stories and cacao percentages. By threading upcycling, functional benefits, and genuine indulgence into one bar, the brand is betting that consumers—and retailers—are ready for chocolate that does more than melt. If the Publix rollout and Expo West buzz are any indication, that bet is paying off.
