What Is Grape Leather?

The huge demand for sustainability in the leather industry encouraged designers, leather workers, companies to research new types of plant-based leather, which is cruelty-free and more eco-friendly than animal-based and fully synthetic alternatives.

One of the most promising types of plant-based leather is grape leather. Grape leather is made from the waste that is a byproduct of the winemaking process. Given that grape leather is made from a grape coating and a recycled polyester backing, it has much lower environmental impact than traditional animal leathers. 

Grape leather is produced by an Italian based company, Vegea®, who developed grape leather an eco-sustainable solution alternative plastic leather and animal leather.

For those interested in learning more about grape leather and how it is made, read on.

What Is Grape Leather?

As the name suggests, grape leather is a type of plant-based leather made from wine grape waste, specifically the skins, seeds, and stalks left over after the juice is pressed to produce wine.

What makes this production method highly sustainable is that these materials would have been otherwise discarded. 

Instead, they’re used to produce high-performance vegan leather that resembles traditional leather in terms of look and feel. As a result, it can be used in a wide range of applications.

Although grape is still a relatively new material, its promising features give it the potential to revolutionize the textile and fashion industry in the coming years.

Today, grape leather is used by popular brands, including Moleskin, Calvin Klein, Bentley, and more to make notebooks, clothing, and leather seats.

How Is It Made?

Now that you know more about grape leather and its properties, you might be wondering how it’s produced. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main stages during the manufacture of grape leather:

Collecting Winemaking Wastes: Wine production leftovers are collected from various wineries to put them to good use.

Bio-oil Extraction: The wastes are dehydrated by extracting the bio-oils inside the grape seeds. The extracts are then ground into fine particles and left to dry completely to polymerize all the materials.

Adding Natural Fibers: The extracted oils are then combined with other natural fabrics and binding materials to produce plant-based fabric with similar qualities to traditional leather. Polyurethane is also added during the mixing stage to make the final product water-resistant.

Coating and Finishing: The coated fabric is then embossed, dyed, and finished to achieve the desired look and feel. It can then be cut and designed into a variety of items.

Who Makes It?

While the term "grape leather" can be used more generally for any vegan leather made from grape byproducts, the most well-known brand that makes the product and innovates its production is “Vegea®”.

Vegea is a small Milan-based company founded by the collaboration of a leather designer and environmental chemist.

Together, they developed the unique process used to make grape leather. The company collects the necessary materials for the leather from wineries across Italy.

Environmental Impact of Grape Leather

The use of grape leather comes with a massively positive impact on the environment. For starters, grape leather repurposes winemaking waste, which reduces landfill waste. 

This waste would otherwise decompose in landfills to produce methane, which is a greenhouse gas that increases carbon footprint.

Additionally, while traditional leather can use a lot of water, grape leather needs significantly less water. Vegea® also claims to recycle almost all the water used in its production process.

The production of grape leather is also cruelty-free because it doesn’t include animal products. It also saves the land dedicated to raising cattle in order to harvest leather.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Grape Leather Biodegradable?

The short answer to this question is no. Grape leather contains leftover elements from the wine industry, such as grape skins, seeds, stalks, etc. These elements are organic and biodegradable.

However, these materials are often combined and coated with polyurethane for waterproofing and binding, so the end result is non-biodegradable and somewhat challenging to recycle.

Is Grape Leather Durable?

Grape leather has a soft texture, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s flimsy. In fact, grape leather is quite durable and can resist moisture effectively.

However, without proper maintenance, the internal structure of grape leather might become weaker, especially with the buildup of grime and dust. 

For that reason, wiping off the leather regularly and avoiding harsh chemicals/solvents can help it last for a significantly longer time.

How Long Does Grape Leather Last?

While grape leather is quite similar to animal-based leather in terms of structure and feel, it’s not as durable.

In most cases, you should expect grape leather fabrics to remain in top condition for around 2 to 3 years. However, with extra care, you can extend its lifespan to around 5 years.