Solid wastes from white vinification, including grape peels, seeds and stems, were used as raw material for the recovery of antioxidant polyphenols. Extractions were performed using non-toxic media composed of water/ethanol mixtures and hydrochloric, acetic or tartaric acid. Recovery efficiency was assessed by monitoring the antioxidant potency of extracts and several indices related to their polyphenolic composition, including total polyphenol, total flavonoid, total flavanol and condensed tannin (proanthocyanidin) content. Among the by-products tested, seeds were shown to contain exceptional amounts of total polyphenols (13.76 g per 100 g dry weight), followed by stems (7.47 g per 100 g dry weight) and peels (0.97 g per 100 g dry weight). Extracts with the highest antioxidant activity from all byproducts were obtained with 57% ethanol. Acidification of this medium with 0.1% HCl improved polyphenol recovery and antiradical activity for stem extracts, but it was unfavourable for seed extraction. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.