This study was aimed to assess the feasibility of extracting antioxidant compounds from wine-making wastes (grape stalks and mare) by solvent extraction. Together with the type of raw material it was also investigated the influence of some process parameters on final antioxidants yields and extract purity: a degreasing pre-treatment, type of solvent (ethanol or a mixture ethylacetate:water/9:1), temperature (28 or 60 degrees C) and length of maceration (5 or 24 h). Solvent and temperature were statistically influent (p < 0.05), and the yields were higher with ethanol (but with lower purities) and at 60 degrees C. Antioxidant power of the extracts was evaluated by different analytical methods. An accurate comparison of our data with many literature works about antioxidants recovery from different natural sources showed similar results and highlighted a general great variability in the extraction procedures. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.