Nothing compliments a meal rather like a well-crafted glass of red wine. Wine assists to stimulate your taste buds, and prepare them for what is to come. Thankfully, in the modern-day world, the market has actually expanded to include many acceptable non-alcoholic wines.
Non-alcoholic white wines begin as regular wine. The distinction is that they undergo an extra phase of processing to render them non-alcoholic, while maintaining all the flavor and attributes of the original white wine. Both of these eliminate the alcohol without harming the wine itself.
Another common misunderstanding is that non-alcoholic white wines contain no alcohol. If your objections to alcohol are moral or individual, then non-alcoholic red wines would not be an excellent option for you. In addition, non-alcoholic red wines are subject to the exact same guidelines as routine white wine, conference you have to be of legal age to purchase it.
Are these red wines any excellent? It depends on who is ranking them. As in all wine rankings, it depends upon the cup’s competence, personal preferences, and what sort of state of mind they are in. It has been my individual experience that, while no non-alcoholic wine will ever challenge a top-notch French Bordeaux, there are many that are completely drinkable, and definitely far better than none at all. Most of us are not economically well-off sufficient to drink top-notch white wines all the time, anyhow. Most of white wine taken in with meals is Table Wine quality. The non-alcoholic variations are every bit as great, especially in a few of the better brands.
A FEW OF THE TOP NON-ALCOHOLIC WINESBRANDS ARE:
Ariel Wines-these are my outright # 1 options for kickless red wines. This company rocked the white wine world in 1986 when their non-alcoholic entry won the Gold Medal over all the other regular white wines at the Los Angeles County Fair. In the 1990s, recommendations from world well-known chef Dr. Graham Kerr, led to a wider acceptance of non-alcoholic white wines as a much healthier option.
Ariel Blanc -a crisp white Chardonnay-style white wine with scents of jasmine, flower and lilac. It has flavors of lychee, peach and lavender, with a nice acidity and simply a hint of sweet taste. Excellent with seafood and chicken.
Brut Cuvèe -a sparkling Chardonnay-style that can hold its own against any California champagnes. Crisp, light and a little floral with overtones of toasted oak. This is a winner.
Ariel Chardonnay -a terrific blend of tropical fruitiness, with the character of oak barrel aging. This red wine has tastes of buttery baked apples, with butterscotch overtones, and a heady French toasted oak arrangement.
White Zinfandel -a light rosè with enticing flavors of boysenberry, raspberry and strawberries.
Rouge -a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel, this wine offers mesmerizing aromas of cranberries, strawberries and plums, with an excellent balance of subtle tannins, and a dry finish. This is my preferred with spicy foods like Mexican, or Italian cuisine.
Ariel Merlot -this is a robust white wine with assertive tastes of raspberry, cassis and wild cherries, with pronounced scents of white chocolate, cloves and oak. Bold sufficient to support roast beef, grilled steaks or perhaps roast pork.
Cabernet Sauvignon -an absolutely terrific bold wine with the aromas of black currants, cherry, blueberries, and chocolate, stabilized with soft tannins and a crisp, dry surface. This is one of my favorites with chili, enchiladas, and carne asada.
If you are desiring a higher-dollar wine, then you need look no more than the Vandalia Wine Company. They only make one red wine at a time, currently a cabernet sauvignon. However it will match any other California cabernet on the market, with or without alcohol. It’s a bit more expensive at around $25.00 per bottle, however, as in a lot of things, you get what you spend for.
Other business that produce non-alcoholic red wines are Fre, by Sutter Wineries, and Carl Jung. They both produce very drinkable ranges of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernets and Chardonnays. I have not personally attempted any of these, however they get excellent rankings at many tastings.
A word about cooking with NA red wines: there are lots of fats and other components in food that are just soluble in alcohol. When you prepare with wine, the majority of the alcohol evaporates, so you are just as well off utilizing regular wine.
On the up-side, NA wines are much healthier that basic red wine, and have all the very same benefits. Good news for the weight-conscious crowd.
My suggestions is to sample a lot of different varieties and brand names. You will eventually discover the ones that fill your requirements. And when you do … take pleasure in.
