Most Zero-Proof Wine Is Terrible. Here’s Why.

Forbes Lifestyle Travel Most Zero-Proof Wine Is Terrible. Here’s Why. Jeanne O’Brien Coffey Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Following Jul 10, 2023, 05:11pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin I’ve been exploring the zero-proof space for a long time now – turns out that for the most part, I love exploring new flavors much more than I love the buzz. So any time I can get the taste of an adult drink without the booze is a win for me. The variety of fantastic N/A beers grows larger every day – and honestly, I don’t miss the alcohol at all.

Cocktails are trickier – especially since I’ve found that a lot of zero-proof spirits makers slip in weird functional or other healthy ingredients that are never present in a full-proof Negroni, for example, and I still don’t want them when I’m skipping the booze. However, especially when it comes to a summery spritz, there are some great zero-proof contenders. (and I still experience delight and amazement every time I open a St.

Agrestis Phony Negroni. ) Skipping the buzz? With an open mind, Proxies’ crushable rosé-adjacent drinks will be welcome at any . .

. [+] summer gathering. ©2023 contentcontent:Design However, wine continues to disappoint.

While I’ve found some bubbly options that are quite lovely, there is nothing that I’ve tried that can replace the nose and mouthfeel of a crisp Sauvignon Blanc on a hot summer day, or the cherry-berry-earthy pleasure of a luscious Pinot Noir. Charlie Friedmann, cofounder and president of Proxies , which makes wine alternatives – zero-proof blends of wine grapes, teas and spices —isn’t surprised. Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn collaborated with Proxies on a beverage to pair with her .

. . [+] pescatarian tasting menu.

© BrakeThrough Media “A combination of factors make non-alcoholic wine or wine alternatives a difficult proposition,” says Friedmann. “Compared to beer, wine has higher alcohol content, so the alcohol is playing a bigger part in the overall makeup of the beverage. The body, the aromatics, the balance, and more all really come from alcohol.

” MORE FOR YOU New Apple Leak Confirms iPhone 15 Price Shock Elon Musk Proposes Unconventional New Contest With Mark Zuckerberg The Best Prime Day AirPods Deals To Shop Now Snag The Latest Headphones For Less Proxies sidesteps that problem by crafting beverages that are wine-adjacent, but don’t start with fermented juice. Which makes them a tougher sell. “It’s easier to explain what a dealcoholized pinot noir is, but the experience will never satisfy,” Friedmann says.

“So we purposely took the path that might require more education upfront but offers a ton more satisfaction so you keep coming back to Proxies. ” Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn and James Beard winner Sean Brock were drawn to that approach — both have worked with Proxies to craft their own limited-edition zero-proof beverages. Which are delicious — Crenn’s limited-edition collab Pétanque , developed to pair with the chef’s pescatarian tasting menu, has a luscious mouthfeel with a surprisingly long finish that balances floral and herbal notes.

But it’s not wine, so comparing it to wine is not helpful. Proxies offers several core products, and many collaborations that are only available to wine club . .

. [+] members. Proxies “We build beverages from the ground up to properly serve the wine occasion—with texture, tannin, complexity, and balance to pair with food,” Friedmann says.

“This . . .

takes a lot of work and know-how to keep things balanced, not too sweet, and maintain layers of flavor. We’ve made over 60 different Proxies and we learn from each blend. ” So don’t crack open their latest offering, a canned Sparkling Rosé, expecting a Provencal wine.

Bone dry, the beverage is made from a blend of riesling juice and strawberries with white tea and lime zest. If I set comparison aside, I get something unique and totally crushable— luscious bright berry flavors and a hit of citrus balanced with something savory. It’s not wine, but it’s really delicious.

This offering is another limited edition — a summer supplement to the brand’s growing selection, which will stay very much focused on bottles, but with some fun diversions, according to Friedmann. I asked him, via email, to share some thoughts on the future of Proxies and the zero-proof wine space overall. Why is it so hard to make zero-proof wine? When you go the route of stripping alcohol out of wine, you lose so much of what makes it special.

On top of that, it’s obviously expensive both to make wine in the first place and then dealcoholize it, so dealcoholized wines generally start with wine that wouldn’t be all that good (because it tends to be cheaper bulk wine) even before you start taking things away. Did Proxies explore the de-alcoholized wine space before opting for a different approach? No. This approach to a less-than product never appealed to us.

We’re set on prioritizing great flavor and the ability to pair with food, because we know that’s what makes people want to come back to —something they drink with dinner or to wind down after work. Are certain styles easier to emulate than others? We don’t necessarily try to “emulate” per se, but it’s definitely the case that reds are the hardest category, since you really want to create a lot of concentration and depth but keep the end result dry. Adding a lot of fruit can help achieve the first goal, but leaves you with juice, which is never what we’re going for, so we need to balance the fruit with great acidity, tannin, and aromatics and pick the right combination of fruits and other ingredients in the first place to complement our varietal wine grape base.

On the “easier” side, people always love bubbles. In the dealcoholized world, bubbles are really popular because they mask deficiencies and give a sensation of some texture. For us, they’re just plain fun and a new way to deliver innovative flavor combinations.

When working with a chef like Dominique Crenn, how does that process come together? The collaborations have all come together very organically. Our first collaboration was with Sean Brock. We had been trying to reach him to send samples for months and by the time we finally managed to, he told us he was already a Proxies Club subscriber and suggested we find a way to work together.

We’re not dumb, so we said yes and headed down to Nashville to play in his kitchen and come up with a new blend. With Dominique Crenn, she had been serving our core range of Proxies at her restaurants for about a year. About halfway through that, we started gently seeding the idea that we’d love to collaborate and to our astonishment, she said yes with no strings attached.

All our collaborations have been true collaborations, where both sides are really just keen to jump in, learn from each other, and make something new and exciting. These aren’t paid endorsements or anything remotely in that realm and we’re so grateful to all our amazing collaborators for really jumping in with us, including our newest collab just releasing now with Division Winemaking Co. in Oregon! Sean wanted something reminiscent of the elderberry wine his grandmother Audrey used to make and used Appalachian ingredients.

Dominique wanted something that incorporated ingredients she grows in her California garden and that paired with her pescatarian menu. The collaborators usually come with an idea or two and then we work together from there on how it could work, tasting through many iterations. Is there a flavor profile where Proxies has struggled? There are some flavors that are more dangerous than others.

Smoke, for instance, can be a really nice accent that makes clear this is not remotely a glass of juice but it also can overwhelm if too strong. Vegetal flavors can also be hard as they tend to get a bit muddy over time. Our new collab with Division, Cluster, was a good example of a challenge.

Kate and Tom, the Division winemakers, wanted a complex, savory sparkling white with notes of bitter artichoke—not a simple brief. We tested versions with smoke but the interplay of smoke and bubbles was ultimately too much. Instead, we went a bit spicier with ginger and rounded it out with fennel pollen for a savory edge and a hint of artichoke leaf for a pleasantly bitter finish to balance notes of apple and stone fruit.

It took a ton of iterations, but we never shy away from these kinds of challenges and the final product is delicious and complex, like their wines. Will you introduce more canned options? We just introduced our first Proxies cans with a crisp and crushable sparkling rosé built for summer. These are very much a limited edition product and a test for us.

So far, the response has been great and single-serve options definitely open up a world of possibilities for where Proxies can go so we’re excited to see the response. We’ll always be focused on bottles but we’re also always looking to innovate in smart and exciting ways so there’s definitely a chance for more cans in the future but maybe not in the way you’d expect. What innovations are on the horizon? So far, all our sparkling options have been limited editions but we’re working on launching a new sparkling addition to our core range soon.

You’ll also see some amazing limited editions for the holidays and some exciting retail releases as well. In July and August we’ll also be in Sprouts locations across the country so it’s really amazing to see large national retailers embracing quality non-alcoholic options. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn .

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