Wine Without Alcohol

[LindaJ]

I'm pregnant and suffering greatly from wine withdrawal. Any suggestions? I've tried the Sutter Home stuff and it tastes about as good as the real Sutter Home stuff (yuck). I picked up some Ariel (from J. Lohr) at Trader Joe's and by gosh, if it didn't at least taste like wine and not Welch's. I'd drink it even if I didn't have to, especially the red.

My cravings so far are for sushi, sake and single malt scotch - all things I can't have :( I want a good Pinot Noir in the delivery room damnit Did I mention I'm hormonal?

[KatieLoeb]

It's not dealcoholized wine. It's Pinot Noir juice. But it's about as close to "wine methadone" as you'll find in your present condition.

Navarro Vineyards

The gewurztraminer juice is delicious too.

No suggestions for the single malt scotch, I'm afraid. Perhaps that should wait a few months.

[Janedujour]

No suggestions for the single malt scotch, I'm afraid.  Perhaps that should wait a few months.

Or at least until the child is a teenager! You'll need it then!

It's not wine but I LOVE Martinelli's sparkling apple cider. We always drink it around the holidays or whenever. And, it's really good for you!

Congrats!

jane

[fifithewinecat]

Maybe I'm really wrong, but didn't I recently see something about French doctors recommending mild use of wine during pregnancy as being okay? OR, do they, in fact, have the same sort of view as our society does--that is zero alcohol during pregnancy?

Seems to me that women have used wine during pregnancy for centuries with no big problems. Seems that the thing to do would be not to overdo it.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Wine Makes Everyone Hopeful"---Aristotle or Plato

[Carolyn Tillie]

Maybe I'm really wrong, but didn't I recently see something about French doctors recommending mild use of wine during pregnancy as being okay? OR, do they, in fact, have the same sort of view as our society does--that is zero alcohol during pregnancy?

Seems to me that women have used wine during pregnancy for centuries with no big problems. Seems that the thing to do would be not to overdo it.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Wine Makes Everyone Hopeful"---Aristotle or Plato

I know this is hugely controversial but I tend to agree... Here in the wine industry, the general thought is to abstain for the first trimester but to start a moderate regimen during the fourth month.

I know that when I was in my Mummy's tummy, she had a glass of wine and cheese crackers every night she was preggers with me... but this was an era when women chain-smoked and drank martinis! (and look where I work now!).

[Marlene]

I drank the occassional glass of red wine once I was into my second semester. I did check with the doctor first, and he said it would be fine as long as I wasn't planning on drinking a bottle every night

[tammylc]

I too have indulged in very moderate wine consumption throughout my pregnancy. Usually less than a glass with a nice dinner, where the meal really demanded wine to be all it could be.

But then, I've also eaten raw fish, soft cheese and lots of other things that "they" say you're not supposed to eat during pregnancy. I certainly don't chow down on these things everyday, but I've assessed the risks and feel comfortable with the level of risk I've chosen. Your mileage may vary, of course, and every pregnant woman has to make these decisions for herself.

[LindaJ]

I've read all the pros and cons. I know there are millions of French and Italians whose mothers drank who seem to be just fine.

However, the US medical consensus is that no amount of alcohol is deemed safe during pregnancy. The Brits say 1 to 2 units of alcohol/per week is fine. I'm a big time lush and foodie in general, but the evidence is difficult to ignore. Since it's a first pregnancy, and a bit risky in general medically, I'm foregoing the grape.

Thanks for your suggestions. It seems there really aren't that many alternatives. Too bad really.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I'd like to say that *we* (I'll speak as a collective) understand and weren't trying to talk you into drinking if you feel strongly about abstaining. Just offering an alternative, if you weren't positive...

With that in mind, I am sorry that there aren't very good non-alcoholic wine alternatives. There just aren't. To my knowledge, there does not exist any product on the market that *tastes* like wine without the alcohol -- they are juices and nothing else.

Best of luck with your little sommelier!

[phaelon56]

I'm a non-drinker by choice and find the Ame (pronounced ahh-may) brand of non-alcoholic juice to be very good. It's not de-alcoholizedc wine - it's a fruit derived drink with a very light carbonation and some herbal essences added for flavor. Their white is not quite dry but certainly not sweet and a nice alternative to de-alcoholized wine. The red and blush are IMO less successful as an alternative but of the two I prefer the blush - the red is too sweet.

It's available on-line but if there's a Wegman's in your area they should have it aslo.