If wine were alcohol free - would you be as interested?

There was a comment in another thread about healthier living and one person noted somethign to the effect of "too bad I can't replace wine with something healthier which still gives me the same relaxed glow."

I certainly can identify with that thought - but it got me wondering....if wine did not produce that "glow"...would we still go the same extremes to learn about it, read about it, think about, spend huge sums of money on it, devise ways to store it, etc etc

Just a thought/question....for me I guess the answer is no

No. Same with beer, tried the no-alcohol version, didn't like it. It's like decaf coffee, just wrong.

No. Same with beer, tried the no-alcohol version, didn't like it. It's like decaf coffee, just wrong.

That's not necessarily a fair comparison, though, since dealcoholizing wine and beer comes with a pricetag: the process robs them of some of their flavor and character. I suppose that, these days, someone could dealcoholize wine using a reverse osmosis procedure, thereby minimizing the loss of flavor. I have a feeling that the market isn't there, though, so that gets back to the original observation.

Speaking from my own experience, I have a genetically high tolerance for alcohol and almost never get that "glow" from drinking wine, especially as I normally drink it with meals. However, the alcohol does change the mouthfeel and flavor of the wine, so I'd guess that a non-alcoholic version wouldn't be as appealing to me. Decaf coffee, OTOH, I have no objection to, though I rarely drink it.

Mark Lipton

Well, Tokaji Eszencia might as well be non-alcoholic, but it is still damn good.

That's the exception, though.

I don't drink wine for the buzz (there's Vodka for that) but I would think that it would be impossible to replace the alcohol presence in, say, Musigny, and still keep the same flavor and depth profile.

It’s like fat-free salad dressing. Other than vinegar based dressing, it might remind you of the real thing, but it’s just nasty.

Best,
Joe

No.

It would be like coitus interruptus.

Best regards,
Alex R.

If wine were alcohol free it would not be wine. So much of the nature of wine is due to the alcohol - body, mouthfeel, sweetness, the way aromas are transported around the mouth...

I understand this question in a somewhat different way---If wine could taste the same but had no alcohol would you be as interested? Of course, it does not and at least for the present time could not.
For me, if wine without alcohol tasted the same I'd be very interested, would have more occasions when I could drink it and could drink larger amounts. I might even make a dent in my cellar, and then I could justify buying more!
Charles

[David M. Bueker]

Yes, but I would also be flat broke.

(The above depends on all other things being equal...taste, smell...)

I'd still drink it. Might have to mix it with a little vodka, though.

Slightly more seriously, I'd agree with David. If it had the same taste, smell, etc., then I'd probably still want it with supper.

no.

Somehow I doubt I'd be willing to spend as much a bottle for a soft drink.

Glenn

For me, if wine without alcohol tasted the same I'd be very interested, would have more occasions when I could drink it and could drink larger amounts. I might even make a dent in my cellar, and then I could justify buying more!

Agree. The alcohol is more of a limitation/hindrance to me.

Cheers,

Dave

I'm of two minds on this one. On the one hand, there are lots of times that I severely limit my consumption (whether by spitting, sip and dump, or just restricting pours) because I'm driving, need to work later, or just don't feel like getting buzzed. On those occasions alcohol free wine would be most welcome. But on the other hand, most of my great wine memories were not of big afternoon trade tastings or offlines. My favorite wine memories are of dinner parties with great wines, great company, and a bit of a glow. If wine never involved that glow, I doubt seriously that I would be as involved.

What would interest me more than alcohol free wine (even if it tasted like real wine) would be a sober pill- take one and it metabolizes 2 standard units of alcohol.

For me, if wine without alcohol tasted the same I'd be very interested, would have more occasions when I could drink it and could drink larger amounts. I might even make a dent in my cellar, and then I could justify buying more!

Agree. The alcohol is more of a limitation/hindrance to me.

This is how I feel, too. I don't object to the buzz, but the overwhelming attraction of wine to me is in the flavor, the complexity. I drink it (the good stuff, anyway) because it's so intriguing.

God, both alcohol and calorie free? I'd probably drink two or three bottles a night.

BTW, this question really only works if you don't fight the hypothetical -- you've got to accept that everything except alcoholic effect remains the same... mouthfeel, texture, flavor, etc...

[Jenise]

If wine were alcohol free it would not be wine.

I tend to agree. The alcohol is paramount to the relaxation angle--but I would wish for it to have less alcohol than it does. I would be very content with 7-10%.

No.
It would be like coitus interruptus.
Best regards,
Alex R.

Leave it to you Alex! LOL! (See folks, I am not the prude you thought I was. Curmudgeon, but not prude.)

I certainly can identify with that thought - but it got me wondering....if wine did not produce that "glow"...would we still go the same extremes to learn about it, read about it, think about, spend huge sums of money on it, devise ways to store it, etc etc

John, I don't drink wine as a delivery system for alcohol, I drink it because I love the flavors, the aromas, the way it looks in the glass, the way makes me think.(about the wine) I also buy and store wine to share with like minded people. The like minded people thing is why I go to Ann Arbor every August. It is even the reason we had a "Semi-Cool" last August. I have tried many times to raise the wine appreciation of friends, but about as often have failed, which I guess means they are not like minded people. If it were possible to make wine without alcohol that would be as good as wine with alcohol then I would venture to say that my answer would be yes, but it "ain't" so I won't.

Some, but not all, of the numerous health benefits associated with wine can be linked to the MODERATE consumption of alcohol.

Salute

I tend to agree. The alcohol is paramount to the relaxation angle--but I would wish for it to have less alcohol than it does. I would be very content with 7-10%.

Sounds like nontrocken German Riesling to me, and that's one (of many) reasons I have a lot of it.
Charles

What would interest me more than alcohol free wine (even if it tasted like real wine) would be a sober pill- take one and it metabolizes 2 standard units of alcohol.

Agree completely Dale.
Would like it to work immediately too, as long as you're working on the specs.
Charles

Absolutely not, alcohol thins the blood and reduces heart attack risks. That is the only reason I drink it
Walt

Not in the least...

Richard

Hmmm...Delicious alcohol free wine is like world peace. It's a great Idea, but it's never going to happen.