I hope everyone’s New Year is off to a strong start. This month our wine writer’s group is highlighting various wine topics of interest to start off the year. I had yet to write about some wines I had tried that had the alcohol removed. I know for some, January, also called “dry January”, is a challenge to refrain from drinking alcohol for the month. With all the media focus on whether or not alcohol and wine are healthy for one’s lifestyle, I figured it was the perfect time to at least broach the topic and share these wines with you for those that want something different or a change in lifestyle.
Personally, I have never celebrated dry January. I have lived my life by enjoying everything in moderation. For those that want to take on the challenge whether it’s temporary or for a complete lifestyle change I respect anyone making those efforts and decisions for themselves.
Just like non-alcoholic wines or boxed wines, it tends to be a challenge to find ones that are really worth the purchase. I sampled a few wines from the Starla brand that gave me a different perspective on drinks that are non-alcoholic. They would be a suggestion for those looking to remove alcohol from their lifestyle or even just to take a break for bit, but still enjoy some of the aspects of drinking wine.
Dawn Maire, the brain behind Starla wines, was looking to create a wine beverage that aligned with a healthier lifestyle. She partnered with the other founder, Jamie Coulter, to create Starla, a brand that represents the “inner star in all of us” to show consumers “how luminous your life can be without alcohol”.
Starla wines take an untraditional approach to winemaking. These wines are dealcoholized wines with natural botanicals added, inspired by Dawn’s herbal garden. The wines showcase a feminine style with a fashionable image.
The Starla wines are full fermented wines that have the alcohol removed via a vacuum process, which typically removes the body and flavor from a wine. With the added botanicals it adds another dimension to these wines.
The wines
Although all the wines I tried were not my favorite, I thought the sparkling rosè was a close contender for my sparkling wine lovers. Plus, I love their packaging.
The Starla wines have no additional sugars and are low carb, low calorie and low sugar wines. With the alcohol removed there is less than .5% alcohol in a glass, no different than a kombucha some may be familiar with.
The Starla Sparkling Rosè is made from a blend of Zinfandel, French Colombard, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir grapes with gardenia and strawberry blossom botanicals. A 5 ounce glass is only 5 calories. Salmon color with orange highlights this wine had a fizzy bubbles with floral aromatics. Light with the bubbles tingling the palate. It’s fruity with notes of sweet, juicy strawberries. If you like sweeter wines and sparkling wines this may be the wine for you to try.
Personally I did not enjoy the Starla Sauvignon Blanc as I thought the botanicals were too heavy and the wine was flat. The Starla Red Blend, made by the Barbera and Ruby Cabernet grapes and French lavender and thyme botanicals, was just ok. Herbal and jammy aromatics that carried to the palate with blackberry and thyme notes. For me I think the botanicals were a little heavier to my liking and I miss the acidity backbone. I could see this wine making a great sangria as suggested by wine friend, Jamie Evans, founder of the Herb Somm!
It seems you can purchase these Starla bottles direct through Target and maybe some other sources, but not through their website strangely. It’s worth exploring if you’re trying to break away from alcohol while still enjoying the elements that wine brings to one’s life.
What is your take on non-alcoholic wines? Have you found any personal favorites? Do you participate in dry January and what are your thoughts on wine affecting one's health? Leave a comment and let's chat.
Join the rest of our food and wine writers articles this month on a variety of topics.
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares "Wine and Food Pairings – exploring the logic and the science"
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares "Celebrating the New Year the Armenian Way: Ghapama and Lamb Kebabs Paired with Areni Wine from Yacoubian-Hobbs"
• Andrea at The Quirky Cork shares "Albania: A New Wine Frontier"
• Camilla at Culinary Cam shares "Xers to Zoomers: Exploring the Decline in Wine Consumption + Our Thanksgiving Wines from Tablas Creek"
• Terri at Our Good Life shares "The Unveiling of Red Wine's Hidden Health Benefits and the Surgeon General's No-Alcohol Stance"
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares "Exploring a Dealcoholized Wine"
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares "What's all the hubbub about non-alcoholic wine?"
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares "Hot Topics: A Zero Alcohol Primer"
