A Rhône Blanc That Pairs Like a Dream

MODSUB#75

Wotcha!

Just as I was wondering if I’d ever find one, look what I came across this week.

More on The Pathfinder’s new Negroni in a later edition. Mostly because I haven’t actually opened it yet!

Enjoy some splendid drinks this week.

Myles

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

WINE
Tomorrow Cellars - 2023 Rhône Blanc

COCKTAILS
Altitude - Non-Alcoholic Refreshers

Read time: 5 minutes 34 seconds

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NAN
New NA Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

SPIRIT: Big news from Brēz with the launch of their first spirit aptly named SPIRIT. Let’s just say the excitement around this one is huge with the first batch selling out in just 12 hours. (Lookout for Brēz on the ModSub in next couple of week). (Link)

BEER: There’s three seasonal beers to look out for from Harmon’s Craft Beer up in Canada. 1. El Portero Vanilla Porter brewed with Mexican vanilla. 2. Over Time Pale Ale a new collab with Designateddrinks.ca. 3. The return of the delicious (I love this one!) Bumpstart Seasonal IPA. Spoilt for choice I’d say! (Link)

BEER: Neighbors to the north, Reuben’s Brews up in Seattle, are launching two new non-alcoholic beers. Party On IPA and Party On Pils will be out soon! (Link)

SPIRIT: All eyes are on Micheaux Zero this May, as they launch a premium NA Scotch whisky made from a sixth-generation family recipe. (Link)

WINE

ModSub: Last weekend, my stepsister and I had a somewhat bizarre transatlantic cook-off. We both decided to cook Yotam Ottolenghi’s Chicken and Chickpea Tray Bake on the same night—her for a large dinner party in England, me for a family dinner here in the PNW.

I picked the Ottolenghi dish partly because it sounded comforting as the rain was pelting down outside, but mainly because I wanted to open a bottle of Rhône Blanc from Tomorrow Cellars to pair it with.

California’s Tomorrow Cellars announced the release of their first two wines back in October. Both the 2023 Rhône Blanc and the 2023 Sparkling Blanc De Rhône received high praise from some industry heavyweights that I trust, so I was eager to get my hands on both and try them for myself.

The Rhône Blanc is made almost entirely from the Marsanne grape, a varietal originally from the Rhône Valley in France, which has since made its way to a handful of wine-growing regions around the world, landing in California in the 1980s.

Marsanne is traditionally considered a blending grape, often mixed with its regional cousin Roussanne and perhaps more commonly internationally, with Viognier. The grape can have strong tropical notes and an oily texture, which can be tricky in traditional winemaking—hence the frequent blending.

For non-alcoholic wines, though, these characteristics can actually be an advantage. With the alcohol removed, the wine retains much of the grape’s flavor profile and an improved mouthfeel—which is exactly why this Rhône Blanc shines. It has notes of pear, a hint of banana and melon, and an impressively dry finish. It paired beautifully with roasted chicken and even with some lightly spiced Thai food a night or two later.

This 2023 Rhône Blanc is the kind of wine you wouldn’t think twice about bringing to a dinner party where everyone else is drinking regular wine. It’s a bottle that should win over even the toughest non-alcoholic wine skeptics around the table—the kind of wine they’ll enjoy without realizing it’s alcohol-free. Just make sure they leave you a glass or two!

Highly recommend that tray bake, by the way! And keep an eye out for a piece on the Sparkling Blanc De Rhône coming soon.

How do Tomorrow Cellars describe their 2023 Rhône Blanc: A refreshing, non-alcoholic white wine made from Marsanne, one of the original Rhône varietals initially cultivated in the Rhone Valley of France. This wine was made from fruit grown in sustainably farmed vineyards in Northern California. Opening with subtle floral aromas, this wine offers tropical notes of ripe pears and honeysuckle and finishes with a lively punch of citrus zest.

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COCKTAIL

ModSub: When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Thomas Angel and his wife, Laura Melgarejo-Silva, found themselves in a tricky predicament. They were stuck in Beijing with no easy way to get home. It took them until summer to return to Oregon, with a three-month stay in their native Colombia along the way. But eventually, they made it home.

Adjusting after an extended time abroad is always a challenge, but one thing stood out to the couple when they returned—just how much functional ingredients had become a part of their friends' and family's lives. Why were their friends taking adaptogens, CBD, and all kinds of mushrooms? Curious, they set out to find out.

After researching the health benefits of these functional ingredients, they saw the opportunity to bring these positive efffects to a wider audience. The question then became: how could they incorporate these ingredients into consumers’ daily routines? Their answer was simple—start with the first drink of the day: coffee. And so, they created a line of functional oat milk lattes.

As Altitude expanded their lineup, they introduced an evening routine alternative to alcohol. In their first year, they sold more of these canned cocktails in two states in the Pacific Northwest than they had sold lattes across 14 states. It soon became clear they needed to make a tough decision—focus solely on their new Non-Alcoholic Refresher collection and leaves the lattes behind. Which is where Altitude finds itself in 2025. 

Each of the three cocktail flavors whisks you away to a tropical vacation, with sandy beaches and aqua-blue seas. The flavors are fruit-forward, leaning towards sweet but never so much that it feels unbalanced.. The orange and grapefruit in the Rosemary Spritz are mellowed by a hint of rosemary. The guava and orange from the passionfruit in the Lili’Koi Mai Tai are subtly grounded by Lion’s Mane mushrooms. The watermelon-like flavor of prickly pear in the Prickly Pear Margarita is tamed by lime juice and the earthy depth of the mushrooms.

I’d have a hard time picking a favorite as they all appeal to me from a flavor standpoint. But what surprised me the most was the effect of these drinks. I’ve touched on this before, but there are plenty of functional beverages on the market claiming to influence mood—whether for stress relief, relaxation, or energy. Some work; some, frankly, don’t.

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that these drinks from Altitude have helped reduce my anxiety and stress on a couple of key occasions. Both times, I noticed a significant shift in my mood—and perhaps that benefit, more than anything else, is what will keep me coming back to Altitude again and again.

How does Altitude describe their three cocktails:

Lili’Koi Mai Tai: You’ve left the resort behind. After dusk, your sunburn is barely even visible. This bold, lush, and smooth refresher will last you all the way till last call—or watching sunrise back on the beach.

Rosemary Spritz: Crashing waves outside your coastal villa. Your hair tousled into photogenic perfection by the breeze. Enjoy a moment to exhale with this herbal, bittersweet, refreshing spritz.

Prickly Pear Margarita: Anticipation and mariachi horns fill the air. You know how to dance without overdoing it. This crisp, citrus and invigorating take on a classic will always make the right impression.

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