From Therapist to Non-Alc Wine Pioneer

MODSUB#54

Wotcha!

Did you know you can listen to this newsletter too? Up on the tippy-top bar of this email is a link titled, “Listen Online.”

It’s some English bloke named George and to be honest, he sounds nothing like this English bloke, Myles. Still, if listening to a robot reading this newsletter works for you, the option is there.

Enjoy!

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

WINE
Oddbird - GSM

APERITIF
Ghia - Berry

Read time: 6 minutes 33 seconds

From our sponsor:

Can’t get enough non-alc reviews?

Our friends at Dry Atlas share expert recommendations every week: top mixologists, sommeliers, and non-alc bottle shop owners.

Whether you're a connoisseur or just curious, consider Dry Atlas your guide to alcohol alternatives. Join the 5,000+ subscribers who enjoy their non-alc news, insights and recs.

NAN
New NA Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

• Two new 355 ml launches from Sober Carpenter: an Organic Blonde Pilsner and an Organic Session IPA. (more)

• Exciting news from my hometown as Portland’s Migration Brewing launches their new Ripped NA line with an IPA and a Hazy IPA. (more)

• Aplós have just introduced Kola Fashioned to their RTD cocktail line. The recipe uses their Aplós Arise as a base with a whole bunch of ingredients that warm me up just reading them. (more)

• Uncool Beverage Co. have a Cranberry Orange Cheesecake brew ready for you to sip with your next dessert. (more)

• Maya Tea Company out of Arizona will soon be tipping their toes into the non-alc spirit space with the introduction of Jynn, Mezkahl, Wiski and Ruhm. (more)

• Little Saints are back with a Spiced Old Fashioned. As with this summer’s Mojito, it will be only be around for a limited time as they’ve made just the one batch. (more)

• Hot on the heels of last week’s announcement of the world’s first 20-year old dealcoholized wine, Zeronimo are also launching two new wines in the U.S.; the Grüner Veltliner 2023 white and Zweigelt 2021 red. (more)

• Firestone Walker Brewery’s 805 Beer have just debuted a non-alcoholic blonde ale named 8ZERO5. (more)

WORLDWIDE

• Caleño have added to new tropical rums with White Coconut and Mango & Passionfruit - UK. (more)

• St Austell Brewery in Cornwall now have a non-alcoholic version of one of theirs flagship beers. Proper Job 0.5% IPA. Initially available in 330 ml bottles and later on draft - UK. (more)

WINE

ModSub: After 20 years as a therapist, witnessing the damage alcohol was inflicting on families, especially children, Moa Gürbüzer decided to make a change. In 2013, she founded Oddbird, a non-alcoholic wine company, with the goal of making the following question a normal part of everyday life: “Would you like your wine with or without alcohol?”

Despite starting the venture with no winemaking or business experience, 11 years later, Oddbird is distributed in about 20 countries with a production output of over two million bottles per year. So, while that question still isn’t standard practice in most restaurants, there’s no question she must be doing something right.

The early years were tough. Despite being hindered by an industry with little vision of a future that included alcohol-free wine and a marketplace that wasn’t quite ready for the explosive growth we see today, Moa persevered. An entrepreneur award from the King of Sweden in 2016 became the catalyst for others in the wine industry to take notice, and finally, doors started to open for Oddbird.

From the outset, the quality of the wine was her number one priority. Relationships were built with vineyards, winemakers and research centers so she could perfect a process that married traditional winemaking practices with 21st-century technology.

Today, Oddbird is thriving, with grapes sourced from both Italy and France. Once produced, the wine is stored for up to 12 months before being transported to Germany, where it undergoes a proprietary vacuum distillation process to gently remove the alcohol while preserving the flavor and aroma.

While Oddbird offers a wide range of wines, with the colder months on their way, I’m focusing on building a list of solid reds I can rely on. I’ve chosen their GSM, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan.

Much has been made of the challenges winemakers face with non-alcoholic red wines, but this GSM is a lovely option for those who are still searching. I don’t claim to be a wine connoisseur, nor was wine my go-to in the before times. However, I’ve always enjoyed a glass of red with a meal, and this one is perfect for that. Black and red fruits are present from the outset, with a dry, earthy, slightly bitter middle ground that softens to reveal a touch of spice. Nothing too bold, but equally not lacking either.

For wine purists, this may or may not scratch the itch. For the rest of us, just looking for a quality glass of red to pair with a meal, you'd be mad not to at least give this GSM a try. I’m sold, and there’s a good chance you will be too. Be sure to check out their Blanc de Blancs and Rosé as well—I’ve heard they’re excellent. Let me know what you think!

How does Oddbird describe their GSM: A silky, mature and dry red wine from Saint-Chinian in South of France, harvest in 2020. GSM is characterized by its acidity and earthy notes with fruity touches. GSM is made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre & Carignan, creating layers with different complexities starting with red and black fruits and a sharp tannic entrance, followed by more matured fruits and spices and finishing with a nice dryness. Liberated from alcohol. 

COCKTAIL

ModSub: Charles Dickens said, “Procrastination is the thief of time.” I have delayed writing about Ghia Berry Aperitif so many times, I’ve lost count. To be fair, there was a good reason. In my mind, this piece was going to be about a group of friends getting together on a summer evening, with me wowing them with some delicious cocktails.

Summer slipped away, though, with parenting, traveling and the general noise of everyday life preventing us from both finding—and remembering to find—a collective time to mark on the calendar. So last weekend, I ditched the plan and instead had a lovely afternoon making the cocktails all by my lonesome.

Here’s the skinny on Ghia Berry:

Neat
As you may know, I do love a sipper, and Berry Aperitif is another for the list. I also love a drink that is multilayered—a drink that takes you on an unexpected journey, and Berry does just that. Unsurprisingly, fruit takes center stage first, but no sooner does it hit the spotlight before it’s pushed aside by an earthy woodiness that rolls around the tongue, depositing an array of spices in your mouth before petering out with a gentle, bitter sweetness. It’s wild. It’s flipping delicious.

Hollywood Super Star-Anise
The first of the two recipes I tried from Ghia’s collection, Hollywood Super Star-Anise really hits the spot. I used a Cara Cara orange for the muddling, with the sweet citrus flavors embracing notes of various berries. Mix with lemon juice, anise tisane (tea), and 1 1/2 fl. oz. of Ghia Berry, and you have a really intriguing drink. At first, I find myself on a tropical beach. But then something about this cocktail pulls at the memory strings. Perhaps it’s an English garden party with a glass of Pimm’s. You won’t be shouting from the rooftops that there’s now a true Pimm’s alternative, but it’s not a million miles away either. Regardless, this recipe is a keeper.

Whatever Floats Your Boat
If you thought the first cocktail hits the spot, Whatever Floats Your Boat will delightfully wet your whistle. The cucumber and lemon juice create a fresh base layer for the aperitif to build on. I went a little rogue with the honey syrup, replacing regular honey with the hot variety, reducing the water to honey ratio for fear of overwhelming the drink with heat. The result was pretty spectacular. The honey of course adds sweetness, but the heat from the chili pepper provides just a little interruption—a kick of spice, a tickle at the back of the throat. This is a very special drink, and I’d go so far as to say, one of my favorites of the year.

While nothing from the other fabulous Ghia products should have led me to think otherwise, I’m kind of in love with Berry. I’m enamoured with the understated sweetness, in awe of the strength and boldness of the flavors, and a little excited by the feisty bitterness that lingers on the tongue. 

I think I’m blushing.

Ghia: Bold, juicy, and tantalizingly tart, it moves with you through the night. Like a drive through Sienna at Sunset, our newest aperitif will take you for a ride. Tannic, fruit-forward, but don’t call it a mocktail. Spritz it for a dry Spritz ~ frizzante ~ with your favorite food, or pour over ice as a sweet nightcap.

Previously: Ghia - Sumac & Chili

GOOD READS
Last Week’s Edition + Other Suggestions