Most people go out for New Year’s Eve and drink champagne and other cocktails to celebrate the evening’s festivities. What happens to those not old enough to drink, or those who choose not to? What do they drink to celebrate New Year’s? Mocktails.
This newer trend in celebration promoted on college and high school campuses nationwide has gained a reputation for creating a tasty beverage that can be enjoyed anywhere for any reason. Mocktails got their initial following with girls and boys wanting a touch of class at their sweet-sixteen birthday parties. Legally unable to enjoy the real thing, innovative thinkers and mixologists created the mocktail.
As children, almost all of us have tasted and either loved or hated Welch’s White Grape Juice Cocktail during the holidays. This tiny step in grape juice production was the precursor to most companies today. Mocktails started out as non-alcoholic alternatives to martinis and frozen beverages. Soon, companies like Sutter Home and Martinelli’s joined the mocktail bandwagon and created non-alcoholic and alcohol-removed wines and champagnes. Mocktails, non-alcoholic and alcohol-removed beverages have created such an interest; restaurants around the country are now adding them to their wine lists as an alternative for their customers. In the United States, non-alcoholic wine is a new fad, but around the world, non-alcoholic wines and champagnes have been around for decades.
For the non-drinkers of Savannah, several varieties can be found at Fresh Market and Publix. Sutter Home Fre has a wide variety of alcohol-removed wines and champagnes. In Publix, you can pick up a bottle of Red Select, Rose, White Zinfandel or Chardonnay. Across the street at Fresh Market, you can find Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider and a variety of Alpenglow Sparkling Ciders. If cider is not your thing, try one of the Kristian Regale’s mixed fruit sparkling juices including pomegranate-apple, peach and black currant. Also found at Publix or Fresh Market are a variety of Meier’s sparkling grape juices including a sparkling Spumante, Cold Duck and Burgundy. The Burgundy, however, is not one of their best and has a bit of a cardboard aftertaste.
For the good stuff, you have to search online for overseas vineyards of Europe, South Africa and Australia. Researching the subject matter, I found hundreds of vineyards that go unnoticed. Since not all of the Vineyards can be mentioned in an article this size, the focus will be narrowed down to the top ten vineyards around the country and the world. Starting in the U.S., Spruce Goose Pinto Noir from Oregon won the silver medal in the 2006 San Francisco International Wine Competition. This Pinot Noir is a dry semi-sweet wine with a hint of sparkle. It can be purchased online at most wine retailers. Castoro Cellars of Templeton, California harvested a wonderfully bouquet crop in 2006 winning the silver medal of the 2008 Florida State Fair and International Wine and Grape Juice Competition. Their Genuine Grape Juice is a mixture of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Sirah grapes to produce a flavorful and colorful bouquet. Also from California comes the Chateau de Fleur Champagnette from the Weible Vineyards. This champagne is wonderfully light and fragrant. Kedem Winery in New York is a completely kosher winery boasting a beautiful sparkling Concord grape juice as well as a Sparkling Catawba White Grape juice. From the Childress Vineyards in Lexington, North Carolina comes a delight sparkling red grape juice made of Cabernet and Concord grapes. The Carl Jung Winery in California boasts a dry and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon limited edition with prices ranging from $50 to $75.
Going overseas, the first stop is Spain and the Cote du Soleil Vineyards with their award winning sparkling Chardonnay. Non-drinkers will love this light and buttery Chardonnay’s flavor and packaging topped of with a real cork. In South Africa, the Monis Winery produces delightful red and white sparkling grape juices. The Italian owned winery has been doing so since 1905. From Italy, Malio Vineyards red sparkling grape juices tickle the palette with robust grape combinations including Trebbiano, Malvasia, and Lambrusco grape varieties accented with peaches and wild berry. Saving the best for last is the Keror Vineyards red and white grape juices and their sparkling apple cider. Each bottle boasts a tartly sweet flavor and semidry palette. Out of these selections, several are sure to please even the most discerning wine drinker. An honorable mention goes to Germany and its Raumland sparkling Grape Juice that will soon be available in America.
On New Year’s Eve, crack open a few bottles of sparkling cider or grape juice, whip up a few snacks, add a little gourmet cheese and rock in the New Year with Dick Clark.
