Wine is only as good as the people with whom it is being shared.
 
Pregnancy Wine

Pregnancy Wine

So you’re pregnant and you would kill to have a glass of wine right now. First of all, congratulations! Second of all, no one has to die for you to enjoy a glass of wine. I am sounding a little controversial right now, but allow me to explain.

Pregnancy Wine

Times have changed! In the 50’s very few women stopped drinking alcohol during their pregnancy. But many years of scientific research have shown that alcohol consumption during pregnancy might have been a bad idea. So we’ll just put all this behind us and move on. Since then, parents are more educated on the subject and perhaps more responsible. Nowadays, drinking while being pregnant is frowned upon and I have lots of friends who miss their daily glass of wine. I suppose it’s not all bad… Mommy is eating for two while proud daddy is drinking for two!

Wine Label – Government WarningThe decision to stop drinking during the pregnancy remains personal. As far as I know, it is not against the law to drink wine when you’re expecting. However, wine producers are making sure that you’re aware of doctor recommended guidelines by adding the well known government warning about birth defect. Some countries are even required to place small graphic icons on their wine labels. This is a particularly blatant example of the increasingly common phenomenon known as ‘virtue signaling’ — indicating that the wine producer is considerate, decent and “virtuous”. It’s also a sure way to protect themselves legally.

Wine During PregnancyI’m not here to say whether you should or shouldn’t drink wine during pregnancy — My mom drank wine when she was pregnant with me and I turned out fine [I think]. I’m here to say that there is an alternative worth considering: alcohol free wine. Though you won’t get your buzz on after a glass or two, it is undoubtedly the closest you will get to experiencing that refined taste you’ve been craving.

If you need something to ease the urge to open a bottle of [traditional] wine, then this is for you. No one should have to drink grape juice and pretend it is wine. With alcohol free wine, you’re drinking the real deal… just without the buzz and without the guilt ; )

Now let’s take a quick look at how the wine is made. Non-alcoholic wine is actually fermented and made in a similar manner to that of standard wines. Some of the varietals are even aged in small oak barrels, and all are fined and filtered according to traditional winemaking methods. Finally, more than 99.5% of the alcohol is removed through a gentle cold filtration process. This process, which uses reverse osmosis, allows alcohol to be removed from the wine while retaining many of the qualities found in conventional wine. How awesome is this?!

Ariel VineyardsNow go on and march down to your local wine store and ask for alcohol free wine, or as I like to call it “pregnancy wine”. My friends Tim and Kim found one under the name of Ariel. Ariel non-alcoholic wines are made predominantly from fruit that was sustainably farmed in J. Lohr’s estate vineyards and are produced in J. Lohr’s state-of-the-art sustainable wineries. They make a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon that sell for under $10! You can look for ARIEL wines at your local grocery chains or natural/health food stores. You can also buy Ariel wine from their Ariel Vineyards. Tell them Wine Ponder sent you ; )

It may not be considered “real” wine, but it’s far better than nothing at all, especially if it helps with the periodic mood swings ; )

 

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