Your Doctor Cut You Off From Alcohol. Now What?
Modern Drinking
Ahead of the times. Enjoyment without limits.
Last year, I sat in my gastroenterologist’s office waiting to hear his advice and guidelines about my health. He spoke about the foods I should eat more of and those I should avoid, then he said something I did not expect. He told me to stop drinking alcohol. Not reduce. Not moderate. Eliminate. Every single drop. “Alcohol is a poison,” he said. “You don’t need it in your system. It’s hurting you. I want you to quit.”
I grew up with wine at the dinner table. White wine with chicken and fish. Red wine with beef and pork. A glass on the patio on a warm evening and a glass in the bathtub as a little luxury. Wine was a ritual for me. It was part of how I celebrated, relaxed, and how I connected with friends and family. I did not want to give up something I loved. Eventually, I made a decision. I needed to lose weight and I knew I had to listen to my doctor.
And then I hit a wall. What was I going to replace wine with? I do not like pop. Water? Fruit juice?
I enjoy the taste, the experience, and the ritual of wine. I knew I would miss picking a nice bottle to go with a special dinner or to share with family and friends. So I tried non‑alcoholic wine for the first time.
Image placeholder: Hero image of a glass of non‑alcoholic wine on a warm kitchen table. Alt text: Glass of non‑alcoholic wine on a kitchen table in natural light.
The First Bottle
I picked up a bottle of store‑brand non‑alcoholic wine from my local grocery store. The label looked basic, almost like a pretend bottle of wine. It smelled and looked like wine, which gave me hope. The first sip was sweeter than I expected and had a lingering note of fruit juice. It was not what I was hoping for, yet I kept drinking. Time in the fridge helped. It mellowed after a day or two. I did not love it, but it was not horrible either. I knew there were better options, and I was not the only person told to give up alcohol.
The Search Begins
In my small Ontario town, the LCBO’s non‑alcoholic wine shelf is sparse. One bottle, maybe. Grocery stores offer a few options, but the selection is limited. So I started looking online. I wanted to learn how non‑alcoholic wine is made, who produces it, and where to buy it in Canada. I hoped to find options that tasted closer to wine than grape juice.
I discovered Carl Jung, a German producer with more than a century of experience in non‑alcoholic wine. Their products taste like wine. I drank their bubbly Mousseux on New Year’s Eve, and it impressed me enough to try the Cuvée White and Red. That discovery changed everything. Non‑alcoholic wine did not have to taste like juice. Good options exist. I needed to find them.
Why I Started Modern Drinking
I built a website to document what I am finding. Not as a sommelier. Not as an expert. As a regular person who loves wine and wants to keep enjoying it without alcohol.
My goal is simple. Find the best non‑alcoholic wines available in Canada, whether for delivery or in stores. Share honest reviews from the perspective of someone who drinks wine with dinner, with friends, on the patio, or in a bubble bath. Provide clear information about how non‑alcoholic wine is produced and the health benefits you might see after making the switch.
I chose not to compare non‑alcoholic wine to alcoholic wine. That felt unfair. I evaluate each bottle on its own merits. Does it taste good? Would I buy it again? Would I serve it to guests?
What You’ll Find Here
Honest reviews of non‑alcoholic wines I find in stores and online across Canada. No sugarcoating. If it tastes like grape juice, I will say so.
Information about how non‑alcoholic wine is made and who makes it.
Details about where to buy non‑alcoholic wine in Canada, including online retailers that deliver to your door.
Articles about the health benefits of giving up alcohol.
Content for women like me, women over 50 who are active, enjoy life, and want to keep rituals they love without alcohol.
I am at the beginning of this adventure. I have tried about ten different non‑alcoholic wines so far and written three reviews. I am waiting for warmer weather to order from online retailers without the winter surcharge they add to prevent bottles from freezing during shipping. I do live in Canada, after all.
A Little About Me
I am a 4‑foot‑11‑inch, 65‑year‑old woman living in a small town near Ottawa, Ontario, with my partner and my miniature Bernedoodle, Maisie. She is my sweet little love.
I have worn many hats, from working in the back office of a stockbroker to waiting tables. Through it all, I have been a fine artist since the age of 10. I paint. I create. I went to college in my 50s to study web design and development, graduating with honours. I put that education to work every day. Creativity shapes every post, graphic, photograph, and review I produce.
Health and the Decision to Change
Giving up alcohol affects more than the liquid in your glass. It improves health in practical and noticeable ways. Weight can come down, energy returns, and sleep improves. These changes matter, especially for women over 50 who face health shifts with the onset of menopause.
This blog highlights how giving up alcohol can improve health for people like me. Expect science‑backed insights I find along the way. I will explain how wines are made, what to look for on labels, and how I pair non‑alcoholic wine with the foods I enjoy.
What’s Next
I plan to post one to three times a week. Every post will also appear on my Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest pages. Follow along there if you prefer social media. I will keep trying new wines and I will share what I find. I will build this into a resource for anyone in Canada who has been told to stop drinking or who chooses to stop on their own, for their own reasons. I offer you a place to start, a way to keep the ritual of wine alive, and to do it without alcohol.
When your doctor cuts you off from something you love, the loss can feel real. With non‑alcoholic wine, you still get to enjoy the ritual of sharing a glass with friends and pairing a nice bottle with dinner.
Let’s find a new way to do it. A modern way.
Welcome to Modern Drinking.