What are the rules for drinking non-alcoholic wine?
Society has established unspoken rules for drinking alcohol over the years. With regular, alcoholic wine, everyone seems to know those rules without having to say them out loud. You don’t get up and pour yourself a glass of wine to drink with your bacon and eggs. That is, unless it is for “the hair of the dog.” Cocktail hour usually starts at 5 o’clock except when you say, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!” Sunday brunch is the exception to that rule. Following those rules allows us to feel socially acceptable.
When you choose to drink non-alcoholic wine, NA wine, those rules disappear. There's no unwritten rulebook for knowing when it's okay to pour yourself a glass. Can you sip it with your egg white omelette at breakfast? Can you have a glass any time of day just because you fancy it? Do the rules still apply to a product with a tiny alcohol level, like kombucha? What exactly are the rules?
One day, I drank a glass of non-alcoholic wine quickly. Faster than I would ever drink a glass of alcoholic wine. It occurred to me that if I did that in public, people would look at me like I had 3 heads, thinking that I was guzzling a glass of wine with 12.5% ABV.
That is where my new normal started.
These are my common-sense rules for drinking NA wine.
Rule 1: Keep a NA bottle in the fridge, chilled and ready.
I have always kept a go-to bottle of wine in the fridge, chilled. Just because I am a NA wine drinker doesn’t mean that I have to give up that ritual. I decided that I would always have a bottle of my go-to NA wine, cold and ready to pour a glass or to use in a favourite recipe.
Why I made this a rule: To keep my life as normal as possible. So that I don’t feel deprived.
Potential Issues: I might drink the bottle too quickly and wish that I hadn’t.
How I avoid issues: I pour myself a glass and put it right back in the fridge. I don’t leave it out, tempting me to keep pouring. I try to remember that it is a bottle of wine and it should be treated as such.
Rule 2: Drink it slowly, like wine, not like water.
I have always sipped my wine slowly. NA wine goes down easily because it doesn’t have the level of alcohol and the burn that stops you from drinking it quickly. You don’t feel the alcohol’s warming effect that reminds you to pace yourself. I want to savour every glass, so I slow myself down.
Why I made this a rule: To enjoy a glass of wine and to get the most out of the experience.
Potential Issues: It is easy to drink and doesn’t make you buzzed. It can quickly turn into a chugging session.
How I avoid issues: I sip the wine slowly and purposefully. I savour the flavour. I treat it like the beautiful glass of wine that it is.
Rule 3: Avoid awkward situations.
One morning, it occurred to me that my NA wine had the same alcohol level as the orange juice I was drinking. “Hey,” I thought, “I could have a glass of wine with my breakfast if I really wanted to.” It isn’t common to have a glass of alcoholic wine first thing in the morning, at a place of work or in many other situations. It is considered to be one of those unwritten rules of when and where it is acceptable to consume alcohol. I decided to only drink NA wine at the same times and places that I would drink regular wine. That way, I could avoid the uncomfortable situation of having to explain that the drink in my hand was actually not an alcoholic wine.
Why I made this a rule: To avoid being uncomfortable or embarrassed.
Potential Issues: It wouldn’t be obvious that I am drinking an NA glass of wine with my bacon and eggs.
How I avoid issues: I keep the same rules about when and where I consume wine that I had when I drank alcohol.
Rule 4: Don’t assume that everyone will be ok with NA wine.
I have read that NA wine is safe for anyone to drink. It is indeed reduced in alcohol enough so as not to be intoxicating, but for some people, it can be a trigger. Watching someone drink a glass of wine, the bottle and the aroma, might be difficult for some people who are trying to avoid alcohol. It is still wine even when it is not alcoholic. I need to be aware of this in social situations.
Why I made this a rule: Kindness and respect.
Potential Issues: Inadvertently making someone uncomfortable with my NA wine.
How I avoid issues: I won’t assume that everyone will be fine with my non-alcoholic wine.
Rule 5: Work with what I can access and slowly find my gems.
I live in a small town with a couple of grocery stores and one tiny LCBO (a liquor store). There is very little variety in the NA wine section. I occasionally travel to the city, where the selection is larger, but in Canada, NA wine is still in its infancy. I decided early on to find a few wines that I like and that are easily accessible to me. They are my go-to wines. The LCBO always has new NA wines, and when money allows, I order from online retailers. I am expanding my repertoire slowly. Every new find feels special.
Why I made this a rule: It is frustrating to have a limited selection of NA wine compared to when I was buying regular wine. I needed to adjust my expectations to avoid disappointment.
Potential Issues: If there is only a small selection, I don’t get to experience the best NA wines that are available.
How I avoid issues: I buy locally available wine, but when finances allow, I order online.
Non-alcoholic wine is new to me, and it brings new thoughts, questions, and choices. I was worried that my rituals would have to change and that wine wouldn’t be as enjoyable. To address my concerns, I decided to make a set of rules for myself. I am good at following rules, and mine are meant to help me feel comfortable drinking NA wine in social situations and make non-alcoholic wine equally as enjoyable.
What did I learn from this process? That nothing needs to change if I adjust my thinking about drinking NA wine. I can keep the rituals that I love and enjoy wine in my new normal.
Again, here are my 5 rules for drinking non-alcoholic wine.
Keep a NA bottle in the fridge, chilled and ready.
Drink it slowly, like wine, not like water.
Avoid awkward situations.
Don’t assume that everyone will be ok with NA wine.
Work with what you can access and slowly find your gems.
Have you made any NA wine rules for yourself?