Posted on 02/25/2026 1:49:22 AM PST by Libloather
As nearly half of U.S. adults say they’re actively trying to drink less, the non-alcoholic aisle has become crowded with options that promise ritual without consequence.
The problem is that many of them taste like cough syrup or some other kind of compromise. Wine, in particular, has historically struggled in this category. As a professional product tester, I can attest to my own disenchantment with non-alcoholic wine, to the point that I’ve covered it maybe once before.
You can remove the alcohol, but can you preserve structure, aroma and the layered character that makes wine worth pouring in the first place?
Missing Thorn is betting that you can. Co-crafted by award-winning actual winemaker Aaron Pott and Napa Valley vintner Stephanie Honig, the brand approaches dealcoholized wine as a continuation of tradition rather than a shortcut around it just to hit current trends.
Both founders built their careers in serious wine, so this pivot came about as an acknowledgement of the current cultural shift. Younger consumers aren’t rejecting the ceremony, beauty, and real benefits of wine; they’re rejecting the all-or-nothing nature of alcohol itself.
As a budding vitner myself, I also believe wine should be defined by its purpose — connection, flavor, presence at the table — not just ABV. Missing Thorn uses traditional winemaking techniques first, then (gently) removes the alcohol to preserve aromatics and structure. The goal is to maintain the depth, tannin profile, acidity, and textural cues that make a Bordeaux hold up as a Bordeaux should, and a Riesling feel lifted and bright rather than sugary and flat.
The lineup spans five expressions, each positioned as a premium alternative rather than some kind of placeholder.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Is this why less wine drank ?
Ilhan’s Husband Appears to Sell No Wine from a Fake Winery
By M Dowling- January 28, 2026
The winery, eStCru LLC, has almost no online presence. It has no active phone lines, dark social media, and no visible wine production.
And, just 10% of USA drinkers consumed 50% of the alcohol.
I never enjoyed drinking, but all my friends drank, so, socially, I drank until age 35, when I stopped.
I very much enjoyed marijuana, but almost all employers started drug testing by 1990, so I had to quit that, too.
Naturally, in my old age, I live just a five minute walk from a marijuana store, so I think about it every day, but still abstain.
If I ever get diagnosed with a terminal disease, I am going to be stoned 24-7!
>> I never enjoyed drinking... I very much enjoyed marijuana
Just the opposite here. Er, I mean I *think* I would have enjoyed MJ from what my friends told me about it.
Who said he did?
I think less consumption of alcohol in the USA is a leading cause of our lowest birthrates.
I’m not saying drink like Kamala Harris but at least get frisky.
>> I think less consumption of alcohol in the USA is a leading cause of our lowest birthrates.
LOL! Now there’s a fresh opinion, it was getting a bit stuffy around here!
Drinking less is not a personal choice. Fact is, booze has become very expensive.
A “craft” beer used to cost $6 for a 6-pack, and that was considered expensive. Now, $18.
A simple win was $6. A good one was $18. An expensive one was $125. It is double that now.
A good Scotch was $120. Now, $700.
I know someone who is drinking less.
The Interlok device on her vehicle is a great deterrent.
Sadly I think she has taken up crack.
Why are 45% of adults in the US drinking less? They can’t afford it?
I’ve bought very little alcohol since retiring last year because now I have time to homebrew and make hard cider. Good stuff and healthy too.
“45% of adults are drinking less — these Napa pros crafted bottles that keep the ritual”. Not me.
Lots of people drank wine, beer and ales because drinking the local water would make you sick.
We take for granite now that our drinking water is safe.
This was not the case for most of the last two thousand years in many places in the world. Except ROME.
The Romans built a water and sewage system.
Slavery gets SH#T done.
One of the cool inventions of Dean Kamen was a portable machine about the size of a generator. You could transport this in the back of a car and poor dirty water through it and it would purify it.
My 27 year old son and his girlfriend do not drink.
They have occasionally drank champange on New Years but never regularly.
This is much more common among the younger people than when I was a youth in the 70s & 80s. We got hammered almost every weekend. I had my first beer (a Genesee Cream ale) when I was 14.
I get the ‘image is unavailable’ message. What was it?
I’m a rock and roller and it’s unclear whether his “wine” was alcoholic or not. Oinos is juice of the grape. It should be a matter of personal choice of what to believe without judging others.
Come on Hillary. The wine industry is counting on you to push sales up!!
It must mean 45% of adults are gettig stoned.
But they would not feel so all alone.
How long would grape juice last in the ME without refrigeration, and why would people go to all the trouble and expense to make such a big deal about a drink that would be so hard to handle and that would turn into wine within hours?
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