“I really do love all the science behind what alcohol does to the body and I totally notice how much better I feel when I go for periods AF. But we’re total foodies and wine is part of our identity! Help!!!!”

I GET you, I promise!! Chef Emeril Lagasse cooked my wedding rehearsal dinner; I worked, traveled, and dined with Food Network chefs like Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and the Too Hot Tamales; my husband and I founded a tiny winery and began importing Champagne and Burgundy from small, family French domaines twenty-two years ago; we took customers on trips to wine and dine in France; I blogged about food & wine and all of my treasured food photos feature the perfectly paired glass of wine!

Do we have to give all this up? Do we want to?

As a sobriety/mindful drinking coach, I am working with many people in the wine industry so I truly understand this question, this belief, this fear! And the short answer is NO. I recommend that you to double down on all the ways you enjoy flavors, tastes, textures and sensory experiences! Instead of feeling like that part of your life is shut down or over, I say expand it.

There is just as much to learn about high-end tea and you can linger at the table and enjoy it. Enjoy dark chocolate, prosciutto or cheese tastings. Make your own cold brew, bitters, shrubs or kombucha. Make a spritzer with a verjus (this is the tart acidic juice of underripe grapes). Pick your own apples and peaches at u-pick farms. Frequent farmers markets. Seek out local honey and other products.

Ritual is vital for humans so stay in it! Make the commitment to yourself to honor that break at the end of the day and treat yourself to a nice glass, and a slice or squeeze of citrus. Lol - “spank” (an honest to god mixology term!) the mint or rosemary and add that too.

Discover cocktail inspiration in the new chic and sexy book that is bursting with ingredients and flavors, Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason, by Julia Bainbridge, with libations collected from top bartenders across the US.

Did you used to geek out over the fermentation science behind an IPA? Then hop over to the NA Beer Appreciation Society where you’ll discover a passionate group of beer lovers (nerds) sharing their finds and tasting notes!

The world of non-alcoholic beverages is positively exploding, with some brands experiencing 400% growth…per month! Find my top recommendations (and even some discount codes) on my website here. These brands of AF beers, botanicals, and spirits are winning awards against their alcoholic counterparts. The quality of the products is going up as more enter the field and as techniques are perfected (for instance, gentler ways to remove alcohol that leave flavors intact).

But as exciting as the products are the producers behind them. I’m DM’ing and having 1:1 zoom calls, or joining in for virtual AF Happy Hours, with the head brewers/distillers/producers and I’ve found it to be a very passionate, collaborative, inclusive and interesting group! And young! It’s been fun to interact with 20 and 30-somethings who have a vision for a world where alcohol is not shunned, but it’s not the default. Where you’d never assume that everyone drinks. Where anyone might be taking a break at any moment to uplevel a start-up, rock Whole 30, train for a race, or improve stress-response and sleep!

Explore For All Drinks (podcast, virtual event platform, growing community) to “meet” the producers and to connect with sober-curious people who also care about flavors.

You’ll see on my list of recommendations the few AF wines that I’ve really liked so far, including a highly recommended AF Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and a concept called Wine Proxies, produced in Canada by a team of winemakers and chefs, using juices, teas, spices, botanicals and bitters to create layered drinks that intrigue the palate and complement the food. What has happened with beer will happen with wine. For years, the only AF beers were mass-produced, reluctantly, as a "nod" to being "responsible" on the part of the corporate brewers. But now the demand is huge, and craft brewers are excited by the challenge (and starting to see how AF beer is a growing part of their own lives!).

I get together with a group of sober chefs here in Portland Oregon who talk about how much better chefs they are now that they are AF and aren’t dulling their palates. And because alcohol is no longer filling them up, they actually have full appetite for their meals and enjoy them more.

Like I believed the sky was blue, I used to believe that wine enhanced the meal. Now I feel relieved from the burden of having to fulfill that expectation. I can just focus on the food with my full taste buds intact and a clear head to enjoy the conversation.

For even more inspiration on living juicy without the juice, check out a favorite book, The Sober Lush: A Hedonist’s Guide To Living A Decadent, Adventurous, Soulful Life - Alcohol Free (by Amanda Eyre Ward and Jardine Libaire).

I hope this has got your mouth salivating! Sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of any page on my site to get monthly resources and AF beverage news. Keep it juicy and yummy, my friends!!