Everfresh Premier Varietals Honey Crisp

Where Purchased: Walmart

Brand: Everfresh
Type: (Juice, Dealcholized, etc.): Pure Juice
Color, Vintage, Tasted, Blogged, Sparking, Score?
Amber, 2013, Tasted, still, 7/10


My Experience:
I saw this back at Fry's and Walmart while we're shopping, and I thought doing a taste test of three different pure varietal apple juices would be fun! I haven't seen in Apple juice before that is marketed as from a single type of Apple.

It reminds me of candied apples on the nose, and it made an interest crackling sound just after I poured it!  I still am not sure what caused it.  Anyone out there have any ideas?  This is a still drink so I'm out of ideas.

It was amber in color, and unexpectedly, surprisingly smooth.  Intriguingly smooth.  Also quite light and it didn't leave a coating on my mouth like cheap high-fructose corn syrup laden juices do sometimes.

It left a green-apple-candy taste in my mouth, not in a bad way, but not in a good way either.  It left my mouth with that same weird feeling as after eating a green-apple Jolly Rancher.

Works as a Wine Alternative:  Probably not, but it's a great culinary drink

Did I Like it: Yes, 7/10

Would I Recommend it:  Yes, I think it would be fun to do all three in the same night sometime.


Who Might Like it: Of course, if you like apple juice, you'll like this.

R.W. Knudsen's Sparkling Crisp Apple Cider

That top was double wrapped!  Not sure if it was intentional...

Ingredients - Sparkling Apple Juice & Asorbic Acid

Amber in color, and as most fruit drinks it smells like it’s main fruit component, apples.

It’s dry for a juice, and has a slight bite. It’s lightly carbonated, and has a light mouthfeel.  It’s a bit of a tart, green apple taste.

Works as a Wine Alternative:  I think it’s straddling a line between dry juice and sweet-for-wine that makes this a hard decision.  

Did I Like it: Not so much, It’s a bit to tart for my tongue, and oddly enough, my wife who often likes tart flavors didn’t fall for this one either.

Would I Recommend it:  Only with the perfect pairing, 5 out of 10

Who Might Like it: Green apple fans.

Martinelli's Sparkling Cider

This is probably the most popular alcohol replacement out there.  I’ve seen it served at weddings during the toast instead of Champagne, and my family has had it yearly during Thanksgiving and Christmas for many years.  It’s a staple of the holiday season for me, and it was the first thing I’d ever drank that was from a wine-bottle-shaped-bottle.  It stood out as unique to me because of how rarely we had it, and it’s extreme fizz made me have to sip it lightly.  It was only years down the line that I started to think “what other options do we have?”  I’ve always liked to try new foods, and after a few years, despite liking Martinelli’s, I got bored with it.  As it was my parents making the purchase, I didn’t really do anything about it.  Eventually, in the last few years, as I started thinking more about the food I was eating both from a culinary perspective and a health perspective, I really started to search for other things to pair with my foods.  In a way, this should have been the first thing I posted here, because it was first wine-alterative I’d ever tried. So, I sat down with a new bottle and dissected it.

It’s the color of a clear apple juice, though lighter than most.  The bubbles cling quite strongly to the sides of the flute.  Various sized bubbles floated up, creating a very slow, but stead stream of released carbonation.  It’s quite strongly carbonated, and if you place the plastic topper back on (after you’ve popped the bottle cap off for the first round) it will shoot off when you open it.  I’ve often gotten the hiccups from drinking the first glass too swiftly.  It still happens to me often.  it smells like apple juice, but with a  touch more tartness in the scent.  The carbonation gives it a strong prickle, and if you give it a switch in your mouth, it foams and evaporates almost immediately.  It’s quite a fun sensation.  It’s very sweet, with a touch of tart from the apple, and perhaps a bit more acidic than straight apple juice.  And I’ll emphasize, it’s very sweet for someone looking for a wine replacement.  There is no barrier of entry- anyone who likes apple juice will likely enjoy this.  It’s simple, not very complex, and yet I personally find it addictive.  I’ll finish any bottle that gets opened.  I like sweet drinks, and even though I’m finding some juices and be too sweet when paired with meals, Martinelli’s is more easily paired with many foods.  It is, however, a pretty strong drink that can overwhelm some foods.  It would definitely work as an aperitif or dessert wine - definitely as a dessert wine.

It’s nothing spectacular, but then again I’ve grown up with it.  I think it fails with some of the pairings I usually have had it with, and it would work much better with stronger foods than turkey.  Some of the sides, cranberries for example, make a better pairing.  

Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider is agressive.  It hits your hard up front, and in that way it’s like a soda - it’s not subtle.  it’s good for cutting through tart, but it will affect how the rest of your food tastes because of how sweet it is.  It minimizes the sweetness that may be present in your meal, for example pairing it with ham would emphasize it’s umami, but diminish it’s sweetness.  This happens without any added sweeteners - it’s pretty much just apples and carbonation - which is interesting because they have an organic sparkling apple juice which is different from the cider (but they have non-sparking apple cider and non-sparkling apple juice that are the same!), but the process this is put through intensifies it’s flavors and naturally occurring sugar.

Works as a Wine Alternative: For any strongly sparkling dessert wine, yes.

Did I Like it: yes!  8 out of 10.  My sweet tooth (and sweet) wife likes it also.

Would I Recommend it:  Yes, just remember it’s the furthest from dry you can get.  It’s aggressive, yet approachable for those coming from sodas and juices.

Who Might Like it: Someone who is looking for somethings subtle or more complex.   

Kristian Regále Sparkling Apple Juice

My Experience:

Here is the next in a series of Kristian Regále, look to the sidebar on the right to find the others.

Almost clear, it just has the tiniest yellow tint to it, lots of tiny bubbles adhere to the sides of the glass, and there is no foam on top. Pretty strong carbonation. It's definitely got a green apple taste to it, and is ever so slightly bitter due to the carbonation. I think it's sweeter than the peach, but it has a tangy, sour taste also. It's good, a little more acidic than most juices, just like all the other Kirstian Regále's we've tried. We had it with tilapia & pesto. It's actually a lot like a Green Apple Jolly Rancher, but not as sweet.

Works as a wine Alternative: It paired very well with the food, which is always a good sign, and I think it pairs well with lots of lighter meals.

Did I like it: Yes, 7 out of 10.

Would I Recommend it: Yes, and try it with a variety foods.

Who Might Like it: If you like sparkling ciders, this is a refreshing change.

Draper Valley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

My Experience:

The last of our Draper Valley Vineyard "sample pack", the this is the first time I've had anything related to venerable Cabernet Sauvignon grape, so needless to say I was... expectant may be the best word.

I swirled it and gave it a sniff, and it turns out the scent is much stronger and easier to pick up than say, the relatively drab Chardonnay. I picked out Raspberry or blackberry, and of course grape. Even while drinking it these scents came through strong.

It seems the sweetness is fairly consistent between all of the Draper Valley Vineyard stuff, So this is also sweet like a juice, but seems sweeter than the rest. It is less grapey and more fruity than the Pinot Noir, with a hint ot strawberry, or maybe raspberry, and is smoother and less acidic than the Pinot, as well as having a bit lighter mouthfeel than the Pinot. It seems none of Draper Valley Vineyard's stuff has legs, but this did have a long fruity aftertaste, with a touch of a tingle to it.

It ended up too sweet for the spanish chorizo & dried tomato pizza we had, as it's strong flavor overwhelmed the bready crust. It would have been better with a bigger food, like steak or burgers. The sweetness might have also paired better with some of the spicy chineese food we had recently. I then cut it with some water, maybe 20 water 80 juice, which helped tone it down for the mild pizza we had.

I think all these juices need to be served slightly colder than their respective wines.

I also chilled some of these, and it nuked the taste, but left the sweetness and aftertaste. As usual, no hint of tannins.

We later did a taste test with all four of the Draper Valley Vineyard drinks we go, one cup straight, another cut with 1 part water 3 parts juice.

Cut with water it's more bitter (as was the Pinot Noir from Draper Valley Vineyards) and perhaps a touch more savory than sweet (but just a minor change.) Made me think of raspberry, pomegranate, and maybe grapefruit. Without food, I preferred the uncut drink.

Works as a wine Alternative: Yes, minus the sweetness.

Did I like it: Yes, but not so much as the Pinot or Riesling. 7 out of 10.

Would I Recomend it: I love trying out these varietal grapes, and I think it could even be fun for wine drinkers as it's interesting to taste the unadulterated grape. So yes.

Who Might Like it: Still a juice, but a premium, fun, interesting one. Very fruity, complex for a juice, give it a try if that sounds good to you.

Draper Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir

My Experience:

This is number 3 of the Draper Valley Vineyards 4 pack we got, just one more to go!

This vibrant red has a clear and punchy color, and now shares the top pedestal of juices with Draper Valley Vineyard's other great varietal, their Riesling. My wife and I adore this one.

Smells like some of the non-alcoholic wines I've tried, fruity, a lot like the zinfandel's I've tried. My wife says it smells like when her mother makes fresh grape juice.

This is more acidic than their chardonnay, and has a lighter mouthfeel. Just enough acidity to help cut through the food we had. It was a perfect pairing to cut through the slightly salty but delicious pork. A weakly chalky after taste, that finishes quickly, this would be the juice's low point.

A touch of plum, or maybe cherry, and a slight hint of pear. Whereas the rest of the varietal grape juices I've tried have had no tannin taste to it, this perhaps had the very slightest hint of it.

We later did a taste test with all four of the Draper Valley Vineyard drinks we go, one cup straight, another cut with 1 part water 3 parts juice.

It seems the flavor is darker, and slightly more bitter when cut with water, and of course less sweet. Without any food I like it straight, but depending on the meal it might be better watered down just a touch. Uncut, compared to the Cabernet, it made me think of figs.

Works as a wine Alternative: This juice is more layered and complex than normal grape juices, and not as sweet as many. Yes, it works.

Did I like it: My favorite red so far. 9 out of 10.

Would I Recomend it: Yes. Getting the Draper Valley Vineyard 4 pack (they now offer a 6 pack) is the best thing I've done for trying new drinks.

Who Might Like it: It is not dry like a wine, but other than that it seems to share several charataristics of a wine.

Draper Valley Vineyard Riesling

My Experience:

Our second varietal grape juice from Draper Valley Vineyards, their Riesling, was a huge surprise. I'd never had a Riesling of any kind before, and did not know what to expect, but after a downright drab Free Chardonnay and very mild Chardonnay from Draper Valley Vineyards, I certainly wasn't ready for what this White had to offer.

On the nose it smelt like many other white grape juices, but was a bit more earthy in addition to clean fruity scent.

We chilled it a bit more than those other two whites, which might have brought out the sweetness a bit, but the strength of this delightful drink came out in a big way. A fruity white grape juice, of course, but strongly accented with Citrus tastes, specifically Lime, it is quite tangy. This is probably the best wine alternative I've had so far due it's higher acidity, it cuts through food, though it is too sweet to cleanse the palette very well. It is very strong for a white grape juice, which is usually smooth and full, whereas this was sharp and clear.

We are planning on buying more of this soon, and will be trying it with several foods. The first things that come to mind as good pairs are Herb-y Chicken, any Fish you'd serve with lime or lemon, anything Vinegary, like Pickles, maybe bitter green salads, but definitely things with vinaigrettes.

I think this would be great to use when cooking, maybe with chicken or shrimp.

We later did a taste test with all four of the Draper Valley Vineyard drinks we go, one cup straight, another cut with 1 part water 3 parts juice.

I preferred the strength and acid of the Riesling without the water, and it became dull with the water.

Works as a wine Alternative: Yes, though sweeter than wine, I feel it still fills most of the roles of wine in a food pairing, this is a definite contender.

Did I like it: Both my wife and I loved it. 9 out of 10

Would I Recomend it: Yes, this is one I think everyone can try.

Who Might Like it: Those who like citrus drinks or white grape juice.

Draper Valley Vineyard Chardonnay

My Experience:

My wife got me a 4 pack of varietal juices from Draper Valley Vineyards for christmas. I was so excited! We quickly decided what nights to try them in the coming weeks, and for a few of them even planned meals around them. For the Chardonnay, we unfortunately didn't planned a meal around it, which perhaps lead to a less than great experience with it.

It has a weak scent, of apple cider and dried autumn leaves. It's a great white grape juice - very dry for a juice (still very sweet compared to a wine.) Fre Chardonnay tastes like this but watered down 1 to 1. Full bodied, heavy mouth feel. The taste is very mild, and it's very very low on acid. Fruity, tastes of apple. We had it with Panda Express - bad pairing! My wife says it could be a good dessert drink with cherry cobbler and ice cream, we'll have to try it. It's fairly complex for a single ingredient juice, which means it's just barely more than a one note drink.

We haven't given up on Chardonnay, however, we still have the "Award Winning"™ Ariel Chardonnay to try!

Works as a wine Alternative: If it's paired well, I think it could be. It's so very low on acid that it doesn't cut at all, but it's the driest of the juices we've tried so far.

We later did a taste test with all four of the Draper Valley Vineyard drinks we go, one cup straight, another cut with 1 part water 3 parts juice.

The chardonnay, without any food, I liked better cut with water, the apple/grape flavor comes through more with less sweetness. There is a thickness to the uncut Chardonnay, and the water thins it a touch.

Did I like it: Yes, with reservations. I'm starting to think my wife and I are just not Chardonnay people. It deserves a proper pairing, and with the weighty, intense food we usually lean towards it does not pair well. 5 out of 10.

Would I Recomend it: We got a Draper Valley Vineyards 4 pack, they currently have a deal on a 6 pack, one of each of their juices. This is a great way to experiment and learn more about the most popular types of grapes out there. It was a very educational experience, and we found some juices we definitely return to. Recommended!

Who Might Like it: If you're ditching alcohol and want chardonnay, it's worth a shot. It does taste like chardonnay, but very sweet.

(Compare to Sutter Home's Fre Chardonnay)

Welch's Sparkling Red Grape Juice

My Experience:

Stronger than Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Grape, the Welch's appears a more vibrant red, and has a heavier mouth feel. It's less fizzy, though fine (as in small) bubbled. An obviously grapey taste, we had the Welch's with BBQ Tri-tip.

This could make a good Aperitif or Desert Wine alternative.

Simple, but good!

Works as a wine Alternative: Yes. A very good one.

Did I like it: Yes, better than Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Grape. I'd say a 7 out of 10.

Would I Recomend it: Yes

Who Might Like it: If you like grape juice, this is a more refined, subtle yet vibrant taste.

Welch's Sparkling White Grape Juice

Welch's Sparkling White Grape Juice

My Experience:

Smells like grapes! Has a touch of an apple taste, but tastes mostly like white grape juice. It's not quite as sweet as Martinelli's, and fizz is very fine, just barely there. Not very acidic, I wish it was a touch more. We tried it again later, straight from the fridge instead of only slightly chilled, and preferred it. I do, however, like most of my drinks quite cold. We had it with Rosemary Chicken.

This could make a good Aperitif or Dessert Wine alternative.

Works as a wine Alternative: Yes, one of the better ones I've had.

Did I like it: Yes, and we preferred it chilled straight from the fridge. 6 out of 10.

Would I Recomend it: Yes, I would. It's less acidic than R.W. Knudsen's Sparkling Pear Juice, which changes what I might eat with it.

Who Might Like it: Someone who likes their drinks cold, and not terribly acidic.

Trader Joe's Just Cherry Juice

The same night I tried the Fre White Zinfandel, I also had some pure cherry juice on the table. It was from Trader Joe's, called "Just Cherry Juice."

My Experience:

When I read a review of First Blush (which review I can't find anymore) the reviewer didn't like how sweet it was (I'm guessing being very used to wine) so he called them up! They suggested cutting it with water or sparkling water, to dull the sweetness.

So, I've decided that some of the juices I'll be trying might need a push in the right direction to really shine. I'll be trying them straight, cut with water, and cut with sparkling water.

I got a few glasses out, and mixed away.

Straight:

When I tried it as is, it was very tart and a very strong taste. Tastes like what, you ask? Cherries, of course. It tasted like tart black cherries. It reminded me of the sauce that goes with Ris ala monde.

With Water:

This was gentler, and was a strong palette cleanser, however I now detected a bitter aftertaste.

With Sparkling Water:

The effervescence brought out the bitterness more than plain water. I did not like this much.

I tried them all again slightly chilled, and I accidentally chilled it a bit too much, I think, but I liked it straight and chilled the best. My wife preferred this drink over the Fre White Zinfandel, mostly do the stronger bite the Zinfandel had. I preferred the Zinfandel over the tart cherry juice.

Works as a Wine Alternative: I think so. Maybe find something strong and not at all sweet to go with it, to let the sugar sing out a little.

Did I Like it: It was ok. I think finding a killer pairing is key. My wife and I agree that you could make an amazing cherry juice and vanilla ice-cream float! A 6 out of 10.

Would I Recommend it: Yes, and here's when and why. It will help you build your tasting vocabulary. The next time I taste hints of cherry in a drink, there is no way I will miss or misidentify it.

Who Might Like it: If you like tart, strong flavors, this might be for you.