Carl Jung White Wine

Continuing on with Carl Jung, we will consider the collective unconscious.  Oh, sorry, wrong topic.

My Experience:  I had it with tomato goat cheese and basil stuffed chicken, right off the grill.

It's appears is very clear, just the tiniest tinge of color to it.  It has a strong fermentation smell, must stronger than it's taste.  It was very light bodied, zero tannins of course, with just a light bubbling.  It's sweet, and moderately acidic, and long legs on the glass.  While more flavorful than some of the Chardonnays I've had, it wasn't very fruity, perhaps a touch nutty.

Did I like it: Yes, though my wife not so much.  She didn't mind the taste, but the smell put her off.
Would I Recommend it: It's an easy foray into dealcoholized drinks.

Who Might Like it: This requires very little commitment, it's not a punch you in the face drink.  It's light an easy to try.
6 out of 10

Carl Jung suggests paring it with: fowl, fish, white meats like pork, salads & light sandwiches, and some chinese and indian dishes.

Carl Jung Rosé Wine

My Experience:

After a hiatus, I'm back! I've got 5 new posts to write soon, plus several more drinks I'm excited to share with everyone!

First up is the beginning of the Carl Jung series, first with their dealcoholized Rosé Wine. My wife got the following bottles for me, and I'll go through my experience with each one!

Rosé

White

Red

Merlot

Riesling

I popped off the screw top, and was immediately met with a scent that easily betrayed the fermentation process this drink had been through. It was just a touch fruity, in both scent and taste. On the nose I thought of boysenberries, but on the tongue I changed my mind to raspberries. With a touch of a tingle on the tongue, it was much like the first (Ariel) White Zinfandel we had.

This one threw me a bit of a loop, though. The fermentation taste is strong, and it's only very slightly fruity. It's not sweet like a juice, but a touch sweet for a wine. It has a tang to it like a very ripe citrus fruit, a bit a of bitter finish, and is Medium bodied. Over all, quite mild. The pork we ate with it was a little sweet of a pairing with it, though it contrasted nicely with the not-very-sweet-for-a-strawberry strawberry. It was good with the olives, and sage infused cheese, and it was also great after a short bite of lemon, so I'd try pairing it with acidic, tangy dishes like lemon chicken, though it could contrast really well with a creamy dish also.

My wife says the color is a rosy mauve. It's not super clear, but definitely leans towards transparent. I can taste the tannins, very lightly. Short legs, and mild on the acid front.

Works as a Wine Alternative: Yes, though I think I prefer Ariel's White Zinfandel for a similar, but sweeter experience.

Did I Like it: Yes, but I didn't love it. I'm torn between a 6 and 7.

Would I Recommend it: Try something easier to find first, but if you've found a dealcoholized wine you like, give this a try.

Who Might Like it: If you are looking for something very subtle, this might be a good choice.

Kristian Regále Sparkling Lingonberry

My Experience:

Same great carbonation as always from kristian regale. Red raspberry color, but almost with a touch of orange, and smells very different from any other juice I've had, must be the lingonberry, and I can get just a touch of the apple, a bit of a tart smell. A bit of a musky, dusty rose scent. It's a bit more strongly carbonated on the tongue, the fizz completely evaporates. Only a hit of the apple gets through the very powerful lingonberry. As typical, it's not as sweet as most juices, but also has a slightly bitter finish, and medium acidity. It had some noticeable dregs at the end.

As for paring I'd drink it with something that you'd normally have with a fruity drink, maybe mexican food like fajitas or burritos.

Works as a Wine Alternative: I think with the right paring, yeah.

Did I Like it: Not as much as Kristian Regále's Pomegranate offering, but it's still a unique drink worth trying. 6/10

Would I Recommend it: Yep!

Who Might Like it: In terms of acidity, its a lot like raspberry juice, though the taste itself is different.

Lorina French Berry Soda

My Experience:

While on a family trip to Hawaii (I know, I'm very lucky. :) we went to the grocery store to buy food for the week. I ran across several things at the local Safeway that I didn't expect to find. One of them is this French Berry Soda.

The first thing I noticed was the bottle. It had the same type of as the Effervé, with a rubber stopper permanently latched onto the top, which you can use to reseal the bottle. Genius, I love it! I actually kept the bottle of the Effervé so I can use it again in the future!

This not-quite-pink not-really-red drink smells like other Strawberry sodas I've had. It's finely carbonated, and the first thing that hit my tongue besides the (mostly straw) berry-ness was lemon, which gave it a good touch of acidity. There is the very very faintest woodenness to the taste. It's a very light drink for a soda.

It cut through some sweet foods we had quite well. Pairs well with strong foods, or anyting you'd normally eat with any kind of berry, like salads for example. It is very sweet like a soda, but more nuanced than most. It's crisp, clean, and I can see myself sipping this to cool off. The carbonation, though fine and producing small bubbles, is still strong.

6.5 out of 10

Works as a Wine Alternative: I'd say it works as a culinary beverage, but it's not wine-like at all.

Did I Like it: Yes! Definitely another "Table Drink"

Would I Recommend it: Only as a fancy soda, but as such, yes.

Who Might Like it: Soda lovers unite!

Safeway Select Sparkling Apple Pomegranate

My Experience:

We were on a family vacation in Hawaii and stopped by Safeway to get some food for the week. I found this drink, along with a bottle of Lorina French Berry Soda to try.

This would be a direct competitor to Kristian Regále's Sparkling Pomegranate Apple beverage. Let's see how it fares.

It has a dark red, plum color, and not a very strong smell. It doesn't have the steadily streaming bubbles I'm used to from Kristian Regále, and it does have a bit of a head. A very fine carbonation, and is very drinkable on its own. I can't taste anything other than Pomegranate and Apple, though that's not a bad thing. It was a good pairing with your average pizza, (though it didn't pair well with the peanut Thai pizza we tried) and it has just a touch of acid from some citrus extract.

Works as a wine Alternative: This one is very approachable, and still very much a juice, though one I wouldn't mind having often in the house.

Did I like it: I thought it was good, though not spectacular. 6 out of 10.

Would I Recommend it: In terms of trying to find wine alternatives, no I wouldn't really recommend this as a must try, but I like it enough to get more should I ever swing by Safeway again.

R.W. Knudsen's Sparkling Cherry

My Experience:

First off, its scent is very dark, very much like black (as opposed to normal) cherries. It's not as sparkling as Martinelli's (I'm learning that nothing is) and the carbonation was quite coarse. The acidity is higher than most sparkling juices I've tried, and the flavor is very strong. Of cherry, that is, though the plum juice that's also in the drink shows through a little. The acidity probably comes from the pineapple juice that's also in this blend. It's very sweet, though not as sweet as Martinelli's, similar to R.W.'s offering in pear but somewhat more tart, due to the cherries I'm assuming.

It's got a nip of sour in the finish. It could make a good every-day drink, (which I'm calling a Table Drink, as in a Table Wine.)

It reminds me a lot of the cherry kirsebærsauce sauce that goes with Ris a la mande.

This would be great for a cherry float with vanilla ice cream!

Works as a wine Alternative: Sure.

Did I like it: Yes, though nothing spectacular, 6 out of 10.

Would I Recommend it: Just like the Kristian Regále stuff, I've enjoyed trying all of these and comparing them. (Though these haven't been as good as the Kristian Regále stuff.)

Who Might Like it: You know, with all of these sparkling juices it's pretty straight forward. I'd recommend them to anyone who likes the fruit they are based on, or thinks they could find a good pairing.

Kristian Regále Sparkling Peach Juice

My Experience:

It's very translucent, with just a light golden color. It smells like you'd expect a peach to smell, but the taste hints of a white grape juice, though it has no grape in it and tastes more peachy over time, especially as it warms up. It's tingly on the tongue, but doesn't foam up. It's slightly drier than your average juice, with a hint of bitterness, probably from the carbonation.

Works as a Wine Alternative: Yes, a sweet one. I think it would work well with an alfredo, and it'd cut through the sauce. Pair it with things that are very light.

Did I Like it: Yes, though not as much as their offering in Pomegranate-Apple, a 6 out of 10. My wife doesn't like it so much.

Would I Recommend it: Yes, I've had a ton of fun trying out all the Kristian Regále stuff.

Who Might Like it: Most anyone who likes peaches?

[Update: I've tried this again since, and I think I appreciate it even more with the right pairing.]

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.

Sutter Home's Fre White Zinfandel

Well, this is it! My first dealcholized wine!

My Experience:

I was in Sprouts looking around with my wife. She knew I'd been on this wine alternative stint for a while, reading everything I could find online about the subject. It was much easier for us to look at the pomegranate, cherry, and black currant juces. I wandered through the wine section, confused and wondering how in the world I would find any dealcoholized wine in what looked like a sea of identical bottles to me. There is a part of our brains that activates when we see faces, helping tell apart very similar details. This part of the brain changes in people who study cars, and activates when they see a car, helping them tell the difference between a '71 and '72. I wonder if that part of the brain will someday help me as I wander through this sea of seemingly identical bottles.

I was hoping to avoid this, but I was determined to leave with something besides apple juice in hand. So I asked the most awkward question. "Do you have any non-alcoholic wine?" "You mean Fre?" he said. Well, I just figured out which one-and-only brand they carry. I picked the White Zinfandel quickly. I'd read it's a good starter wine, not too dry (some might call dry the opposite of sweet).

We got home and I threw a frozen Bertolli's (roasted chicken) in a skillet and got out some stemware that had only until then seen water and Welch's.

I poured some in, gave it a swirl and a sniff. Wow! Cherries, apples, flowers! So fruity, it took me by surprise.

I knew to expect something much less sweet than I was used to, but I was not prepared for the bubbly tingle I felt on the fist sip. I almost spit it out! The bubbly sensation reminded me of some kimchee I'd once had! That makes it sound much worse than it was, I was just surprised. I thought only sparkling, bubbly wines like champagne were carbonated. This wasn't bubbly like soda, it just had a touch of unexpected sparkle.

So, I braced myself, took another sip, and was ready for the tingles this time. Having already had a taste, it didn't have as strong of a bite, but still had one. It slightly smoothed out as I sipped slowly, but it was a little tart. As I ate and drank, the acid helped cut through the food and cleanse the palate. I wish I could say how dry it was compared to other wine alternatives, but it was drier than anything I've had before.

Works as a Wine Alternative: Sure? I'm including this section more for the things like varietal juices and such. I think dealcoholized wines are a given.

Did I Like it: Well, my opinion might change, but with the right food pairing I think it worked. I stopped up the bottle and stored it in the fridge. The next day I pulled it out before dinner with enough time for it to warm up, but not to room temperature. I liked it better chilled somewhat, as the tart bite was a bit less, and the acid was a bit more forgiving. Lesson of the day: serve your drinks at the right temperature! Read my next review for some more thoughts. Lets give it a 6.

Would I Recommend it: It's my first try! Read my next review.

[EDIT] after having tried a lot more stuff, I would recommend giving this one a try. Though I liked the Ariel White Zinfandel better, this has a lot to offer and might appeal more to those used to normal wine.

Who Might Like it: It is not sweet, compared to juices. Get that out of your mind, and pair with a light meal like chicken or pasta with a white sauce, and it might work for you. It's tart so that might put some off.

Hey, this is getting exciting!