Like many young people who have been sheltering in place for the past two years due to the ongoing pandemic, I've been trying to cut down on my drinking. However, quitting cold turkey isn't appealing to me — I still like to enjoy the occasional cocktail when I'm with my friends, and swapping spirits for seltzer when I'm home alone feels like I'm drinking sugar without purpose. And when I spend hours making a complicated recipe for my boyfriend and me to enjoy, I like to pop open a bottle of wine to pair with it. But lately the hangovers, however slight, have left me in search of something that gives me the feeling and ritual of enjoying a nice Pinot Noir without the headache.
So when Acid League sent me its Proxies Tasting Set [1] ($73 for four bottles, originally $86) to try, I almost immediately popped one open to test them out. Acid League's "wines" are actually a blend of juices, teas, spices, and bitters that combine to create an alcohol-free drink, and its tasting set comes with two bottles of white, a rosé, and a red. The bottles themselves also include a note that details the flavour's core components and what it pairs well with. Keep scrolling through to see what I thought of each bottle.
Zephyr
Since I was making a homemade pesto pasta that night, I opened the Zephyr [2] ($86 for four bottles) bottle first (apparently it pairs well with goat cheese, pesto, and seafood platters). Made with strawberries and hibiscus, this bottle promises a "summer rosé that you can actually keep drinking all day." The fact that it was December didn't stop me from pouring myself a glass with dinner.
The first thing I noticed was that the zephyr was pinker than most rosés, along with a strong sweet smell. When I took a sip, I could definitely taste the strawberries and noted that it didn't really taste like wine. However, upon reading Acid League's notes, I realised they're not supposed to: "Proxies don't necessarily taste exactly like any specific wine, but they're made to look, feel, and drink like wine. They're designed to pair with food and be enjoyed in wine glasses." With that in mind, I tried to enjoy it for what it was instead of comparing it to real wine.
Nightshade
The next bottle I tried was the Nightshade [3] ($86 for four bottles) — Acid League's take on a red. Since it says it pairs well with pizza or ribeye, I opted to cook steak for dinner to go along with my taste test. Unfortunately, even though I'm a red drinker regularly, I wasn't a huge fan of this one since it tasted very yeast-y. My partner also wasn't a fan, but I did enjoy the cherry notes in this drink.
Sauvage
Because I wasn't about to make smoked trout or poutine, as the tasting card for Sauvage [4] ($86 for four bottles) suggested, I opted to try these last two wines my preferred way: with potato chips. This white was a really pretty light golden colour and is made with green apples and spruce tips. This one was possibly my favourite out of the four bottles — it was light and refreshing without tasting too sweet, like I feared the whites would be.
Pastiche
This last bottle of Pastiche [5] ($86 for four bottles) reminded me of the tropical versions of candies like Starburst or Skittles, since lychee, pineapple, and peach along with oolong tea were used to create its flavour profile. It's a dark caramel colour, and I could definitely smell and taste the pineapple flavours. If you're a fan of tropical fruit, this one should be your go-to pick.
All in all, Acid League [6]'s Proxies aren't wines, and we shouldn't treat them as such. But if you're looking for something that resembles wine to pair with a fancy dinner that won't leave you with a hangover after two or three glasses, I recommend trying these. The biggest downside to these might be the cost — Acid League only sells individual flavours as a four pack for $86, which breaks down to about $21.50 per bottle, and their Sample Set [7], even at a discount (like it is right now), is $73 for four bottles. Typically I spend anywhere from $10-$20 for wine, so this would be a splurge. But if you're looking for an elevated option — especially for a friend who doesn't drink — this is a great pick.