Non-Alcoholic Wine?

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Hi, all!

I have a party coming up in a week for my "Goddesses." I would like to make a non-alcoholic, raw (if at all possible!) replacement for wine. I'd like to do like a mulled cider - I have some great mulling spice that would go great in some wine and mulled on the window sill for a day. However, I really don't want to have any alcohol content, even 0.01%.

Does anyone have any good companies, alternatives, or ideas?

[Stina]

Hey Canadian Crazy Healer Lady-

this totally doesn't answer your question but how about getting creative and making something like a lavendar lemonade? It's an old-fashioned recipe that's come back into vogue. Can you get your hands on a small amount of dried lavender, about one tablespoon? I make it way stronger than the usual recipes call for. I use like eight!! lemons. So, I put the lavender into my coffee grinder and spin it fine, throw it into the Vitamix with sweetner of choice, lots and lots of lemons and then some and water, spin that baby out and holy moly do you have a party drink!

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Hey that's a great idea!! I'll DEFINITELY be using that for the next party!

The reason I would like the wine for this one, though, is because of the general feel of the event. We're getting together for some relaxing "Goddess" time, and it will also mark the end day of my fast. It's also the Celtic New Year, which I celebrate! So with this all in mind, I was hoping to serve mulled "wine" in some silver chalices that I have, to sort of bring in the idea of the feminine and support for each other.

Hmm... Maybe I need to make my own. Perhaps making a raspberry juice with a bit of apple cider vinegar...?

[Chickadee]

What about Kombucha fermented a second time with your spices. Or a water kefir, or grape juice kefir: http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html#Grape-juice_Kefir

[rawstrength]

What about picking wild grapes (they're in season now), juicing them, and mixing the juice with naturally sparkling spring water? You could mull the spices in this, the bubbles in the spring water and the acidity of the grape juice will help release the flavor of the spices.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Rawstrength, great idea!!! Wild grapes don't grow in my area, but I have a friend who sells organic wine grapes!!

Chickadee, I've never used Kombucha! and actually don't know what it is. Google time!

*Return from Google* Oh wow, and I'm bombarded immediately with health warnings from people doing it improperly. Can you buy Kambucha?

[Chickadee]

I don't know if you can buy Kombucha in Canada, but here in the States, it's sold in most healthfood stores.

I make my own, and it's no more dangerous to make than kimchee or sourdough or yogurt or kefir. :D

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Thanks, Chickadee! I'll have a look

What does Kombucha taste like, if I may ask?

[rawstrength]

Kombucha can explode much more easily than kimchee, saur kraut or yogurt. This has been my experience.
I buy it. Someday, when I am not living in a dorm with a roommate, I will adventure to make my own kombucha again. In the meantime, I enjoy the kombucha I buy from my HFS.
Wine grapes would be perfect, I think :) . Sounds like an awesome celebration!

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Well, the end result wasn't raw, but has a potential to be! I used a wild organic Black Cherry Juice, no additives at all. It was YUMMY and tasted like wine without a) the alcohol or b) the bitter vinegar taste. I'm thinking, next time, I'll pit about four cups, blend them in the vitamix, strain, and serve that.

Thanks for all your help!