Wine is delicious. You know this. I know this. But isn’t it true that variety is the spice of life? Would crisp, refreshing Amarose rosé be the treat that it is if there weren’t other options available to us? Of course not. So while it might be a little hard, it’s good to try wine alternatives to broaden your horizons and deepen your taste. Thankfully, there’s plenty to choose from! Here are three wine alternatives to mix up your life!
Barleywine
While technically a beer, barleywine’s rich flavor and high alcohol content are closer to that of wine– hence the name! Barleywine is similar in composition to the ales of medieval Europe, much like how modern rosé shares similarities to ancient red wine. Traditionally sipped in a stemmed glass rather than a usual beer pint, barleywine generally is full bodied with notes of rich caramel and burnt toffee. It’s a perfect wine substitute for a cozy winter night.
Mead
Mead sounds like something out of a fantasy novel, but not only is it real, it’s delicious! Made from fermented honey, mead in this day and age is tremendously varied, with light canned varieties competing in the same arena as beer and exceptionally rich, high alcohol varieties that have more in common with something like a brandy. Classic mead is best enjoyed as a wine, though. There’s plenty of options to choose from, depending on if you like your mead hot or cold, spiced or plain, fruited or not.
Sake
With a higher alcohol content than wine, Japanese sake is a surprisingly tasty wine alternative. Made from rice, sake, like mead, can be served both warm and cold and serves as a very palatable white wine alternative. Sake comes in two basic varieties: Filtered and Unfiltered. I prefer unfiltered for its silty, complex sweetness, but that’s not to say others might have different opinions.
Like all alcoholic beverages, these three wine alternatives will have a wide spread of quality. Some of it might taste terrible, but if you find the right bottle you might be shocked at how much you like it! Or, you might decide that wine is the only beverage for you. To each their own! Try these wine alternatives out, and once you’ve given them all a try, head over to our online store and pick up some Amarose.
