Wine Grapes for Nondrinkers
Vignette Wine Country Soda Uses Santa Barbara County Grapes for Teetotaling Times
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If having to be the sober, highway-cruising chaperone for a bunch of wine tasters on a weekend afternoon wasn’t enough of a chore, it’s just insult to injury that lots of tasting rooms don’t offer much else other than water for the designated driver. That’s changing, however, thanks in part to Vignette Wine Country Soda, a new nonalcoholic drink made from wine grapes that’s already being sold in Santa Barbara County’s Roblar, Zaca Mesa, and Riverbench wineries, as well as at Lazy Acres and Metropulos Fine Foods. The sparkling soda currently comes in three varieties: chardonnay, rose, and pinot noir, with the latter coming straight from S.B. vineyards. The flavor is sweet, but not cloying, and refreshing, but not watery. Although not boasting the uniquely flavorful qualities of its fermented cousin, the 50 percent grape juice concoction-with a pleasant label and mere $3 bottle price-is finally a way for nondrinkers, drivers, and moms-to-be to be part of the tasting experience. See winecountrysoda.com for more.