u/ProofNoMore

Actually surprised by the taste of this still red NA wine SinZero Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. It had a good mouthfeel where it had some feel to the tongue as most other NA reds are just too thin. IMO it had the feel of an alc red,, but of course still missing the alcohol "weight" and how this feels on your palate.

Was NOT sweet or the other fault in NA reds is they can be too tart. This Sin Zero is one of the more balanced NA reds and for the price $25 much better than the $40 or even $50+ NA reds out there.

Had a spaghetti red sauce with this and where it really shined as paired well with the dish. Also, feel will work well with a meaty dish too.

Would drink again especially with a steak or grilled lamb.

April 23, 2026 Food Navigator article by Flora Southey "The 'warming' buzz for alcohol-free booze is finally cracked"

We, www.ProofNoMore.com being one of the early US Non-Alcoholic(NA) companies doing distribution B2B & DTC to consumers one of the "gaps" with NA wine/spirits in particular is the missing mouthfeel that alcohol provides with texture/weight on the palate & the "burn". As someone that has tasted hundreds of NA wine/spirits this is encouraging new & this article reveals two companies in Europe looking to solve this.

While the Non-Alcoholic industry is growing where 2.2 billion liters/18.7 million BBLs of NA beer is brewed annually in Europe which is 1 out of 5 beers, mouthfeel has still been an area of improvement with comments like "this still tastes thin". Without ethanol mouthfeel is still one of the biggest differences between alcoholic & NA versions especially for NA wines/spirits.

Also, for many, the missing piece has always been the "warming buzz"—that physical bite and body that ethanol provides. New R&D going on in Europe may help solve this with two novel approaches to "bring back the burn".

Two game-changing innovations are leading the way:
1️⃣ Bio-Tech Warmth: Catholic University of Leuven(KU Leuven) and the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology(VIB), two Belgian universities have filed a patent using a proprietary blend of black pepper extract (piperine) and Vitamin B3(nicotinic acid) to replicate alcohol's heat. When combined in the right ratio they give an alcohol warmth without tasting too peppery or artificial which IMO is a common fault with other current "alcohol burn" approaches like capsicum or chili.

2️⃣ Sensory Perception: Swiss company DSM-Firmenich is utilizing plant-based molecules (dihydrochalcones) to "trick" nerve receptors into feeling the weight and texture of alcohol.

These "mouthfeel" techniques are about closing the "satisfaction gap" for consumers of NA drink analogues and am optimistic they will help grow the category assuming they won't add significantly to COGs.

What are your thoughts on these techniques and how they will help expand the NA sector? Let’s discuss below! 👇

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ed-carino-2a7b2110b_foodtech-innovation-beverageindustry-activity-7453777535689031681-Z8Gj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABvAnl8B1h6AjG8SkGLaB6wc0JeHcFwHTM0
#FoodTech #Innovation #BeverageIndustry #NoLo #AlcoholFree #nabeer #sobercurious #FoodScience #sober #NonAlcoholic #mocktails #mouthfeel