SuppliedMADD Virgin Rouge
$7.99 for 750 mL bottle (Shoppers Drug Mart)
Apparently, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) produce their own brands of non-alcoholic beverages. Thanks to them, a sober beverage enthusiast can remain rational and cognizant while drinking MADD’s virgin margarita, mojito, craft brewed lager, or sparkling, blanc, or rouge wines. I opted to settle into one of the last evenings of October curled up with a bottle of a MADD’s Virgin Rouge alcohol free wine.
$7.99 at Shopper’s Drug Mart bought me 750 mL of conservative fun. My first impressions of the beverage were not good. I poured a glass of the Virgin Rouge at room temperature and tried a sip. I began to fear this bottle of wine might somehow slip my V-card back into my possession, so the rest of the glass ended up travelling down the drain.
The label said to refrigerate after opening, so I put a halt on my taste test and stashed the bottle in the fridge. The next day, when the Virgin Rouge was sufficiently chilled (and I had forgotten the taste of warm grape juice), I poured another glass. It tasted alright, but it certainly wasn’t sending me down the rabbit hole of flavour possibilities. I sipped at the glass with the same enthusiasm a child would experience when forced to eat their vegetables at the supper table.
With half a bottle left, I feel MADD’s Virgin Rouge would be better if it had a good dose of vodka in it — but that wasn’t suppose to be the point of drinking MADD’s non-alcoholic beverages. I immediately felt guilty for considering another trip to the store for vodka.
I rotated the bottle of wine on my kitchen counter. The rear label advertised 10 per cent of net sales go to MADD Canada (on their website, they advertise only 5 per cent). Mothers Against Drunk Driving are supported every time a bottle of MADD gets rung through the till. I forgot about vodka and finished the rest of my glass of Virgin Rouge without protest.
