Navarro Vineyards: Red, White, and Green Grape Juice
We’ve tried high-end grape juices before- juices that are made with the same care, and from the same grapes, as wine. But there are more wineries out there that make wine-like grape juices, and we’re happy to report that there is an excellent alternative out there for people who want non-alcoholic drinks but appreciate wine.
Navarro Vineyards makes 3 different varieties from California grapes- Pinot Noir, Verjus/Pinot, and Gewüztraminer- and each has a distinct flavor and color. The Verjus was full-on tart, citrusy, tangy- almost a little too powerful, but somehow addictive. Tasters who weren’t warned each puckered up at the first sip, but couldn’t help drinking more. Navarro suggests freezing some and making ice cubes, and they proved to be a lot of fun.
The Gewürztraminer was similarly powerful- but with sweetness instead. The flavor borders (and for some crosses over into) cloying, and we found it best crisp and quite cold, in small quantities. Kids definitely like it, and it’s a perfectly fresh beverage for the summer.
Finally, the Pinot Noir is more smooth and balanced, a bit jammy, and good even without being chilled. It doesn’t have much of the leathery taste or smell of some wines, nor did it have the full flavors of a fermented and oaked vintage, but it was something different- a grape juice we could feel properly snobbish about, beautiful bottles, natural cork, and all. $11 each, available online, along with their wide selection of wines.
