Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

A long time Santa Barbara wine producers just expanded its impressive portfolio. Miller Family Wine Company premiered the Hand on Heart label earlier this month. These alcohol free wines are already making a big splash up and down the coast.

The Hand on Heart inaugural wines launch coincides with Dry January, and include a rosé, a chardonnay, and a cabernet sauvignon, all made with grapes grown throughout California, all from the 2020 vintage, and all priced at $15.

“Our target audience are those I call the sober curious,” says marketing director Tommy Gaeta. It’s the regular drinker who may be trying to cut back on drinking, who might be on a wellness kick, or who might just be looking for something different. As we recalibrate our approach to wine and to drinking overall, “more important than the buzz is the ceremony of it all, the ritual,” continues Gaeta. “There’s a functional benefit to wine, yes, but there’s an emotional benefit, too. Having wine with dinner is part of a routine, an emotional signifier.”

Winemaker Jonathan Nagy approaches these wines as carefully as the myriad other labels he directs. “If too much alcohol in a wine is seen as a flaw,” he says, “then absence of alcohol, if apparent, is also a flaw.”

This is the real challenge in creating a best seller alcohol free wine. Alcohol adds complexity to wine. “It’s amazing how much alcohol provides to the flavor and the palate-feel of a wine,” says Nagy. “We really needed to work on flavor and acidity and mouthfeel.” There were myriad iterations over several years. The Millers already were contemplating alcohol-free wines when Nagy, who was previously at Byron joined the company in 2019. “We did do a lot of variations, countless trials,” he recalls. “We did finally get to a place where we were comfortable, they were wine-like.”

The process of removing alcohol from wine is a complicated one. Nagy says the process of removing alcohol from wine is interesting. First the real wines are made first with the rosé, chard, and cab all aged in oak barrels for 10 months, and then shipped to BevZero in Santa Rosa, a beverages solutions company that uses state-of-the-art equipment to de-alcoholate wine. Their spinning cone column operates at high pressure and low temperatures, and it basically takes the wine apart. Inside the tall column, dozens of upside-down cones repeatedly spin the wine as it falls. As the “body” of the wine falls, vapor that contains aroma and flavor molecules flow upward. That vapor is condensed into a clear liquid and separated out, taking the alcohol out in the process. With that alcohol gone, the condensed vapor is added back into the “body,” basically recreating the original wine, without the alcohol.

I’ve been enjoying these uniquely created wines over the years, especially when I am the designated driver, and I always enjoy them. Chardonnay, which has apricot and peachy aromas, and the rose, which is an ideal warm weather cooler, are my preference as I live on salads and fish entrees. However, the cabernet sauvignon, which has lovely subtle fruity overtones would be amazing with beef dishes. These wines do have body and will pass the test of pairing well with specific dinner entrees.

The Millers are promoting a food pairing angle and are being endorsed by TV award winning chef, and successful restauranteur Cat Cora, a Santa Barbara resident and business owner. The talented chef describes the wines as “vibrant” and “complex” and provides recipes online to match each wine. Recommendations include garlic mushroom pasta and lamb chops with cabernet sauvignon, cedar plank salmon and paella paired with the chardonnay, and Greek stuffed eggplant and a peach panzanella salad with burrata and bacon to savor with their rosé. Visit: handonheartwine.com for these recipes.

Alcohol-free wine is not new to California, I have done alcohol free wine tastings as a food and beverage writer for California wine makers over the years. Ariel has been making great alcohol-free wines for many years and I have always enjoyed them, especially when I was driving or just wanted the experience of sharing a wine with family and friends who no longer drink. Zola is another new bubbly alcohol-free rose that was recently released that is great for picnics or concerts. I so appreciate these new Hand on Heart alcohol-free wines, love the recipes prepared by Chef Cat Cora to enjoy with them and will be enjoying all three varietals with friends. For information visit: www.handonheart.com.

The Kir is an enchanting addition to any lover's celebration, and crème de cassis is the focus of this timeless wine cocktail. The liqueur is flavored with blackcurrants, a hidden gem in the aphrodisiac lineup. Top it with your favorite white wine, or go with Champagne for a Kir Royale.

Substitute grenadine for crème de cassis and substitute sparkling apple juice or water

Delightful blue cocktail with an ocean de je vous appearance that includes lemon, gin and curacao

Recipe: Ice Cubes, 1 Part Gin, 1 Part Lemon Juice, ½ Part Blue Curacao with lemon twist

The Santa Fe Margarita Trail: How It Works

To get started, purchase the NEW paper Passport or download the app to enjoy the expanded Margarita Trail.

Get the NEW Margarita Trail Paper Passportǃ

1. Visit any of the downtown TOURISM Santa Fe Visitor Centers to purchase your paper Passport. You can also pick up a new paper Passport at most of the participating locations.

2. If you have the old paper Passport, you can exchange it for a new one. There is no cost to exchange old Passports and you can transfer your stamps to the new Passport as well. The transfer and exchange of old Passports to new ones is ONLY available at one of our three downtown TOURISM Santa Fe Visitor Centers.

Download the Santa Fe Margarita Trail Passport Appǃ

1. Open the App Store (iPhone) or the Google Play Store (Android) and search for ‘Santa Fe Margarita Trail Passport’.

2. Download the full version* for just ＄2.99 and start enjoying all the benefits of the Margarita Trail.

*There is a free ‘Margarita Trail Lite’ app that provides the Margarita Trail locations, but in order to collect stamps, earn prizes and get a ＄1 off each signature margarita, you must purchase the paid, full version. Both versions of the app have an interactive map that geo-locates you and lists the Margarita Trail location closest to you.

3. If you already own a stamped paper Passport and would like to transfer your stamps to a newly purchased app, visit ANY of the TOURISM Santa Fe Visitor Centers for assistance.

Get Started on the Trailǃ

Once you have purchased the paper Passport or downloaded the app, you are ready to get started on the Margarita Trailǃ

1. As you travel along the Margarita Trail, present your paper Passport or paid version of the app for ＄1 off the signature margarita offered at each participating location.

2. Ask your bartender or server to ‘stamp’ your paper Passport or app after trying their signature margarita—but before you get carried away, remember you can only earn two stamps every 12 hours. Note: You can only collect stamps in either the paper Passport or on the app, not both.

3. Get stamps and earn the following prizes^†:

^†Prizes may only be redeemed at the Downtown Santa Fe Visitor Center located in Paso de Luz (formerly Plaza Galleria) at 66 E. San Francisco Street, Suite 3.

Become a Margarita Society Member

As a member of the Margarita Society you will get exclusive access to events, seminars and tastings. You’ll receive the official lapel pin, membership card, society certificate, special offers and subscription to the Margarita Insider – the society’s quarterly newsletter. Don’t miss being a part of this elite and exclusive membership in Santa Fe.

Plaza Visitor Information Center
Paso de Luz (formerly Plaza Galeria)
66 E. San Francisco Street, Suite 3
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-955-6215
Hours: 9:00 am - 5:30 pm Daily

Santa Fe Community Convention Center
201 W. Marcy Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-955-6200
Hours: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday-Friday

Railyard Visitor Information Center (Temporarily Closed for Renovations)
Santa Fe Depot
410 S. Guadalupe Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-955-6230