Last night, Sonja and I dropped Titus off with grandma and grandpa and went to dinner, followed by the Broadway production of The Sound of Music, which starred the fabulous Charlotte Maltby, and was all too poignant given the events of the past 72 hours in America. At dinner, we enjoyed our food, and I enjoyed mine all the more pairing it with wine, something my beautiful pregnant wife was unable to do (though she might have had a sip of my Cabernet at one point).

So, this morning, with the kiddo still at grandma and grandpa’s, I got up, ran to the store, and made my traditional Sunday morning brunch, featuring thick cut bacon, waffles, a carafe of black coffee, some fruit, and a bottle of sparkling wine. However, treading lightly after drinking wine in front of my wife at dinner last night, I replaced the usual Prosecco with “PriSecco” from Jörg Geiger. It was delightful.

I recently came in contact with Delmosa, retailers of fine products that perhaps emulate wine, but aren’t. I’m still familiarizing myself with their portfolio. This apple and rose on mint sparkler was made of raspberry, blackberry, cider apples, rose water, and mint, and was so engaging in the mouth as to lack nothing for want of alcohol. I’d gladly start pairing this with my brunches or as an aperitif, and the sweetness of the flavors offset the dark acidic coffee and rich fatty bacon perfectly, perhaps even better than the brut and demi-sec bubbles I often use.

I’ve got five more Delmosa not-wines waiting on the dinner I’m planning for Sonja and my upcoming anniversary, and I’m genuinely excited to try them all after having such a great experience with this one. I never would have thought I could get so excited about a liquid that wasn’t actually wine. Whether you’re able to drink alcohol or not, I strongly recommend trying the unique and flavorful sparkling offerings of Jörg Geiger. Here’s to the joy of discovery!

Cheers,