Can a healthy red-wine substitute measure up to the real thing?

Still, since Embodi has no alcohol, I was hoping that it would have fewer calories, sugars and carbs. But this wasn't entirely the case. Embodi definitely has the smaller calorie count - one 227 ml bottle has just 90 calories versus 180 for the same amount of red wine. But Embody contains a whopping 22 grams of sugar. (Here, some perspective: A 340 ml can of fizzy drink contains 30 grams.) And 227 ml of red wine, depending upon the varietal and fermentation process, can have up to 5 grams of sugar. So let me be clear, this is not a weight-loss beverage.

How does it taste? Interestingly, the mouth feel of Embodi mimics a dry Cabernet or Malbec. And although its three flavours - citrus, tropical and berry - have little to do with grapes, the taste is surprisingly pleasant.

Still, it didn't capture my heart like a Napa Valley pinot noir. Also lost with Embodi are the social customs of wine. I wouldn't toast a friend's wedding engagement with it or bring Embodi as a gift to a dinner party. I realise that there are those who don't (or perhaps can't) enjoy the taste of red wine. For them, Embodi is an antioxidant-boosted antidote (even if we don't know the precise polyphenols). For the rest of us, the benefits (and the sugar) just aren't worth the switch.

5th November 2008