Elegant Nonalcoholic Drinks

[mudbug]

There is a great article on this topic that I thought some of you might enjoy titled "Elegant Nonalcoholic Drinks: What do I serve with filet mignon and foie gras to a guest who cannot drink wine?"

Look here:
http://members.tripod.com/~BayGourmet/drinks.html

Have any of you had these? Do any of you use these in your restaurants?

[KyleW]

I am a guest who can't drink wine. I am, shall we say, a retired professional . I somtimes miss a nice wine with a meal, it is not really a big deal. I have tried the non alcoholic wines and don't find them to be very appealing. Rather than try and simulate something I can no longer enjoy I prefer to simply drink water

The non-alcoholic wines are swill. Unfit to drink and I hate to use them in cooking. They are not non-alcoholic; they and non-alc. beer have about 1/2 of 1% alcohol which can affect someone with a serious alergy or who takes antibuse. Not worth the risk.
Yes, I have to work harder to get nuances of flavor to replace cognac in pates, grand marnier in desserts, wine to deglaze a pan. But it is possible. Some flavor complexity is lost but it's better than causing yourself or a guest problems.
I've been experimenting with iced teas (the House Wine of the South) after seeing an article (which I have unfortunately lost) about tea/food pairings. I often serve a Keenum Black with heavy beef where I would have served a "big" red. Not bad. Worth trying. I would like to hear about other possibilities.

There are some non-alcoholic wines on the market, but I don't know how good they are. Anybody have any experience with them?