Item: Proxies
Rating: 1
Author: Stanley T

Proxies makes a non-alcoholic wine alternative using a blend of grapes, teas, spices, and complex ferments. 

We created Proxies for when you want something to drink but you’re not drinking. By blending wine grapes, fruits, teas, spices, and complex ferments, Proxies go way beyond the grape to capture everything that makes wine a great pairing with food—acidity, body, and tannin—without the alcohol. 

Charlie Friedmann

Devin Campbell

Scott Friedmann

Drink

Proxies earns polarized reviews: enthusiasts praise the complex, botanical blends (Sauvage, Blanc Sheep, white bubbles, Gold Crush) and elegant packaging, while many find the liquids too sweet, vinegary, or kombucha-like and not a convincing wine alternative. Reviews of Proxies highlight intriguing flavor notes and a festive, alcohol-free ritual, but recurrent complaints cite undrinkable reds (Big Red, Red Ember), medicinal aromas, and disappointment relative to expectations of wine.

Proxies

Proxie

red wine

white wine

rose

sparkling

Agreed and despite that your review was two years ago the product couldn’t have been any worse.  It was absolutely an embarrassment to the word wine!

Agreed.  Terrible misrepresentation of the product which seems to be all their actually good at!


Barbara van Pelt 
Vinifera, The Inn on Winery Row 
Wine country, Niagara 

Agree.  That’s so you buy more since they know you won’t be buying more.  They want to get the most of your money the first time. 

Agreed.  Terrible misrepresentation of the product which seems to be all their actually good at!  Live in Niagara Wine Region.  It’s an embarrassing to the wine industry. 

Completely agree.  After requesting a refund they did respond explaining all the reason that I couldn’t return it.  They actually offered me discount to buy more to try.  This is why they make you order so many at a time as it’s unlikely they’ll sell you any thing else.
 I can’t believe it’s getting any good reviews at all.  Think they’re all planted.

Barbara van Pelt 
Vinifera, The Inn on Winery Row 
Grimsby, Ontario 

Non-alcoholic wine is super hard to get right, and unfortunately, this didn't get close for me. It was too sweet, almost more like juice than wine. I think they would have done themselves a favor by simply calling it a non-alcoholic drink, instead of wine, to lower expectations and simply put them in a different category of beverages.

Unfortunately, after trying three varieties, both my husband and I found them to have an overwhelming vinegar taste, making them the least enjoyable drinks we have ever encountered. On top of that to ask for a return and refund you have to email them. Which I did and 9 days later still no answer. Very disappointing, poor product and even poorer customer service. 

It tastes like the kind of liquid mixture you achieve when you are a child and you pretend to cook and prep food and drinks. A disgusting mix of Clamato, grape juice, pickle brine, lemon juice… Like a total improvisation from the things on hand in the fridge. Great marketing, but the product is a total scam. I am not saying from personal preferences. It is simply awful and overpriced, I regret so much buying this! There are so many great mocktails on the market. Don’t buy this.

I was offered a BOGO deal when purchasing two bottles, so gave it a try. I guess calling it a "wine alternative" is an appropriate term, but after tasting both bottles (one red, one white) I wouldn't say anyone would think of this as wine. It's more like a type of kombucha packaged in wine bottles. The taste was okay, but nothing remotely like wine. At $19.99 per bottle, the price is waaaay too high, too. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't buy it again.

I tried their rosé and it didn't taste good. The packaging is so cute but the taste wasn't worth the money.

Not sure if this is helpful, but I've also never drunk alcohol so I'm not sure if rosé itself usually tastes horrendous or if the brand's rosé just isn't good.

Affreux !! J’ai jeté le contenu. Odeur et goût de vieille olive Kalamata . Les produits à 10$ la bouteille sont moins décevants. 

I do like to keep this around for when I have guests over who don’t drink. I wouldn’t say that they necessarily taste bad, but I don’t think it exactly taste like wine either. They do have a lot of different options and the ones in cans aren’t bad either.

Seeing as I never consumed regular wine before, I knew I couldn’t compare. However- I will say it is far superior to local non-alcoholic wines I have tried.  I picked the Sparkling Celebration plus an extra Peach Bellini and am so glad I did. I finished the first two of the Sparkling Celebration and am on the Peach Bellini one of that pack right now. Later in the year I will definitely pick this variety again!!

I quit drinking 2 years ago. I used to like white or rose wines, but not red because they taste too strong. I've been trying non-alcoholic brands and I kind of like Proxies. The rose tasted like sparkling juice because obviously, being non-alc, that's what it is. I thought it had interesting notes added to it that made me feel like I'm tasting a regular wine trying to notice the different notes. I would definitely try their other varieties if I come across them. The only drawback is that they are really expensive for a non-alcoholic brand.

I am glad these were ground shipped (even if it took weeks), but wish they used less packaging or something less environmentally impactful. 

The branding is on point! These bottles look amazing. The taste is very interesting. They say it isn’t wine and it certainly is not. It is somewhere between a cocktail mixer, juice and wine. I enjoyed some more than others, but I still missed wine in dry Jan. Sauvage was a winner! It is however a big step-up from alcohol-removed wine!

Not worth the price, not really an alternative for wine lovers exploring other options 

This is such a wonderful idea. Purchased for a pregnant friend who LOVES her wine and we planned to meet weekly to open the bottles. The flavours were complex, but too sweet in the first red. It felt like drinking Port. 

The second bottle of white was lovely. It reminded me of kombucha. And I would totally buy it again if it cost the same as kombucha, but for $30 a bottle,  I'l stick to kombucha.

Honestly such a cool idea and I'm sure the price is appropriate for the work involved, but just not that enjoyable. 

Improve mouthfeel and continue testing red proxies formulation.

I love wine but I also want to tone down my alcohol consumption. My sober curious quest led me to Acid League's compelling line of wine alternatives. 

I enjoyed their white wine alternative the most. It was refreshing and energizing and I emptied the bottle in 30 min. 

Alas, I'm mostly a red wine drinker and their red alts didn't do it for me. The viscosity of the liquid and the heavily meaty taste were too much for me. 

Also worth noting: these contain tea. If you're sensitive to caffeine like I am, it's best to avoid drinking these too close to bedtime. 

Cheers.

The rose and bubbly were our favourites, but it seems they are not always available. We found the reds were too much like juice. Also, you are unable to simply buy a few bottles, but instead have to choose from their set packs. Good idea, but hopefully they allow more customization in the future.

Love this idea and really loved the collaborations. But, gave up my subscription as there is no ability to customize what you want to order. This means that even if you do not love the reds, if you are part of the subscription, you have to receive 2-3 bottles of red. It would be great to be able to purchase only the bottles that you actually want to drink. At around $30/bottle, it is too costly to have to purchase bottles that you won't drink. 

Love the product, would be great to see wider availability

Such a great product. I love de-alconated wine, but this takes a fresh new spin on it. Rather than trying to imitate the flavors of wine, Proxies create unique flavors that replicated the vibe of wine. 

Not in a million years would I ever compare this fruit juice concoction to wine. For the price, it’s laughable. Was so dissapointed. I want a refund! 

No thank you. Did not enjoy this liquid juice they try to compare to “wine”. Didn’t even finish a glass. 

I wish I had read more reviews before I purchased this swill. The attached video shows what it’s good for.

the perfect product for the moment when you want a glass of wine, but don't actually want to be drinking wine. proxies have a subtle, vegetal and fruity flavor that pairs deliciously with food. the packaging is stunning. highly recommend for hostess gifts, dinner parties, or just because.

Let me tell you about Proxies, the non-alcoholic drink that's rocking my taste buds! This stuff is seriously amazing.

First of all, the flavor selection is out of this world. They've got a range of unique and refreshing options that are perfect for any occasion. From zesty citrus blends to tantalizing herbal concoctions, Proxies has got your taste buds covered.

But what really sets Proxies apart is the quality of their ingredients. They use only the finest, natural ingredients to create these delicious drinks. No artificial flavors or weird chemicals here! Just pure goodness in every sip.

I love how Proxies manages to capture the essence of a great cocktail without any alcohol. It's like having a sophisticated drink without the hangover. Whether you're the designated driver or simply prefer to skip the alcohol, Proxies is the perfect companion.

Plus, the packaging is sleek and stylish. These bottles are Instagram-worthy, trust me. You'll feel like a trendsetter while sipping on your Proxies.

So, if you're looking for a non-alcoholic beverage that's bursting with flavor and made with love, look no further than Proxies. It's the ultimate drink for those who want to enjoy the party without the alcohol. Cheers to that!

I think Proxies is a great alternative to alcoholic wine. It has the look and taste of actual wine as well as a super cute bottle! They are so sweet as well, they donated a lot of product to an event of ours! Love them! 

I personally love the taste of Proxies non-alc wines. However, I will say you can't go into it expecting it to taste like wine. They're more of a ~complex juice~ with botanical notes and hints of spices. I love drinking them out of a fancy glass with some ice as a little sweet treat. And the bottles look so great with a big dinner spread - big fan. 