Meet Starla, The Non-Alcoholic Wine Made For Foodies And Wine Connoisseurs Alike

After the decision to place a greater emphasis on “being good to [her]self,” Dawn Maire began to make conscious decisions to take better care of her health. Of course, this meant the usual — workout routines, healthier cooking, more passion projects… but what this also meant was less wine. Maire quickly realized the inevitable — that there aren’t really many options for non-alcoholic wines that were actually good.

After setting on a mission to find a delicious glass of wine without the buzz, she discovered that this consumer — the one looking for worth while wines sans alcohol — was being neglected. Maire also found out that the industry of non-alcoholic wine is both convenient and lucrative. Why? It offers a use for unwanted grapes and there’s a huge demographic looking for it.

Enter: Starla, a delicious, non-alcoholic wine that’s not only good on its own, but meant to be paired with food, just as any normal wine would be.

Through much research and experimentation, what she found was that when you remove the alcohol from wine, you also take with it body and flavor.

“Drawing on a lifetime passion of cooking, I created new wine making techniques by introducing natural herbs and botanicals into the process,” explains Maire. “By using only the finest aromatics I was also able to craft a luscious full-bodied wine with a fraction of calories, sugar and carbs – and of course, none of the alcohol. In all, I vinified three exceptional varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling Rose, and a Red Blend, each one with a signature floral nose.”

Upon perfecting Starla wines, Maire soon tapped her good friend, serial entrepreneur and now Co-founder, Jamie Coulter to help with the branding of Starla.

We chatted with Dawn Maire, Founder and CEO, Starla Wines, on this unique wine, food pairings and more. Here’s what she had to say.

How did the idea for this nonalcoholic, no sugar wine come about? Was there a catalyst in you deciding to go for it and turn this idea into a fully-fledged business?

The idea for Starla began as I decided to get healthier and stop drinking. I adore wine and tried every non-alcoholic wine on the market. There was precious little to choose from and what I found was more like a juice and filled with calories, carbs, and sugar. When I couldn’t find any I liked, I decided to create my own.

Talk about the flavor profile of your wines. Is it different due to the lack of sugar and alcohol?

Our flavor profiles are carefully and thoughtfully produced with our customers in mind. Understanding that women drink and buy more wine than men and lead the NA movement, we knew our primary consumer was women focused on wellness and living a healthy lifestyle.

The biggest challenge in creating a non-alcoholic wine is to create something authentic and delicious. When you remove the alcohol, you take with it all of the flavor, complexity, and body. As a lifelong cook, the challenge of creating flavor and complexity was one I was ready for, and I instinctively knew the answer was in my herb garden.

By introducing herbs, I was able to create sophisticated and delicious wines worthy for pairing, serving, and sipping. Botanicals in place of sugar adds the layers and structure needed without the extra calories or carbs. Starla is premium California wine each with a hint of aromatics: French Lavender and Thyme in the Red Blend, Rosemary and Honeysuckle in the Sauvignon Blanc, and Gardenia and Strawberry Blossom in the Sparkling Rose.

Let’s talk about wine and food pairings. What pairs best with your wines?

Crafting delicious pairings with food and wine is one of the greatest gifts to humankind. As a wine lover and a bit of foodie, I had two do-not-pass-go initiatives in creating Starla: 1) Starla needed to be delicious in the glass on its own and 2) Starla had to pair brilliantly with food. I am proud to say, both were met.

Each award-winning wine has its own merits. Our Sparkling Rosé is lovely with fruits, blue stilton cheese, or salty, fatty, hot crisp French fries. I love our Red Blend with spicy tacos, olives, lentils or tomato sauces or an indulgent medium rare NY Strip steak.

The Sauvignon Blanc is super yummy with creamy brie cheeses, poached shrimp or a briny friseé and grapefruit salad. Just like traditional wine, you can choose food items that both complement or contrast Starla’s aromas and flavors to create the best pairings!

What are your general tips on wine and food pairings? Do you have your go-tos?

I say eat and drink what you like, however; because food changes the wine experience so dramatically, keep an open mind! You may not normally be a red wine drinker, but with the right pairing, you may find that you enjoy reds more than you thought.

Our Red Blend always works with spicy flavors. The Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with veggies, and the Sparkling Rosé is an ideal match with fatty foods because the acidity and carbonation help cleanse the palate and complements richer flavors. I personally love the combo of snacking and sparkling: chips, popcorn, or mixed nuts. The Sparkling Rosé is only 5 calories a glass, so it makes for the perfect guiltless snack pairing.

What’s in the works for Starla?

Starla isn’t just a product, it’s a lifestyle focused on feeling your best and living your most radiant life. Every image, post, promotion and copy point is designed to reflect living radiantly and how amazing your life can be with less alcohol. We hear daily how much customers LOVE Starla, how we are helping them cutback, and how great they feel with less alcohol (and regret) in their diet.

Next for Starla is the opportunity to expand our footprint, platforms, and mission: new distributors, physical retail placement, Amazon expansion, and influencer and celebrity partnerships. We are also developing smaller bottle formats and an amazing Sparkling Chardonnay launching soon!