Ahead of their time, Proxies are redefining the wine occasion

Proxies is probably the most controversial brand in the non-alcoholic drinks category, but also the most misunderstood. Imbibers either love it or hate it, and are always ready to be vocal about their opinion of the Canadian-made ‘not wine’ bottles. If you know, you know.

For the most part people generally don’t realise Proxies are not trying to be wine, because their range of drinks comes in wine bottles with a cork. This often throws people, but as brand manager Peta Suzanne Oshry explained, “we like to say we’re a good fit for every wine occasion, but not wine.” This ultimately means the complex, elevated flavours of Proxies are often best enjoyed with food.

As such, I had the good fortune to attend a 5-course tasting dinner with Proxies and Peter Pan Bistro in Toronto to see this put to the test. Each course from the menu was customised to complement a different Proxie so guests would be able to experience the full range of red, white and sparkling.

I was luckily seated next to Proxies winemaker Devin Campbell. Besides bonding over rare Portuguese grape varietals, I was able to get his first-hand POV into just how much work goes into making Proxies. Because Proxies was an early innovator in the space, they’ve worked through hundreds of formulations and listened to feedback from 30,000 customers to continue developing liquids that people will want to drink.

“We didn’t really know what we were doing back then, since we were kind of the only ones developing this type of product. We just kept working on iterations of things and finding the combinations of ingredients and flavours that taste good,” said Campbell. One important turn of events has been the removal of vinegars from the ingredients list. “Vinegars add great texture and weight to a liquid, but it was hard to put that on the label. People would see it and be slightly turned off expecting it to taste like vinegar - even when it didn’t.”

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Proxies was recently rewarded with the top Food & Beverage Innovator Award from Canadian Business magazine, a great indication that people are paying attention to both the non-alcoholic beverages category and the changemakers. But despite the accolades, there is still a need to help consumers understand what Proxies are and how to drink them which brings us back to the dinner table.

The 5-course meal and tasting began with their newest release Fizz, which is an elegant bubbly liquid that dances on the tongue, with enough acidity to cut through the salty anchovy and vinaigrette reduction of the first course. It was a nice introduction to the idea that liquids other than traditional sparkling wine can cleanse the palette and kick off an elegant dinner.

A great proof point for Proxies was the lamb course, paired with their Red Ember bottle. If anything can emulate the perfect fine dining and wine pairing, this is it. Campbell created a big, bold wine he says can stand up to lamb or other red meats.

“This is the bolder of our two core reds, with dark fruits and really bold aromatics like black peppercorn and french oak, paired with a heavy black tea base to provide the tannins and structure you need to cut through fatty meat.”

The star of the show was their newest collaboration with Dominique Crenn called Pétanque, named for the game the infamous Iron Chef played as a child in France. Campbell and Crenn made almost a dozen formulations until they got this version just right, and it shows. The liquid is unbelievably unique and was such a surprise on the palette that I was almost overwhelmed by its excellence. Yuzu, kiwi, oolong and verjus are only a few of the highlights, expertly and maybe a little oddly matched with a lavender lava cake.

Campbell himself said he was enjoying the full experience, even though he drinks Proxies almost every day.

“I’m usually behind the scenes working on production so to see them out in the real world, and to see people enjoying them in a restaurant setting is super cool.”

Upon reflection of the whole experience, it’s clear Proxies are in a league of their own and continuing to innovate at a level that not many other non-alcoholic brands are doing. They’re not only developing good things to drink, but developing a completely new ethos about what we imbibe on for pleasure. What it means to be a non-drinker, or drinking less, is changing and morphing and Proxies is already way out ahead. The proof is in the pudding, or actually, the lava cake.

You can order your own set of Proxies at drinkproxies.com. Just make sure you’re thinking beyond the wine bottle and onto the plate.

Cheers!