A Better-for-You Wine for Your Holiday Celebrating?

Ever done a morning workout and though, man, I really should not have had that extra glass of wine last night?
Yeah, been there. Done that.

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Although there are health benefits to wine and beer, alcohol and workouts don’t exactly go together. (And there’s tons of research on why — see here.) A lot of that is because alcohol can dehydrate you, but it’s also partly because your body has to deal with an excess of calories/carbs and some impurities and sulfites, too.
But damn, I love wine. Like, LOVE good wine. And because, moderation, I still enjoy it on the reg.

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Yet when that 5:30 a.m. workout class rolls around, I can tell when I’ve had a glass or two the night before. I’m not quite as springy, fast or focused. It’s not the end of the world, but I’d certainly like to still enjoy my wine and have a great workout the next day.
Which is exactly how FitVine came to my life. (Well, technically, they emailed us to see if we wanted to try it, we agreed and then it arrived at FBE HQ, much to our delight.)

And I hear ya. “We crush grapes, you crush life” is a hella cute and awesome tagline, but do fit peeps really need a special wine? Is it really that different? Here’s what FitVine has to say about that:
“FitVine wines have higher antioxidants and no residual sugar, yielding less carbohydrates, calories and sulfites. The wines have no GMOs, are double filtered and cold stabilized to remove impurities and all of the grapes are pesticide free.” In fact, with no additives or residual sugar, the California wines are said to have one-third of the calories, carbs and sulfites of most wines. All, obviously, are dry.

Review: Trying FitVine Wine

Okay, cool. But how do they taste? I tried the Chardonnay ($15.99) first.

I found it be pretty oaky with creamy vanilla and some lemon and citrus. The beginning and middle is quite pleasant and full, but it ends a little wet doggy.
Up next, the Sauvignon Blanc ($17.99).

I liked this wine a lot more (but, also, Sauv Blancs is my fave white grape by far) than the Chardonnay. Sublte lemon and citrus and very crisp. It’s weird — I actually found this wine to feel like it was hydrating. I don’t think it actually was, but the taste was maybe so filtered that maybe a lot of the flavor came out? I’m not sure. I’ve never really had a wine with that charactersic before. I wouldn’t say it’s fantastic, but definitely an easy drinking table wine.
The final — and my fave — was the Cabernet Sauvignon ($15.99).

Full and round, this cab was a little spicy with hints of chocolate and coffee. Not overly fruit forward, it was really pleasant. I’d drink this any night of the week — even if I didn’t have a workout planned for the next morning.

Do They Really Work?

Which brings us to the final question. Do they work? And can you tell a difference in your workouts?
Yes! I did a MONSTER of a 90-minute workout the morning after having two glasses of the cab, and I felt totally and absolutely fine. I was really, really surprised. Normally two glasses of wine, especially a red, would have me feeling not on my A game. The white wines left me feeling good the next day, too, although, honestly for the taste of them, I’d rather just have a little less and go with one of my usual fave sauv blancs. (It’s kind of like having a light beer versus an IPA or a stout. Why cut taste or flavor? Just drink less of your fave and really enjoy it.)
But, yeah, there’s definintely something good happening with FitVine. Worth trying for yourself. (Looks like it’s currently sold on the East coast and Florida, plus online.) I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on them!
Let’s talk about wine the night before a workout. Do you notice a difference in your performance, too? —Jenn