Let’s Raise a Glass to Non-Alcoholic Wines

Daniela Kovac is creating a Teetotaler community for wine connoisseurs who are in recovery and appreciate quality beverages

By Danijela Kovac

January 19, 2021

The past 10 years of my life have been, by far, the best I have experienced. The various recovery programs I participated in—along with complete abstinence of all mind-altering substances—have built the rock-solid foundation I needed to be able to live my life to the fullest and pursue my wildest dreams.

I do hope…to change the restaurant and hospitality industry by encouraging them to carry non-alcoholic options such as wine, beers and spirits. I think we deserve to have as many options as those who consume alcohol, don’t you think?”—Danijela Kovac, owner, Teetotaler Wines

I am, still to this day, in awe of what life has to offer, and I am enormously grateful.

You see, I wasn’t always like this. I lived in a state of fear, doubt and shame for many years. My addiction took me on a tumultuous rollercoaster ride that I had no control over and prevented any goodness or light from entering.

The weight of it all took its toll, and by the end, I was just a crumbling shell of who I was supposed to be. There really is no need to discuss the actual events that took place during my active addiction, as we all have our own experiences. I’m sure we can all agree and relate to the battery that addiction imposes on our mental and emotional states—and how excruciatingly hard it is to pull ourselves back up.

My Moment of Clarity

On July 7, 2010, I had a moment of heightened clarity and was able to witness my life as it was. I had had enough. I was tapped out. I was done—done allowing my addiction to control me.

That was the first day of the rest of my life. I chose a few different recovery methods; Alcoholics Anonymous was one of them. It was the 12-step program that built that rock-solid foundation, and it was within those rooms that hope and capability were instilled in me. I remember clearly standing in front of my AA community, accepting my one-year chip and realizing that I was capable. If I could stay sober for one year, I could really do anything. Since then, I have accomplished more in the past 10 years than I had the 35 previous years.

My Teetotaler Wine Dream

Over the past 10 years, I have wanted to create a space and destination where like-minded individuals can find information about the fabulous world of non-alcoholic beverages. So, I recently created The Teetotaler Guide to Good Food & Drinks. It is a quarterly publication and still in its infancy, but I do see great things happening with it.

Also, as a non-alcoholic wine connoisseur, which is where my passions truly lie, I have my own private label of non-alcoholic wines, Teetotaler Wines. It’s all about providing options to those of us who choose to not consume alcohol. I do hope over time and once we are out of this unimaginable moment in history, the pandemic, to change the restaurant and hospitality industry by encouraging them to carry non-alcoholic options such as wine, beers and spirits.

I think we deserve to have as many options as those who consume alcohol, don’t you think?

Danijela Kovac is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is the founder and owner of Teetotaler Wines. She is also the creator of the Teetotaler Guide to Good Food and Drinks.