If you enjoy a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc and want to try a similar variety with a twist, consider a trip to the Torrey Holistic dispensary in San Diego, Calif. The shop is offering the world’s first ever cannabis-infused wine.
The weed wine, which is compliant with the state’s cannabis industry regulations, has no alcohol content, reports San Diego Entertainer Magazine. Legally, producers aren’t allowed to mix cannabis and alcohol. But the wine does offer the “pleasant, euphoric sensation” found in traditional wines because of the inclusion of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from marijuana.
The grapes used in the Rebel Coast Sauvignon Blanc are fermented similarly to that of regular wine, and the flavour is not greatly affected by the addition of THC. The Rebel Coast winemakers remove the alcohol and infuse the drink with THC, maintaining the subtle aroma of the wine. It’s described as “high acid, with bright citrus, and a crisp clean finish.”
It takes about 15 minutes for the drink to take effect, and consumers who enjoy more than one glass in a sitting won’t suffer from a hangover. Each glass has only 35 calories.
A bottle of the Rebel Coast Sauvignon Blanc has an estimated 20 mg of Sativa-dominant THC or approximately 5 mg per glass of wine. This is comparable to a similar sized bottle or glass of traditional Sauvignon Blanc. Both kinds make drinkers feel similar side effects after polishing off a glass.
“After one glass you won’t be thinking your couch is a hippo with short legs or anything,” the winery notes on its website. “Our goal is not to kill you after you’ve had a few glasses. The goal is to get giggly and naked with someone. We set out to mimic the experience you’d find with traditional wine; a couple glasses will put most people in a great place.”
The distributor, Torrey Holistics, received California’s first recreational dispensary license and is currently the only place (other than on the winery’s website) where you can purchase the Rebel Coast Sauvignon Blanc.
Cannabis-infused products have been growing in popularity due to the passing of marijuana legislation in various parts of the United States. It took a while for a company to produce cannabis-infused wine due to the complexity of developing a formula that doesn’t affect the wine’s flavour.
Rebel Coast is in the process of patenting its formula, and the winery is working on cannabis-infused Rosé wines and champagne. The Sauvignon Blanc is currently out of stock online. “Sorry, we are temporarily sold out for online sales,” the winery notes. “I guess we are more popular than we thought. The delicious Cannabis-Infused Sauvignon Blanc will be available for online purchase again in 60 days for $60.”
