For this Q+A, we spoke with Ehan and Vinay Kamat, the father and son team behind the new premium non-alc wine brand Domaine Kamat. For years, they were enamored with rich, textured Napa Cabs. When they stopped drinking booze, they set out to recreate the aroma, mouthfeel, and ritual of a full Napa Cab without alcohol. After years of experimentation with the help of viniculturalists, flavor scientists, and advanced sommeliers, they’ve landed on what they believe to be the winning formula. Here’s more about their journey.
“Shark Tank” fans may remember you as the duo behind SoleMender. Tell us a bit about your journey from inventing a medical device to entering the non-alcoholic beverage industry.
Ehan: It has definitely been a long road. After Solemender aired, I studied business and French at UC Berkeley. While in the Bay Area, I fell in love with the Napa Valley and remember late-night drives out to Yountville to celebrate the end of exams while still sticking to our shoestring college budgets. I soon got to know the area well and learned about the agricultural aspects of grape growing, which brought me back to growing up in the Midwest. With two parents who are physicians, we value health in our family. My parents stopped drinking alcohol years ago but still loved the experience that comes with an exceptional Napa Cab. I set out to create an authentic non-alcoholic Napa Cab with the aromas, texture, and grip of the original.
Vinay: Ehan grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri, but his grandparents lived in Southern Illinois, a short drive away and a rural area where corn and soybeans are predominantly grown. Growing up, he was enamored by his grandfather’s John Deere tractor. When Ehan told us he wanted to buy a vineyard property in Napa, we thought of the old saying about making a small fortune in the wine business. He then pitched us the idea of the non-alc Napa Cab, and we were all in! All entrepreneurs share the excitement of coming up with something that has not been done before, and we loved this novel idea.
How has your knack for invention influenced the development of Domaine Kamat? How do you approach the research and development phase when creating a new product?
Ehan: I am always a creator and maker at heart, so when we began, I decided to do a deep dive into how technology works. Having a basic general background in product development means we can build some prototypes. I took about a year to learn about and practice dealcoholization myself. Once we realized the complexity of removing alcohol from wine, we started working with one of the two companies that specialized in the process based in Sonoma County.
With R&D related to new products, I begin by educating myself on the current market and historical market, consulting with experts in the field and trying to actually create a prototype on my own to really learn what it takes.
Can you tell us about the process of sourcing ingredients for your beverages? How do you ensure they meet your premium standards?
Vinay: The prime directive of this company is authenticity. To have a high-quality dealcoholized wine, it is imperative that we start with an exceptional base wine sourced from Napa Cab grapes. As Napa Valley appellation wines are uncommon and limited in supply, we have to lean on our personal relationships, from neighboring vineyards to old friends, to secure quality base wines.
We have committed to only sourcing grapes and wines that are of the highest quality and exclusively from the Napa Valley AVA [American Viticultural Area]. To ensure that we only use quality wines, we have a series of tests (including our sommelier and post-dealcoholization testing) we do prior to bringing in new inventory.
What challenges have you faced in creating a non-alcoholic beverage that still offers a complex and satisfying flavor profile?
Ehan: The major challenge has been replicating the mouthfeel and texture of a Napa Cab. We spent the better part of the last two years running a series of experiments with our flavor scientist and sommelier to come up with an original yet refined solution for this problem. We believe our final formulation has come as close as humanly possible to the original.
What role does family tradition play in the business, especially given that you’re a father and son team?
Vinay: Our family is all about health and wellness. We have traveled the world seeking both physical and mental fitness, from meditating at the foothills of the Himalayas to going plant-based. We see Domaine Kamat as another extension of this wellness family culture. Ehan and I have been working on his businesses since he was twelve, so I see this as the latest iteration in our father/son partnership.
Ehan, you mentioned in your TED talk following a mantra of living without impossibility. How does this mantra guide you in this latest venture?
Ehan: From the beginning of this project, we were repeatedly told that it would be impossible to create a palatable non-alc Napa Cab. People cited everything from sourcing to food science to custom interest as reasons this project was not viable. Fighting through these opinions and authentically living our lives without the impossible is what helped guide us to the final wine we have today. It is truly our North Star in everything we do as a family.
How do you see the non-alcoholic beverage industry evolving, and what role do you hope Domaine Kamat will play in that evolution?
Vinay: I think the non-alc wine world will start to parallel traditional wines more closely. We are not closely aligned yet, due to the lack of aging as a part of non-alc wine-making. We see non-alc wines becoming more of a “daily drinker” versus a weekend or special occasion. We believe in the power of the ritual. People are now turning to non-alc wines as a viable alternative to traditional wines. We think that the two can succeed side by side in the future.
Is there anything exciting on the horizon for Domaine Kamat that you can share?
Ehan: We are very excited about our future vineyard and the development of our property in the Saint Helena AVA within the Napa Valley. We look forward to sourcing our own grapes for our non-alc products in the near future.
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Dry Atlas is your guide to the world of alcohol alternatives. We maintain the world’s largest directory of non-alcoholic spirits, wines, beers, and more to help you discover options you’ll love. We also publish High Spirits, the weekly newsletter that helps open-minded drinkers like you learn more about non-alc. Our goal is to demystify alcohol alternatives so you can navigate them with ease to pursue a happier, healthier life.
