DON'T TELL ME I CAN'T… …make virgin wine

A sobering reality check gave Bryony Orsborn an exciting new opportunity

- BESS BROWNING, KIM WILLIS

Resting my lips against the glass, I breathe in the gooseberry and quince aromas – the delectable scents of a dry, white wine. As I sip, it has the taste of a sauvignon blanc yet, unbelievably, is alcohol-free, and I’m proud to say it is all my own creation… I’ve come a long way in the past two and a half years.

In May 2018, I’d woken up fully dressed on the sofa, with a throbbing head, a dry mouth and grimacing at the lingering smell of white wine. As I heard my son, Riley, then 16, plod down the stairs and into the living room, I smoothed down my hairand plastered on a smile. ‘Mum, you were pretty drunk last night,’ he groaned, handing me a glass of water. The look on his face made my heart shatter – there was no doubt, he was embarrassed of me.