MUSLIMS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A Note To Our Fellow Muslims 

Salam everyone.

Halal Wine Cellar as a name can sound shocking to many people. We can understand the confusion because we know alcohol can never be Halal. Halal Wine Cellar isn't here to portray a message of Halal "alcohol;" we are here to stray people away from alcoholic drinks while offering real non-alcoholic wine and spirit options.

We condone those who will drink our non-alcoholic (0.0%) wines and pretend as if they are drunk because that is not our purpose or intention.

Like various skin colors, there are many different kinds of wants, interests, and desires. Our environment can affect those thoughts and actions, and we understand certain temptations or pressures that can run across some minds living in Western society.

Halal Wine Cellar was made for anyone who wants to stay away from alcohol but is tired of the same non-alcoholic options and feels like the odd ones out. 

What choices do we really have? Soda, juice, sugary mocktails? Well, they are great to drink, but they offer the same experience each time. With wine, every bottle tastes different due to the vast varieties of wine grapes, and every bottle also tastes different each year because the taste of the wine depends on the climate matter. 

You get to enjoy so many health benefits of the product and the gastronomic experience of pairing wine with food. 

You get an elevated, elegant experience without any compromise!

Our purpose is to provide an alternative to alcoholic drinks. We aim to prevent Muslims and transition non-Muslims from drinking alcohol and provide real options. 

Culturally in the West and many parts of the world, drinking alcohol has become a norm. It influences society as well as many Muslims along its destructive path. However, as the world is slowly transitioning into a more health-conscious environment, the negative effects of alcohol are starting to be more considered, whether spiritually, emotionally or physically.

Halal Wine Cellar is bringing true wines that are all completely alcohol-free. Whether you were curious about wine, couldn't find an alternative to a good glass of wine, or were recommended wine for your health but couldn't consume it due to alcohol, you have a choice!

Our goal is not to mimic the taste of alcohol but to offer you the real taste of wine with no alcohol while also offering a healthy and delicious beverage with a number of varieties, benefits, and food pairing options. In the same way that CBD is Halal, because it contains no active ingredient that can cause intoxication, so too are Halal Wines.

We respect many of your viewpoints, but please be reassured that our intentions are pure and well-intended. If you feel uncomfortable with the product, we respect your decision to avoid it.

We do not consider this to be a gateway to alcohol. Individuals have their own choices and intentions. 

If someone drinks non-alcoholic wines and still wishes to become intoxicated, by drinking alcoholic wine that is their choice. The person will eventually end up drinking alcohol if that is their decision. They are not set on whether it is non-alcoholic wines, mocktails, or sparkling apple cider. They were merely looking for an excuse other than themselves to blame. 

Everyone is responsible for their actions, whether they realize it or not. If you feel a product like this will be a gateway for you then that is your mental ability. It is not right for you to pass judgment on others who feel different.

If the gateway is actually the ideology, does consumption of Halal Bacon put a bridge between you and eating pork? For many, most likely not. 

There is a lot of controversy surrounding what we call our brand, Halal Wine Cellar. The word “wine” was used as an example of alcohol in Islamic writings. Although beers, liquor, and other intoxicants are not specifically mentioned in the Qur'an, we know it's haram given its alcoholic/intoxication context. Any beverage that does not contain alcohol cannot be haram since it contains no intoxicant.

Since it is made as wine, we call it wine. We cannot sell dealcoholized wines as juices. That would be misleading for the process and those interested in knowing what they are actually drinking. 

We refer to it specifically as Halal Wine since not all non-alcoholic wines are Halal. Most markets sell non-alcoholic wines with a percent alcohol content of <0.5%, while all of our products are 0.0%, making our wines Halal. With our name, you don't have to worry about whether the products you consume are Halal or Haram.

We understand some people are still conflicted about the name, as wine has only been associated with alcohol for years. However, with the growing trend of people opting for nonalcoholic beverages, wines, beers, and spirits are now all being produced without alcohol.

We are working to break the stigma and association of alcohol with the word wine.

Several ways - from the process to the taste to even the type of grapes used. 

The processes of juice-making and wine-making are entirely different. Typically, juices are made from concentrate and involve only a few steps with a lot of added products such as sugar and preservatives, and then just pasteurized. 

Our Wines are sourced from the best wineries in Spain, France, Italy, undergo fermentation, aging, filtration, testing etc. There are no added sugars or heavy preservatives. 

Simply looking at the calories, carbs, sugar content from juice vs wines will nutritionally show the difference between the products. 

Juices typically have 120+ calories, 30+grams of carbs, 30+grams of sugar per serving. Our wines are 12+ calories, 3.5+grams of carbs, 3.5+ grams of sugar per serving.

A wine's aging process results in many different notes and flavors. That is why nonalcoholic wines are not called juice because they aren't.

Yes, all the products we offer are 0.0% ABV. Most of the products are also Halal Certified by internationally recognized organizations. 

We do not sell any products that are <0.5% or "low alcohol." We are the filter between 0.0% and <0.5% products.

The real question is, what is unethical about it? We are not here to encourage intoxication. We live in a free society where people have options to decide for themselves as they always have whether they want to try something or not; real options do not go against people's faith/beliefs.

In the case of imitating "kuffar," there are numerous examples depending on the individual. Consumption of many things in western society can be labeled as imitating kuffar. Think about it.

There are many schools of thought, some more conservative or progressive than others. There is no right or wrong school of thought. We have confirmed everything via scholars and put our trust in them, just like many of our followers and customers have.

Not everything is for everyone. If you feel uncomfortable, we respect that, and we shouldn't judge others based on our personal beliefs and assumptions about our faith. Allah knows best.

It's not about imitating kuffar (disbelievers) because that is perspective. There are small and big things each person does every day that can fall under that category. 

YES. It all comes down to intentions, similar to everything else in life. For example, if you have the wrong intentions and you intend to drink this to "act drunk" (because this won't do it, since there is no alcohol), then this product is not "Halal" for you, along with many other things you might be doing in life already. Your intention is haram.

Nevertheless, if you drink to experience something new, something different, something healthy, and it is considered Halal (permissible), it is Halal for you.

Your intention is what matters the most. Again this applies to everything, not just 0.0% wines. 

Some people live in constant fear, guilt, and regret towards God, while others live in love, peace, and happiness. We must decide what path we want to follow while adhering to Islam. Religion is meant to bring ease to life, not obstacles.

Certification of a Halal product involves many components. Generally, non-international organizations aren't willing to travel outside their country to certify a Halal product. Our products are from Europe and European Islamic Organizations are the ones who certify our wines currently. Please keep in mind these certificates are what are used as reference throughout the world to sell in countries like Europe, USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and more.

We are importers,distributors, retailers of the products, not the manufacturer. Organizations go to manufacturers to observe and test the entire process. 

If you are an American Islamic Organization interested in certifying these products, please contact us at info@halalwinecellar.com