Because I have written about wine regularly for the last 50 years (or more), you can probably assume that I do not observe dry January.

The idea of a full month sans booze has only been with us for a few years. I believe it developed as the result of a lot of Jan. 1 hangovers after New Year's Eve bashes in which over-consumption seemed widespread. Most drinkers have experienced the symptoms of excessive alcohol ingestion; it's not fun.

And although several dozen "remedies" or strategies for avoiding hangovers have been developed over centuries, I haven't found one that works. The best strategy is to attend all festive functions with the strategy that you will reduce consumption to a sane level and consume an equal amount of water.

Going an entire month without any alcohol at all is easiest for certain people.

Regular Abstainers: They have no difficulty with Dry January because they don't drink any other time of the year in the first place!

Infrequent Alcohol Consumers: They may miss the occasional glass of wine or a beer with a hot dog, but since they probably won't miss it, going 30 days without any alcohol poses little inconvenience.

Regular Wine Lovers: This is where the major awkwardness usually occurs. These people, like me, can't imagine a dinner without a sip of vini frumenti.

Alcoholics: I seriously doubt whether anyone in this category has even heard of Dry January, and if they had, they could not participate; most are likely addicted.

Drinking less total alcohol is easier today than ever, in part because major wine companies have devoted scientific research into the development of some quality, low alcohol, and zero alcohol products.

Although low- and no-alcohol beverages have been with us for decades, only recently have they become good enough to drink. Technology has proven beneficial in this area.

Today, we have a few new alternatives. Nonalcoholic wines (often listed as "alcohol-removed") have recently been developed by several wine companies. In general, the best that I have tasted tend to be white wines; a couple are also made in the style of a traditional rose.

For the most part, however, red wines that have no alcohol have generally been rather woeful substitutes for real red wine character.

Some of the best low alcohol products I have ever tasted are German Rieslings. Many with only 7% alcohol are not only typical of the way they have always been made, but they work beautifully with lots of the lighter dishes that we prepare as part of a healthy diet, including seafood, vegetarian options and soups.

Several wine companies from New Zealand have developed low-alcohol versions of Sauvignon Blanc, and one of the best I have tasted includes our wine of the week, which has no alcohol and relatively fascinating flavors.

Wine of the Week: Giesen Delcoholized Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand ($13) — The aroma of this product is vaguely like Sauvignon Blanc, which makes it far more interesting than so many other zero-alcohol efforts. Also, the wine is quite dry. It certainly is not as good as most serious SBs. It has 6% actual grape juice and is a fascinating substitute for people who cannot consume alcohol.

To find out more about Sonoma County resident Dan Berger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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