After Decades in Wine, Three Industry Veterans Decided Non-Alcoholic Wine Wasn't Good Enough Yet

SONOMA, CA — [JULY 27, 2026] — Mavrique today announced the launch of its inaugural collection: a 2025 Russian River Valley Chardonnay and 2025 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

Available direct-to-consumer nationwide, the new brand emerged from a question its founders couldn't shake after decades in the wine industry: Why had no one succeeded in creating an alcohol-removed wine that truly captured the character, complexity, and expression of fine wine?

As the non-alcoholic category grew, Huffman and Valois concluded that most producers were solving for the wrong thing. Too often, alcohol-removed wines begin with inexpensive base wines and rely on shortcuts in production, flavor manipulation, or carbonation to compensate for what is lost during dealcoholization. Mavrique was founded on a different belief: start with exceptional wine, then do the hard work required to preserve what makes it special.

Co-founder and COO Maggie Huffman built a 30-plus-year career spanning nearly every facet of winemaking — from vineyard operations and grower relations to production, supply chain, and executive leadership. Co-founder and CEO Rita Valois spent more than four decades leading strategy, operations, and transformation across consumer products and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic wine businesses, including leadership roles at Treasury Wine Estates.

As their own interest in non-alcoholic options grew, they became convinced consumers deserved wines crafted with the same care, rigor, and attention to detail as their alcoholic counterparts.

To bring that vision to life, Huffman and Valois partnered with acclaimed winemaker Nova Cadamatre, the first woman winemaker in the United States to earn the Master of Wine title. Together, they spent years evaluating exceptional California wines and every commercially viable dealcoholization technology before selecting California-based, woman-led Porifera Inc. Its pioneering forward osmosis process gently removes alcohol without heat, preserving the wine's natural aromas and flavors without the need for additives. In early tastings, several experienced winemakers were unable to identify the wines as alcohol-removed.

“We didn't set out to make a better non-alcoholic wine — we set out to make a great wine, period,” said Rita Valois, co-founder and CEO of Mavrique. “Every decision, from the vineyards we sourced from to the proprietary process we selected, was driven by a commitment to preserving flavor, aroma, and the experience of sharing a great bottle.”

The inaugural collection includes:

2025 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Expressive aromas of ripe tropical fruit, melon, pineapple, and Meyer lemon are accented by subtle oak spice notes of clove and cardamom. Aged in French oak, the wine delivers a crisp, bright finish with just 19 calories and 2 grams of sugar per serving. The wine earned a Bronze Medal at the 2026 International Non-Alcoholic Competition. $49.00/bottle.

2025 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Ruby-hued and elegant, the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir offers notes of red berries, violets, and baking spice alongside silky tannins and a long, ripe finish. Aged in French oak, it contains 28 calories and 3 grams of sugar per serving. In its competition debut, the wine earned a Silver Medal at the 2026 Sunset International Wine Competition. $54.00/bottle.

Mavrique wines are available individually — or as a two-bottle bundle for $99.00 — at MavriqueWines.com and can be shipped throughout the continental United States.

Because every occasion deserves a great bottle, Mavrique invites you to Celebrate Well!™

About Mavrique

Mavrique is a female-founded wine company dedicated to crafting alcohol-removed wines without compromising quality, flavor, or experience. Founded by wine industry veterans Rita Valois and Maggie Huffman and crafted by Master of Wine Nova Cadamatre, Mavrique combines decades of expertise with proprietary innovation to create alcohol-removed wines that honor the character, complexity, and expression of fine wine.

About Porifera

Porifera Inc. is a California-based, woman-led clean technology company specializing in advanced forward osmosis membrane systems for the food and beverage industry. Its proprietary non-thermal process preserves authentic flavor, aroma, and quality while minimizing the need for additives.