Patricia Heaton launched a new venture earlier this year: a brand of non-alcoholic wine called Solubrae. But the inspiration behind it comes from a real moment in the Everybody Loves Raymond star's life.
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Patricia Heaton Said the Moment Left Her "Mortified"
As reported by Parade, Heaton has been sober for eight years. And while the 68-year-old doesn't label herself an alcoholic, there was a moment when she realized she had a problem with drinking.
One night, Heaton was playing board games with her four sons and some friends. During the game, she had trouble saying a certain word.
"I couldn't pronounce the word 'tradition,'" she said. "I tried three times. My youngest son said, 'That's great, Mom. You can't even speak.'"
Heaton was taken aback by the moment. "I was so mortified, completely mortified," she said.
The Moment Was the Answer to a Prayer
Despite how that moment made Heaton cringe, it was serendipitous. The day before, she had been thinking about how much she drank.
The actress explained, "I sent up this thought prayer, and I'm like, 'You know, God, I think I want to quit drinking. I will never be able to quit drinking. I love Maker's Mark Old Fashioneds too much. But I think you want me to quit drinking, and I'd be willing to do it, but you have to make it happen, because I can't.'"
She took that embarrassing moment with her children as a sign that her prayer had been answered.
"I'm like, 'Well, thanks for answering that prayer in record time, God,'" said Heaton with a laugh. "'You know how to make it happen.'"
Heaton noticed the benefits of sobriety, such as more energy, better sleep, and clearer skin. Still, she missed the social side of drinking. That's why she created Solubrae.
"I tried a lot of NA (non-alcoholic) wines, and they were either very thin, flat, or they tasted like grape juice," Heaton said. "And so I thought, there's got to be a way to do this."
Unlike other NA wines, Solubrae is made in California. The alcohol is removed through a gentle, cold-temperature process. Right now, the company offers a white wine called Daylight and a rosé named Sundown.
