Dubai Produces World's First Halal Wine

Just think of it as grape juice--with pretensions:

CAIRO – Responding to demands of the Gulf Emirate luxurious residents, a Dubai company has announced the launch of the world’s first ever “halal” fizzing wine that includes a “24-carat edible gold leaf” with zero alcohol.

Lussory Gold is “an alcohol-removed halal sparkling wine” – and that the gold leaf “rises and falls in rhythm with the wine’s bubbles,” Lootah Premium Foods was quoted by Emirates 24/7 newspaper.

The wine, from the vineyards of La Mancha, Spain, is “made in the exact same way as regular wine or champagne,” the food and drink firm said.

“Lussory is a 100 per cent halal product with 0.0 per cent alcohol content.”

Islam takes an uncompromising stand in prohibiting intoxicants. It forbids Muslims from drinking or even selling alcohol...

The world would be far better off if Islam permitted believers a glass or two of Shiraz now and then. It might go a long way to obviating a far more dangerous intoxicant: fanatical, supremacist religious teachings.