When people like the original poster say they're looking for an
alcohol-free substitute, they can have 2 reasons in mind. They might be
thinking of health and nutrition concerns, or they might be thinking of
religious issues.


If it is a matter of health and nutrition, I'm glad to point out that
the alcohol evaporates out during cooking so they have nothing to worry
about. I get interested in exactly how much alcohol is left and how
that compares with amounts in vanilla extract or bread.


But if the underlying reason is religious, I have to stop and assume the
person knows the tenets of his/her religion better than I do. I'm sure
it doesn't make sense to me, but I'm not here to point out that I think
their religion is senseless. Pointing out that the alcohol evaporates
out of the wine would be like pointing out that there's no pork left on
the dish after it has been washed. They know that.

--Lia