Wine O’clock, but make it Mindful!
“can you recommend a decent alcohol-free wine alternative?!”
It’s everybody’s favourite time, and according to popular culture it can seemingly be… anytime?! From bubbles at brunch, to wine at lunch, Aperitivo, dinner, after dinner… good days, bad days- ok, you get the picture! It’s not surprising that: A) those who report wanting to reduce their drinking, often associate increased consumption with one too many glasses of weekly wine B) what we hear the most from mindful drinkers is “can you recommend a decent alcohol-free wine alternative?!”
Of all the “non-alcoholic” categories, wine replacement has been the most challenging; for a long time, the alternatives just weren’t meeting our expectations and satisfying our palate and drinking experience. Understandable, as the craft of wine-making has been honed & perfected over thousands of years, while the technology (and increased demand) for dealcoholizing wine is fairly new. Well, rest assured this is changing and we are excited to report that some great wine alternatives are coming to your fridge! In this article, we will take you through the best options on today’s market: from alcohol-free wines; to natural wine for those who wish to occasionally imbibe; plus, amazing alternatives that aren’t technically wine, but can really be great for that wine o’clock moment (whichever time or occasion that might be!)
Wine Replacments
For those who want to skip the science & start imbibing… jump ahead to the next section, you scamps! However, if you’re interested in the process of dealcoholisation/ why AF wine is suddenly so damn delicious- read on. First up, why “non-alcoholic wine” was a tougher nut to crack than- say, alcohol-free beer… The answer is down to the naturally higher ABV (that’s volume of alcohol present) in wine. Naturally, if you’re removing a higher percentage of something- anything- you are more likely to affect the flavour! Proceeding from this, legally, there is no such thing as “non-alcoholic wine”! A liquid must have 8% ABV to carry that moniker (although there are a few exceptions to the rule, confusingly.) What we do have, is four terms for wine-based drinks of 1.2% ABV & under, which you Healthy Hedonists may recognise:
Low Alcohol: 1.2% or less
De-Alcoholised: alcohol removed, no more than 0.5% ABV
Alcohol-Free: alcohol removed, no more than 0.05% ABV
All of the recommendations (asides natural wines) in this article are ALCOHOL FREE. So, the alcohol has been removed. How do they do this? Well, there are two methods… but we’ll try not to get too nerdy. The first is using reverse osmosis (points if you can remember this from school!) Smaller alcohol & water particles pass through a membrane, while larger flavour molecules are left behind. The water & alcohol can then be separated (for example, through steam distillation), then the water reunited with those delicious flavour particles- happy days! The same result can be achieved by gently heating the wine, then using steam or nitrogen to carry away the alcohol. This is called water vapour, or gas-stripping.
Both techniques do have minor compromises on flavour, but there are many ways to account for this- such as adding concentrated grape must (sugar) to replace mouthfeel, or blending in other flavours/ ingredients such as tea & botanicals. It’s this part that the following brands have got exceptionally good at!
Enough science! On to the fun part…
Our Recommendations:
Three Spirit Blurred Vines
One of our favourite alcohol-free spirit companies have only gone and launched a DELICIOUS alcohol-free wine. YES PLEASE. Created by winemakers & plant scientists for new rituals beyond alcohol, Blurred Vines are alt wines. Using functional ingredients, ethically sourced plants, and innovative fermentation methods, they are created drinks for celebration! Find out more
NOUGHTY
A really good quality alcohol-free sparkling dry & rosé. At La Maison Wellness we strongly endorse both of their current offerings; plus, they have something exciting and new on the horizon! Find out more
ODD BIRD
Our founder Camille was recently introduced to the brand and fell in love with it! Their alcohol-free Spumante is a great alternative to prosecco, while the sparkling rosé is light & elegant. Our stand-out is their red wine though! A classic, light Pinot and Merlot blend; with a long finish and some amazing tannins and complexity. Find out more
Alt Drinks
Same here! Some seriously good alcohol-free sparkling wine both dry & rosé. Find out more
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Wild Life Botanicals
AKA the #bubbleswithbenefits (and a key ingredient in many of our Mindful Cocktails). A beautiful alcohol-free sparkling wine mixed with a blend of adaptogens, vitamins and minerals- to help you relax fully. Find out more
“NOT WINE” But Ticks the Boxes!:
It doesn’t have to be called wine to create the same feeling of occasion! What’s important is great flavour, a beautiful serve and of course- the moment!
REAL Kombucha
made from high quality teas with no added fruits or flavouring. Brewed and fermented tea that is simply delicious! A great alternative to bubbles for a special occasion.
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Copenhagen Sparkling Tea
Absolutely delightful and so well made, with an amazing complexity and structure. The tannins in tea are comparable to those in wine- a different flavour experience, but just as pleasurable!
Natural Wine:
For those of you moderate mindful drinkers that want to imbibe occasionally, we would highly recommend looking into natural wines that are kinder to the body and the planet. Here in the UK, we love Little Wine Co. for organic, low intervention & natural wine with carbon neutral delivery!