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9 best non alcoholic wines for Dry January (and beyond)
Whether you’re after a red, white, rosé or sparkling vino, there’s an alternative option to suit
If anything was going to affect the way Briton’s drank alcohol, it was going to be a pandemic. But the picture didn’t exactly look how most would have expected. While more than a quarter of people drank more during lockdowns, more than one in three took active steps to manage their drinking. Some seven per cent stopped drinking entirely, according to Alcohol Change UK.
Tom Ward, founder of the online alcohol-free drinks shop Wise Bartender, saw his business grow 500 per cent “almost overnight” as people took a more flexible approach to drinking in the same way as some do to eating meat and veganism.
In the month of January, tens of thousands of people will go completely booze-free. Dry January – a campaign by Alcohol Change – encourages people to abstain from alcohol for the whole month in a bid to show it can make them feel better.
“There are so many benefits to reducing drinking or stopping altogether for a period of time,” Ward says. “Straight away people often sleep better, and they might notice improvements in their skin and hair and reductions in anxiety.”
While sodas and other soft drinks are fine, you may also want to try alcohol-free alternatives to your favourite tipple to get you through the month. Alcohol-free wine has historically been a challenge for producers who have been attempting to match the flavour of its boozy counterpart, says Ward.
However, wineries and producers have diversified and there have been some exceptional bottles coming onto the market. And we’ve found them for this round-up. Cheers to a fantastic dry January and beyond.
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How we tested
We gathered a range of alcohol-free (containing no more than 0.05% alcohol by volume, or ABV) and dealcoholised (with no more than 0.5% ABV) red, white, rosé and sparkling wines from around the world. There was plenty of swirling, sniffing and sipping as we tried each, noting the appearance, aroma and palate to help us rate our selection.
The best alcohol-free wines are:
- Best overall – Thomson & Scott noughty organic sparkling chardonnay: £8.98, Sippersdrinks.com
- Best rosé – Belle & Co alcohol-free sparkling rosé wine: £3.50, Amazon.co.uk
- Best Italian wine – La Gioiosa alcohol-free sparkling: £5, Groceries.morrisons.com
- Best German wine –Walt riesling lø: £8.80, Hometipple.com
- Best South American wine – Sinzero 2018 cabernet sauvignon: £9.49, Drydrinker.com
- Best French wine – Oddbird blanc de blanc: £9.95, Drinkspirited.co.uk
- Best fruity red – Carl Jung merlot red wine: £6.99, Alcoholfree.co.uk
- Best cava alternative – Vallformosa alcohol free cava: £7.29, Wisebartender.co.uk
- Best intensity – Oddbird merlot shiraz: £8.99, Amazon.co.uk
Thomson & Scott noughty organic sparkling chardonnay, 75cl
Best: Overall
- Rating: 10/10
- ABV: 0%
Beautifully rich and intense with effervescence, we’d gladly raise a glass of this alcohol-free sparkling chardonnay at any celebration. It’s light and tropical with bright flavours of pineapple and tart apple – and splendidly dry. We love that this wine is for everyone; it’s organic, vegan and halal certified and contains almost half the sugar of other non-alcoholic alternatives. The brand is also B Corp-certified, meaning it meets high environmental and social standards. This is the closest you’re going to get to a champagne without the alcohol.
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Belle & Co alcohol free sparkling rosé, 75cl
Best: Rosé
- Rating: 9/10
- ABV: 0%
A lively fizz, just the right amount of acidity and notes of zingy apple make this a delightfully fresh pale salmon rosé that casts our minds back to summer evening soirées. It’s a vibrant blend of premium green tea and non-alcoholic fermented grape juice, which results in a perfectly balanced palate. One of our testers is usually a boozy bubbly devotee but said she’d happily switch out her regular tipple for a glass of this rosé fizz for an evening of mindful drinking. This wine is also gluten-free, suitable for vegans and contains about a third of the calories of a typical sparkling wine at 28 calories per 125ml.
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La Gioiosa alcohol-free sparkling, 75cl
Best: Italian wine
- Rating: 8/10
- ABV: 0%
Coming from the northeastern Italian region of Veneto – home to the country’s famous fizz, prosecco – we had lofty expectations for this alcohol-free alternative. Appearances would tell you that it could do with a few more bubbles, but a sip defies that assumption as the fizz dances on the tongue for a surprisingly lively finish. We found it was more like an asti than a prosecco, not a bad thing at all. It hops between the boundaries of sweetness and acidity owing to its fruity palate, and we detected a slight hint of musk, making it a marvellous aperitif.
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Walt riesling lø, 75cl
Best: German wine
- Rating: 8/10
- ABV: 0.5%
Made using the white grape from the Rhine region, this pale straw number is an easy-drinking wine that has been dealcoholised – ideal for those taking part in Dry January. It has a potent aroma and is one of the sweetest we tasted in our round-up but still feels crisp and fresh, with notes of ripe pear.
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Sinzero 2018 cabernet sauvignon, 75cl
Best: South American wine
- Rating: 9.5/10
- ABV: 0.5%
This Chilean wine from Santiago is so deeply plum in colour it’s almost purple. Its intriguing aroma is earthy and heavy with dark fruits but almost without any suggestion of sweetness. The dryness is confirmed with a sip that uncovers a medium-bodied mouthfeel and more of those dark fruit flavours for an exceptional finish that is hard to come by in the alcohol-free wine world. This wine, which is aged for four months in French oak barrels, was brilliantly suited to our tester’s palate and the most authentic alcohol-free red wine we have tasted. Unfortunately, this one is out of stock, but the retailer notes that it will be back soon.
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Oddbird blanc de blanc, 75cl
Best: French wine
- Rating: 8/10
- ABV: 0%
This is the second Languedoc wine in our round-up, and it is equally elegant as the merlot shiraz we selected. Made from chardonnay grapes, it is almost as vibrant and delectable as a real deal French bubbly. But it is the 12 months of ageing in oak barrels that caught our attention because it leads to an extraordinarily well-rounded wine, lush with the flavours and aromas of fresh fruits and citrus, and just enough honey sweetness.
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Carl Jung merlot red wine, 70cl
Best: Fruity red
- Rating: 8.5/10
- ABV: 0.2%
We were surprised that the blackberry and black cherry palate of this wine did not equal saccharin sweetness. This medium-bodied ruby merlot, made with grapes from La Mancha in Spain, is the product of a century-old process for creating alcohol-free wine. Carl Jung Jnr came up with the idea of gently extracting the alcohol at room temperature using a vacuum technique, which was patented in 1907. The aromas are collected separately and reintroduced for a stunning bouquet that belies the alcohol content. This wine is tremendous when paired with a mushroom dish or a roast.
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Vallformosa alcohol free cava, 75cl
Best: Cava alternative
- Rating: 8.5/10
- ABV: 0%
If Spanish fizz is your thing, this alcohol-free bottle will be right up your street. Pale straw in colour and suitably effervescent, it’s delicate, fresh and crisp with an excellent balance of sweetness from tropical fruit flavours such as mango. Be sure to stock up before your next fiesta and pair with tapas for pure Catalan vibes. Vallformosa’s cava is sunshine in a bottle.
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Oddbird merlot shiraz, 75cl
Best: Intensity
- Rating: 9/10
- ABV: 0%
France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region is known for producing some of the best wines in the world, and this alcohol-free organic bottle is no different. Its vivid ruby hue promises – and delivers – dark berry, cherry and plum flavours that linger without too much sweetness. Ageing for 12 months gives a superb depth and a full-bodied mouthfeel. This wine is an outstanding must for long evenings with good company and an excellent cheeseboard. This one is temporarily out of stock, but we expect it’ll be back soon.
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The verdict: Alcohol-free wines
Thomson & Scott’s noughty organic sparkling chardonnay filled us with pure joy. Its similarity to champagne is astonishing and it’s perfect for popping open on any occasion, celebration or not. The lively, tropical and flawlessly dry characteristics secured its position as our top pick of the round-up. Those looking for a booze-free alternative to red wines could do no better than with the deeply fruited and oaky Sinzero 2018 cabernet sauvignon. And we loved Belle & Co’s alcohol-free sparkling rosé for its refreshing crispness.
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