Several months ago, I started exploring non-alcoholic wines. I was curious about discovering an alcohol-free drink that might be a little bit more interesting tasting than sparkling water.
The more I researched and experimented in this area, the more I realized how useful and time-saving this information might be for you as well.
Whether you’re pregnant, the designated driver or simply prefer to be sober some of the time or all of the time (I’m not of the view that anyone needs an excuse to not drink alcohol) – this post is for you!
Non-alcoholic wine is not new, but its popularity is growing and with the heightened consumer interest, greater time and attention is being invested in improving the processes by which it’s created; for makers who are genuinely committed to this process, the result is better tasting, higher quality non-alcoholic wine and an overall enhanced sensory experience.
What is Dealcoholized Wine
Dealcoholized wine (or non-alcoholic wine) starts out as a fully fermented wine, just like traditional wine, before having its alcohol removed. The fermentation process is important in non-alcoholic wines in order to preserve as many characteristics as possible to traditional wine — otherwise you’re left drinking expensive, and in some cases bad tasting, grape juice.
Makers typically remove the alcohol using one of three methods: vacuum distillation (thin-film evaporation); reverse osmosis or spinning cone columns.
Why Is It So Hard to Find Good-Tasting Non-Alcoholic Wine?
The process of creating quality tasting non-alcoholic wine is tricky. Removing the alcohol itself isn’t the challenging part — though it does involve extra labour and expensive machinery — the bigger challenge is recreating the aroma, mouthfeel and body of the wine, once the alcohol is removed.
Although ethanol, the alcohol in wine, does not have a distinct flavor, it does have a certain mouthfeel and weight. The more alcohol, the ‘heavier’ the wine typically feels which contributes to a sense of roundness and that full-bodied experience we crave.
The art and nuance of dealcoholized wine is in calibrating the beverage once the alcohol is removed to bring back some of that aroma, mouthfeel and body without adding excessive sugar or artificial flavors. The wine essentially has to be reconstructed to resemble the familiar aroma, taste and sensation of the wines we know and love.
This process, or formula, is still very much under discovery but the exciting news is that an increasing number of makers are taking this craft seriously and investing the necessary R&D to make a qualitative difference and those are the ones I want to highlight today.
How Much Alcohol Is in Traditional Wine?
The amount of alcohol in wine (aka: ethanol) is measured in alcohol by volume (ABV). ABV is the amount of ethanol in a given volume of liquid, expressed as a percentage, and is the global standard of measurement.
- The ABV of standard (unfortified) wine ranges from about 5.5% to 16%, with an average ABV around 12%
- In general, red wines tend to have more alcohol than white wines (to balance the intensity of the tannins)
Does Dealcoholized Wine Really Contain 0% Alcohol?
The term Dealcoholized wine Is legally defined as wine that contains no more than 0.5% ABV which is — hold for it — about the same amount OR LESS than the amount of alcohol that naturally occurs in fruit juice.
Yes, that’s right, fruit juices (and other common pantry goodies — bananas, bread, bakery products…) contain alcohol (ethanol), a natural byproduct of fruit sugar fermentation by yeast. The presence of alcohol in every day beverages and foods can be quite surprising. I’ve linked a study that reviews the alcohol content of a wide range of fruit juices and foods; this study measures the alcohol contained per 100g of various fruit juices/foods where 1g of alcohol per 100g equals 1% ABV: Estimates of Ethanol Exposure in Children from Food not labeled as alcohol-containing.
Here is a snapshot of some of the key findings:
| Beverage/Food | ABV | |
| Grape Juice | 0.29% – 0.86% | |
| Apple Juice | 0.06% – 0.66% | |
| Orange Juice | 0.16% – 0.73% | |
| Wheat Rolls | 0.14% | |
| Wheat and Rye bread | 0.29% | |
| Burger Rolls (American style) | 1.28% | |
| Banana (ripe) | 0.02% | |
| Banana (very ripe, peel with dark areas) | 0.04% | |
| Pear (ripe) | 0.04% |
*please see linked study for details
A Growing Market ~ What to Watch For
As consumer preferences shift, global sales of non-alcoholic wines are expected to continue to grow with some market research firms projecting exponential growth over the next decade.
Consumers are looking for the full experience — aromatic, delicious tasting (and looking) options that are not filled with additives to compensate for the absence of alcohol. As a bonus, consumers also appreciate that the calorie content in dealcoholized wine is significantly lower than alcoholic wines. Greater awareness of ingredient sourcing also means that organic options will continue to grow as makers pivot to meet consumer demand — all of which is good news for our bodies and our planet!
On the flip side, this rapidly expanding market will also likely see the emergence of more players entering the field who may not have the same level of dedication to high-quality, health-conscious, wine excellence. Preservatives play a different role but a skilled winemaker should not have to use excessive sugar or artificial ingredients to create flavor, so that’s something to watch for when reading labels.
As dealcoholized wines continue to grow in popularity, they will become easier to find in stores and eventually restaurants and bars (yay!).
Does Dealcoholized Wine Actually Taste like real Wine?
Well isn’t that the million dollar question…
If you’ve gone down this path, you know how elusive good tasting non-alcoholic wines can be. I’ve tried many (many) dealcoholized wines and the first few (popular brands) were disappointing; I couldn’t finish a small pour, overly sweet and not reminiscent of wine.
But I’m a stubborn dedicated gal, who persisted in her research, and I’m delighted to report that I’ve discovered a few quality brands that my husband & I are genuinely enjoying — and look forward to drinking! Do they taste just like your favorite Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay? They do not. But, if you go into it with that understanding, you may find that some of these non-alcoholic beverages taste quite good in their own right and make a decent substitute.
I should also add that far from being bored with them, I’m actually finding that I’ve grown to like them more and more over time (a couple months in, dare I say, they almost taste like real wine …).
so, without further ado, I present to you my top picks of dealcoholized wines:
My Favorite Dealcoholized Wines ~
please note: all of these wines were purchased by yours truly and my opinions are just that, my opinions. This is not a sponsored post nor are any of the links provided affiliate links; they are there simply for your convenience and my way of saluting quality makers.
Giesen 0% Sauvignon Blanc
My favorite dealcoholized Sauvignon Blanc and number 1 overall pick. The aroma is half the pleasure with this crisp dealcoholized wine – on the nose it smells very reminiscent of a true Sauvignon Blanc with vibrant citrus expression — on the palate it is lighter (which I’d expect) with a distinctive tart finish — I like dry wines so the acidity is welcome, if you prefer sweeter wines this might not be your top pick.
Luminara Alcohol Removed Chardonnay (2018)
This dealcoholized chardonnay is aged in French & American oak offering delicate yet distinctive warm buttery notes which gives it more weight and complexity than traditional non-alcoholic wines. I think they’ve done a really nice job with this wine.
Surely Sparkling Rosé
This will be my next holiday sparkler! Well balanced with just the right touch of sweetness you look for in a rosé, lovely tasting notes and vibrant bubbles lasting throughout. Perfect for summer parties, celebrations and picnics or, for just hanging out in your garden.
Noughty Dealcoholized Sparkling Chardonnay
I mean, who doesn’t want to drink a noughty sparkler? Especially one that’s certified organic, female owned and strongly reminiscent of the real deal … count me in! (I’m picturing a glass filled with dancing pomegranate arils this fall).
Interested in exploring craft mocktails? ✨
- you might enjoy my recipe for virgin margarita with diy zero proof orange liqueur
- or my autumn inspired whiskey sour with diy pear infused water
Final Thoughts …
I wish I could recommend a red or two but I’ve yet to find one I like, I’ve tried a few cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and “red blends” but nothing I would buy again; when I do find a winner, I’ll add it to this post — in the meantime, if you have any non-alcoholic reds (or whites) you’re enjoying, please drop them in the comments section below. I’m very hopeful about Giesen’s Merlot, which has just recently launched in New Zealand (I’ve not been able to get my hands on it just yet). BTW, Giesen also has a still rosé that’s very nice, I get it at Whole Foods with their Sauvignon Blanc.
✨… to get the most from your alcohol-free beverage, I highly recommend treating it like any other wine or bubbly – take out your prettiest stemware, set the table, pick some flowers … embrace the full experience.
finally … for those who may be interested, Andrew Huberman (neuroscientist) recently did an extensive review on the impact of alcohol on brain health & systemic health on his podcast, you can find the episode here
Cheers! x
Hi,
Great article. Not to come across as a nitpicker but on your Surely Sparkling Rose, it’s missing a “L” so it’s reading Sparking :)
Thanks again,
Vinny
thank you!
I was wondering what process you use to create the alcohol removed wine?
When I first purchased Giesen dealcoholized Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, its composition was 94% dealcoholized Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and 6% grape juice. It tasted wonderful.
Now, all I can find is Giesen 0% Sauvignon Blanc with 80% dealcoholized Sauvignon Blanc, 14% dealcoholized White wine and 6% grape juice. It does not taste as good as the original, as it lacks the acidity and is a bit more sweet than the original.
What is the composition of the Giesen 0% you are drinking?
Thank you for all your research and information. I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recommendations.
Best wishes,
Deirdre
Wolffer estate, spring in a bottle sparkling rose is pretty good. I think the brand has an alcoholic version of the same wine. I found it at Whole Foods and I was pleasantly surprised. Also the Whole Foods worker actually was just commenting on how much the NA wines were being purchased. So I hope that these sections get expanded upon.
haven’t tried it! thanks for letting us know Keely, look forward to checking it out; agreed, the availability and choice of n/a bevs will hopefully only improve from here. cheers, k.
This is the BEST article I have read about NA wines. I am familiar with some of these brands and some are easy to find in my stores. Others are not yet, but it is nice they can be ordered online even though a trip to the store instead would be nice. I just wish restaurants would start carrying NA options. Where I am, the Greater Cleveland area, the only option at restaurants, if they have any, is one choice of NA beer, NO NA wines or sweet “mocktails” that are not only not good, unless there is a REALLY good mixologist creating it, but they are expensive. So far, I have not found any good NA “spirits” and they are expensive to try only to realize they are very meh. Maybe soon?! Educating food and beverage decision makers in the industry is key because when I ask about why they don’t offer more options in their restaurant they fall back on their lame mocktail list and one NA beer. I have even been told they’ve never heard of NA wine when there are many. Sooooo many people don’t drink alcohol for lots of reasons, but get tired of water, iced tea or Lemonade and would also like to feel like they are part of the party!
hi! thanks for dropping in, i’m so glad you found the article useful and yes, i hear you on the general lack of creative (and non sickly sweet) alcohol-free cocktails in restaurants — it’s under explored where we live too — i spent a week in portland last spring and was delighted to discover how innovative they are in this regard – so many restaurants offering delicious, imaginative a-f cocktails (gorgeous too, with all the stunning garnishes, you feel you’re drinking something just a nice as everyone else and can justify the price) — loved the taste and inventiveness, hoping the rest of the globe catches on :) it’s definitely starting to move in the right direction.
Have you tried my virgin marg recipe by any chance? its been my most popular post for months now :)) https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2023/06/the-only-virgin-margarita-youll-ever-want.html
take good care and cheers!
Excellent response, and I too wish restraunts would cater more to NA options for those who wish to feel included. Even when we make our mocktails at home, I have fun choosing one of my fun stem glasses to feel fancy lol.
those fun stem glasses make all the difference! :) cheers Dee.
Excellent site
We are working with a Swiss company on a prestige non alcoholic system that can be installed in any winery . Should be ready to roll out in about 3 months
Tasting samples so far have proved outstanding, especially in blind tastings with the original wine
Surely sparkling rose & Fre chardonnay are both really good. I prefer the latter as it’s a bit sweeter. Both are versatile in that they are really good on their own & also pair well with mixers & or fresh fruit. I am currently on the hunt for Geisen!
thanks so much for taking the time to share your recommendations Amber — personal preference really does play into it – it’s great that you’ve been able to find something that suits your palate — have you tried noughty sparkling chardonnay? we love it but it is dry, it would mix well in a cocktail tho if you wanted to add a touch of sweetness there — pomegranate juice and some dancing arils for the holidays would be smashing :)
We just discovered a great dry red wine- Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon! It’s sold at some liquor stores. I’ve been super picky about this topic and it actually tastes like wine.
Hi Lianna, it’s great that you’ve found a non-alcoholic red that you enjoy! cheers
Ariel is a J Lohr wine. It is proved in their vineyards from grapes grown there. It used to be my favourite red until I discovered Luminara, Oddbird GSM & Pure Zero Shiraz, all of which are available online in Canada.
… it is produced
“Noughty”by Thomson & Scott of London, is the best dealcoholized red wine I have had and I’ve been looking hard! It’s pricey but well worth it in my opinion and has really helped me transition into AF living! Made in South Africa and I have only ordered it from Boisson. Can’t find it in stores.
thanks so much for the suggestion Melissa! i’m happy to hear you’re enjoying the Noughty Rouge — noughty is a great company, we love their sparkling chardonnay (order it on repeat) and agree it’s worth the price given the quality and care they put in to the beverage — and now you’ve got me thinking that i need to give their red another try :) cheers!
Hello! Great article! My husband and I are really enjoying the Giesen (purchased from Whole Foods) and hopefully we will see more options coming in the future. Glad to learn from your article that wine makers are getting into this movement. It is amazing how this wine can be so enjoyable! Part of the enjoyment is knowing that I’m not drinking so many calories and I won’t be drunk later or hungover tomorrow! à votre santé for dealcoholized wine!!
hi Lori, so nice to get your note, thank you for dropping in. I’m so glad you & your husband are enjoying the Giesen – it’s still my favorite although we’ve been enjoying the sparkling bottles too (fun with pomegranate seeds this time of year :) — I was in Québec in September having lunch with a girlfriend and spotted dealcoholized wine on the menu which was very exciting… the kind of mainstream expansion that will give patrons options (they sell at the same price so nobody gets hurt :) — yes, no hangover is a good thing, haha, and so is sleeping well — (alcohol really messes up sleep architecture) — santé et merci encore pour la note, x
Really interesting read and i must say, your page itself is fantastic, it feels like I’m reading a PDF, not having ads is pretty incredible. It’s really noticeable on the phone, you cant even scroll through some sites because the ads will lag the page.
ah, so nice to hear that it’s a good experience for you… I try to create a peaceful landing place for readers (and myself) cheers.
Such great information and timely too. I haven’t come across any of these brands, thank you for doing the leg work for us!
oh great to hear! I hope you enjoy some of these as much as we do; thanks for dropping in.
I’ve been thinking of cutting back and these recommendations are perfect.I’ll check if the LCBO carries any of them.
happy discovering Eva! x
Very interesting article! Thank you for this. I’ve slowly reduced my alcohol consumption over the past 5 years and this year just went all virgin. I now drink mainly virgin bloody marys and Moscow mules. I would love to be able to drink a pleasant wine again because I love wine, but it doesn’t love me. So non-alcoholic wine sounds like something to explore. Thanks so much for the recommendations. The New Zealand SB and Sparkling Chardonnay sound quite interesting. I’ll check them out!
ohh, big shift this year, i’m imagining your virgin bloody marys with a good kick of spice MJ! I would join you in a heartbeat :) I hope some of these are nice discoveries for you on the wine side … Giesen is nice and tart, Luminara warmer caramel butter notes (without being sickly sweet) and the bubbles are always fun!
Kelly – great article, very well researched and as always, beautiful photography! Thanks for leading the way with info on these wines. I am sure this will be a real growth area in the next few years.
thank you! i’m in a pretty spot to take pictures :)
As you might imagine, I adore this post – I am also researching brands, and one thing I realized quickly is that most non-alcoholic rose’ wines are not good. They have an off taste and excessive sugar. Or so it seems to me
I do love Giesen, which I am happy we can find in our town.
hiii Sally, great to hear! Geisen makes a nice still rosé that’s quite dry like their Sauv. I find it at the same store (Whole Foods). If you’re into bubbles, Surely’s sparkling rosé is a beaut:)