Dry drinking: The best non-alcoholic wines
Non-alcoholic wine can be risky – but luckily for you, we’ve scoured the market for five bottles that are worthy of a celebration or two
Over the past few years, I would bet there’s been as many non-alcoholic wine brands launched as the alcoholic variety. It’s a bustling global marketplace – anticipated to reach $1.6 trillion by 2025 – and one that many heavyweights in the industry have bought into, either by creating their own concoctions, or investing in dealcoholising equipment to perfect their latest venture. But despite the boom in non-alcoholic wine, not all brands have hit the mark, with some sub-par bottles tasting either too sour or too sweet, and emitting strong aromas once swirled around the glass. To help you sift the good from the bad, Luxury London has sampled five brands we believe make the cut. Read on for our thoughts on the market’s top non-alcoholic wines.
Wednesday’s Domaine
Wednesday’s Domaine launched in July 2022 and has since expanded to redefine the alcohol-free landscape with its latest sparkling creations. Crafted in collaboration with award-winning English winemakers, the two latest iterations are named Eclat and Cuvée – the former being a Verdejo-based sparkling white with notes of elderflower and ginger, pairing well with seafood, while the Cuvée is a Tempranillo-based sparkling rosé perfect for summer. Plus, with each glass clocking in at under 20 calories and being vegan-friendly, Wednesday’s Domaine wines offer a healthy alternative to your average glass of vino – now that’s something we can get on board with.
Our tasting notes: The fact this wine is dealcoholised – meaning it went through the alcoholisation process to begin with – ensures it does actually taste like wine. We prefer the Cuvée to the Eclat, as the former is more akin to rosé than the latter is to white. However, for sparkling wine, this certainly does the job. It isn’t the cheapest option, but given its production isn’t too dissimilar from your average bottle of vino, it at least makes sense.
WEDNESDAY’S DOMAINE Sparkling Duo
Non
Having only launched in the UK earlier this month, Non is a non-alcoholic wine that combines interesting flavours with techniques found within fine-dining kitchens across Europe. The brainchild of Australian founder Aaron Trotman, Non uses natural produce to intricately balance fruit, tannins, salinity, and acidity. The collection features three varieties: Non 1 with salted raspberry and chamomile, Non 3 featuring toasted cinnamon and yuzu, and Non 7 with stewed cherry and coffee. Having already been picked up by Heston Blumenthal’s three Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant, as well as Top Cuvee and Daylesford, this is definitely one to watch.
Our tasting notes: Don’t buy this expecting it to be like wine, instead it’s more akin to a kombucha-like tipple. The sweet and fizzy salted raspberry and chamomile was easily our top pick, while we’d recommend drinking the toasted cinnamon and yuzu ice cold to have the full experience. We weren’t fans of the stewed cherry and coffee, which seemed to have more of the latter and resulted in quite a bitter beverage.
NON1 SALTED RASPBERRY AND CHAMOMILE
Wild Idol
You don’t have to look far to find a glass of Wild Idol in London. Having collaborated with bars and restaurants across the city, and being the principal partner of The Dorchester’s summer terrace this year, it’s safe to say that Wild Idol has taken the world of non-alcoholic wine by storm since it launched in 2022. Featuring three clean, naturally fruit-forward grape varieties – Dornfelder, Merlot and Müller-Thurgau – found in the famed winemaking region of southwest Germany, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were actually drinking rosé. Offering delicate notes of grapefruit, rhubarb and gooseberry, this elegant wine has been made using traditional winemaking techniques with minimal intervention. Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free too.
Our tasting notes: There’s a reason this non-alcoholic sparkling has been picked up at some of the capital’s most prestigious establishments: because it tastes like the real thing. You don’t get much bang for your buck compared to other bottles on this list so this is one to reserve for decadent celebrations – and we do think it tastes that bit better when enjoyed on a London rooftop in the sun.
WILD IDOL NON-ALCOHOLIC SPARKLING ROSÉ
Töst
If you’re looking for a dry, refreshing non-alcoholic wine, Töst is for you. Aiming to ditch the reputation of zero-alcohol wines being too sweet, the American-born brand first started to create and test different flavours back in the mid-2010s, with multiple tries required to perfect the blend of teas and floral extracts. The result? The original is a dry sparkling featuring white tea, white cranberry, and ginger, while the Töst Rosé forms notes of white tea, ginger and elderberry.
Our tasting notes: While this bottle is slightly harder to get hold of, it’s worth it for its very reasonable price point. It doesn’t taste exactly like wine but more of a sparkling tea, however its light flavours makes it well worth a try.
TÖST
Noughty
Formerly an arts broadcaster at the BBC, Noughty founder Amanda Thomson studied for her diploma in wine at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu School in Paris – so definitely knows a thing or two about the wine industry. Having pioneered the introduction of non-alcoholic tipples, she won the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Entrepreneur Award for best wine concept, with Noughty now being stocked at The Soho House Group, The Mandarin Oriental, and the Ritz Carlton. Each of its offerings – a white, rosé, and red, plus a sparkling white and a sparkling rosé – has been dealcoholized to 0.5 per cent ABV or less while being less than 20 calories per glass with less than 5g sugar.
Our tasting notes: Flavours are clear and punchy in this non-alcoholic sparkling chardonnay, and this certainly tastes like a wine because it’s been dealcoholised unlike some other bottles on this list. Plus, its extremely reasonable price point is definitely not to be sniffed at.
Noughty Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Chardonnay
