We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. The Kally Golden Sparkler tastes impressively close to traditional wine. For a sparkling white wine remarkably similar to Champagne, check out Kally Golden Sparkler. Avoiding alcohol once meant nursing a glass of soda water and lime all night.
The latter category is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, with plenty of winemakers eager to put out a bottle worthy of your good glassware. To find the best nonalcoholic wines, I spoke with a sommelier, ordered a ton of bottles, and started tasting.
Nonalcoholic wine falls into two categories. There's traditional wine that has had the alcohol removed; and wine-like products, made to mimic the taste of real wine with tart grape juice, herbs, and botanicals. Dealcoholized wines are made by placing the wine in a vacuum under very low heat.
Removing the alcohol from wine does change the flavor profile, not unlike decaf coffee. If your palate is accustomed to regular wine, both types of NA wine will take getting used to, says Samantha Capaldi , a sommelier and the founder of Faff Wine. All wine needs tannins and acid to create a balanced beverage. On the other hand, acid gives the wine a zippy, bright reprieve from the headier flavors. These concepts also apply to NA wines.
The acidic element is particularly important because it keeps wine from veering into juice box territory. Acid is added to NA wines primarily through verjus, which is the juice from unripe wine grapes. Some NA wines, like the Jukes 6 , get their acidity from vinegar. That presents a more difficult balance equation, as vinegar can bring a strong flavor. In traditional wines, tannin comes from grape skins, and in some instances, the wood barrels they are aged in before bottling.
