The Financial Times Newspaper has an article on Low-alcohol Wines that Offer Great Taste Without the Headache (might be behind paywall by the time you read this). Wines with alcohol by volume (ABV) between 3.5% and 9% and those naturally low in alcohol like some German Rieslings, are gaining popularity for their ability to combine taste with moderation.
Among the highlighted wines are:
- The Doctors’ Sauvignon Blanc, 2018 from New Zealand, retailing at £9.99 on Waitrose.com, stands out for its natural approach to achieving a lower ABV, offering a 9.5% ABV Sauvignon Blanc that maintains a rich flavour profile.
- Torres Vina Sol, available for £7 for a 75cl bottle at Sainsbury’s, represents another excellent choice, created through a process that lightly de-alcoholises full-strength wine, resulting in a product with 8% ABV.
- The Gentle Pink, a new 6% ABV wine brand from Germany, is found at Drydrinker.com for £9.99, showcasing a blend of full-strength and de-alcoholised wines that deliver a concentrated flavour and enjoyable body.
- Oxford Landing Sunlight Shiraz, priced at £7 at Sainsbury’s, and Sevenly from Sarah Jessica Parker’s Kiwi wine label Invivo X, SJP, both offer a 7% ABV range for £8 for a 75cl bottle, also at Sainsbury’s. These wines utilise de-alcoholisation techniques to produce a lighter option that doesn’t compromise on taste.
- Nice Session Merlot, offered at £10 on Nice-drinks.co.uk, presents a unique wine-based blend that achieves a mere 3.4% ABV by combining wine, de-alcoholised wine, and natural flavours, resulting in a product that tastes surprisingly wine-like despite its low alcohol content.
- Pure Joy Elderflower Sparkling, available for £18 at Newcomerwines.com, part of a co-ferment range by Julie Hoch, blends grapes with elderflower, lavender, and herbs for a 5.5% ABV drink that embodies the low-intervention and natural wine ethos.
- Moonland, an experimental range from Californian natural winemaker Vinca Minor, offers canned sparkling “fruit wines” with a 9% ABV, starting from $9, available at Moonlandwine.com. These are crafted by co-fermenting grapes with other fruits to create unique, low-strength aperitifs.
