We love our wine. It is no secret, and we have no shame in our love for it. But…there are times, whether personal, medical, or whatever, that you may need or want to abstain from alcohol. We found ourselves in this situation when we were preparing for our preventative double mastectomies due to our BRCA2 gene mutation (see this post for more on that). We knew we should abstain from drinking as much as possible leading up to the surgery, and then we would be required to abstain for a while afterward to promote healing and due to some of the medications we would be on. We also knew that the thought of not enjoying a nice glass of wine with family on the patio or a glass with a yummy home-cooked meal sounded grim. So, we challenged ourselves to find and try as many non-alcoholic wines as possible.
We have all seen non-alcoholic beer widely available for years, and mocktails are popping up in most restaurant drink programs, but non-alcoholic wines are not as widely available, or so we thought! Luckily for us, our home base, Richmond, VA, has several great non-alcoholic-only beverage shops, so our first stop was visiting Point 5, Richmond's first dry bottle shop. We also headed to Total Wine & More and our nearby grocery store, Publix, to search out more nationally available options because, let's face it, it's nice not to make another stop while getting groceries. We have compiled a list of all the non-alcoholic wines we have tried and our tasting notes on each. We think you will all be as surprised as we were that there are actually a LOT of tasty non–alcoholic wines available. We hope this helps anyone searching for a tasty, non-alcoholic wine for whatever reason!
xxx, Ivy & Eve
Good Twin - Sparkling Wine
On the nose, crisp apple dominates the aromas. This is followed by flavors of green apple, ginger and a hint of beeswax on the palate. This wine has big bubbles with just a touch of sweetness to balance the apple-like acidity.
Surely - Sauvignon blanc
Aromas of tinned peaches and lanolin followed by notes of tart green apple and sour grass on the palate. Zinging acidity overall.
Rondel Zero - Cava
Scents of sweet apple cider, green apple, violets, honeysuckle, and lychee followed by crisp flavors of tangy nerds candy, and a balanced acidity.
Josef Leitz Eins Zwei Zero Point Five - Pinot noir
Mild scent of red currant and black tea with tart cherry and rosehip flavors. Nice light tannins. We thought this was the closest tasting to a regular glass of red wine.
Josef Leitz Eins Zwei Zero -Sparkiling Rosé
The nose shows red apple and raspberry with a touch of citrus. The palate has good acidity and minerality with fresh flavors of strawberries, red apple, and lime. This wine has some residual sugar however the bubbles from the CO2 make it appear as a zingy dry wine.
Jøyus - White Sparkling
Aromas of orange blossom, nectarine, and lanolin on the nose. Flavors of apricot, pear, and a light minerality are found with fine bubbles and a nice acidity on the palate.
Fio Fabelhaft Non-Alc - Riesling
Aromas of lemonade, and green apple followed with a nice minerality and light tropical flavors and a touch of sweetness that helps soften the tart flavors. This was our favorite of the white wines, it had the perfect balance of flavors and was refreshing.
Waterbrook - Clean Chardonnay
Notes of vanilla and golden delicious apples and moderate oak one the nose with honey baked apple and soft oak flavors.
Vanish by Magic Box - Red Blend
Earthy aromas of mixed berries with silky smooth notes of blackberry and pomegranate with a touch of sweetness and a featherlight tannin.
Wölffer Spring in a Bottle - Sparkling Rosé
Aromas of delicate white florals like honeysuckle giveway to tight tart bubbles carrying flavors of freshly picked strawberries and peaches. This is a delightful dry sparkling, accurately named “spring in a bottle”.
Hand on Heart wines: We were graciously gifted some Hand on Heart wines to try before our first surgeries. We love everything about this winery from their focus on “Wine for a balanced life” to their beautiful labels to their beautifully balanced wines.
Hand on Heart - Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep aromas of dark berries with flavors of ollaberry pie and dry fruit leather finished with smooth light tannins.
Hand on Heart - Sauvignon Blanc
Scents of white flowers, honeysuckle nectar, and candy peach rings. Nice and dry with pleasant acidity to balance the sweet aromas.
Hand on Heart - Chardonnay
Sweet scents of vanilla, oak, and toasted coconut popsicle with a dry mouthfeel and flavors of creamy tropical flavors of coconut and pineapple and medium oak.
Hand on Heart - Rosé
The nose immediately reveals the aroma of sweet tart candy nerds followed by a hint of chalk and stone. Flavors of stonefruit such as peaches and nectarines are throughout this wine, with juicy acidity, followed by a dry minerally finish.
FRe Wines: These are the most widely available and affordable on the list. You can find them at most grocery stores and we have found them between $10-15 a bottle. You can also find them here online.
FRe - Sparkling Brut
Bright tight bubbles and aromas of fresh slices of green apple and pear on the nose followed by notes of apple, peach, and strawberries paired with a light sweetness make this non-alc bubbly a go-to for its affordability and easy access at most grocery stores. This tastes great as a mimosa!
FRe - Sauvignon Blanc
Aromas of bell pepper, fresh cut grass and raw carrot. Followed by flavors of ginger and sweet bell pepper. This wine has nice acidity with a touch of sweetness.
FRe - White Zinfandel
On the nose dried fruit leather on the front followed by a hint of sour candy. Baked apples with a touch of raspberry on the palate. Lightly sweet but still has a nice acidity.
FRe - Chardonnay
Enticing aromas of mango and coconut cream followed by creamy apple, and mango flavors. We would compare this with a pinot grigio rather than a classic chardonnay.
FRe - Cabernet Sauvignon
Strawberry rhubarb jam, and browned apple aromas. A thin texture with flavors of blackberry, rhubarb, and apple. This wine has light tannins and high acidity. We like to serve this slightly chilled. This was our favorite of the Fre wines and one of our most re-purchased wines as it was affordable, and sold at our nearby grocery store.
FRe - Merlot
This deep purple hued wine has an aroma of freshly picked huckleberries followed by a huckleberry jam flavor on the palate. We enjoyed this wine both at room temperature and slightly chilled.
FRe - Red Blend
Black cherry and raspberry leaf and black tea aromas. Notes of black plum, slightly savory, and a touch of sweetness, smooth, light tannic finish. Tastes good chilled.
