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Are you a lover of oaky rioja, or maybe zingy Kiwi sauvignon blanc, and looking to find a non-alcoholic lookalike? To put it bluntly, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. Alcohol does much more than make you tipsy; it is the magic ingredient that gives so much of wine’s wondrous complexity, character and charm. Not only does it carry volatile compounds that make up wine’s endlessly fascinating combinations of scents and tastes, along with a sensation of warmth, it also creates that viscous body and texture – what’s rather grossly known in the trade as “mouthfeel” – of the liquid in your mouth, and the overall balance of all these factors in the wine.
When the base wine is dealcoholised, however, all that character goes with it. Compared with beer’s relatively low-alcohol content, wine’s usual 11%-15% ABV means that, when the alcohol has gone, you feel its absence more, which is partly why nolo beers are generally more successful than nolo wine. That said, there are some wine substitutes that are worth trying, but, to avoid disappointment, my advice is to see them as drinks that aren’t wine because, well, they’re simply not.
Some compounds can be reintroduced after dealcoholisation, or added, usually with unfermented grape juice, to replicate wine-like aromas and flavours. Hi-tech processes are improving all the time, but it’s still nigh-on impossible to mimic effectively the weight and balance of wine. Sugar is often used to give some body and/or to counteract excessive tartness, but that means many such drinks are unattractively sweet and cloying.
Fizz fares the best. Bubbles give a layer of refreshing spritz, as well as that pleasingly celebratory pop of the cork, while chilling helps to crisp up the flavours and tone down sweetness. Feel free to add cocktail-ish flourishes to up the interest factor: a dash of crème de cassis, say, or elderflower cordial. A black velvet made 50:50 with 0.0% Guinness also works well.
Sparkling fermented teas can be a good wine alternative, the tea providing a little welcome tannic structure (try the Real naturally alcohol-free range, which is widely available and £10 at Waitrose), while kombucha’s natural acidity lends an appetising, tangy kick to the palate and comes with probiotic and antioxidant benefits to boot.
I’d also serve nolo reds a bit cool. They’re the trickiest to copy, so need all the help they can get to stop them being jammy, and they’re certainly no match for a real red wine, but the best can just about cut the mustard with a steak or tomato-based pasta, and they also respond well to mulling, if that’s your thing. White wine fans would do best with drinks made from aromatic grapes such as muscat, whose floral sweetness can make a pleasing match with gently spiced food, as well as a humble sweet chilli crisp.
Four nolo wine alternatives to tickle your tastebuds
Lyre’s Classico Rosé £14.99 (75cl) Lyre’s, 0%. Made from unfermented grape juice rather than wine. Tastes rather charmingly of raspberry ripple ice-cream, but it’s not too sweet.
Zeno ‘Alcohol-Liberated’ Sparkling NV £10.95 (75cl) The Wine Society, 0.3%. Perky fizz with nicely dry and zesty citrus and orchard fruit.
Torres Natureo Rosé £6.20; on offer at £5.45 until 27 January (75cl) Ocado, 0%. Well-priced, fruity, peachy rosé that would work with a creamy Keralan or Thai curry.
Wednesday’s Domaine ‘Vignette’ £14 (75cl) Ocado, 0%. Tempranillo blended with oak-aged petit verdot. Blackcurrants, damsons, coffee, cinnamon and cloves.
