How to shop for nonalcoholic wines, according to experts
Nonalcoholic wine is not glorified grape juice. Here are expert tips for finding options that match your flavor preferences.
Prima Pavé Blanc De Blancs
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Before you start shopping, it’s important to understand what it is. There are two types of nonalcoholic wine, and how each is made impacts its flavor profile. One type is not better than the other, says Anne Guarino, the category merchant analyst for wine at Whole Foods Market. What you like is a matter of personal preference.
Alcohol-removed wine is exactly what it sounds like — wine that alcohol is removed from. Manufacturers first follow the traditional wine-making fermentation process, which converts sugar to alcohol, to create alcoholic wine in reds, whites and rosés. It then undergoes a de-alcoholization process, leaving behind a beverage with a similar aroma, flavor and finish to full-strength wine, says Guarino. Wine that has 0.5% or less alcohol by volume (ABV) is considered “nonalcoholic,” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Proxy wine is made with juice, sometimes from wine grapes, but it never undergoes the fermentation process, so sugar is never converted to alcohol. This means proxy wine has 0% ABV and can’t unlock the distinct flavor of wine that fermentation is responsible for, says Nick Bodkins, CEO and co-founder of Boisson, a nonalcoholic drink retailer with locations in New York and California. Thus, manufacturers incorporate ingredients like fruit extracts, spices and teas to proxy wine, adding to its complexity, says Guarino. These additional ingredients help it emulate some of the notes and fragrances of full-strength wine without undergoing any steps of the wine-making process, says Bodkins. Unlike alcohol-removed wines, proxy wines are not generally classified in the classic red, white and rosé categories, and instead are defined by the flavors, like hibiscus and white tea or thyme and citrus, derived from the ingredients they’re made with.
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Because everyone’s taste palette is different, shopping for nonalcoholic wine is a bit of a guessing game, experts told me. The only way to thoroughly understand where your preferences lie is to try different brands and varieties. Because of that, there’s really no wrong way to shop and no bad options. Adding a bottle to your shopping cart without putting much thought into it is a totally legitimate entry point to the world of nonalcoholic wine.
That said, experts recommend thinking about the following factors to guide your shopping.
I rounded up our expert’s favorite options along with nonalcoholic wines NBC Select staff enjoy. I included alcohol-removed and proxy wines, plus those available in bottles and cans.
Alcohol in red wine effectively carries the beverage’s aromas and tasting notes, so the flavor of its nonalcoholic counterpart doesn’t stack up quite as well as whites and rosés, says Bodkins. That said, there are still great options on the market, like this cabernet sauvignon from Joyus, which comes recommended by Chris Marshall, founder and owner of Sans Bar, a nonalcoholic bar in Austin, Texas. The red wine is aged on American oak and has notes of berries and vanilla, according to the brand. Bodkins suggests drinking nonalcoholic red wine a bit colder than you would drink alcoholic red wine to better bring out the flavor.
Type: alcohol-removed | Carbonated: no | Packaging: bottle
Produced in southern France, the Blanc de Blanc sparkling chardonnay from OddBird combines the tastes of Grannysmith apples, honey and lime. It’s aged for one year before having the alcohol removed, leaving behind a fresh and complex fruit flavor. NBC Select associate reporter Bianca Alvarez is a fan and says it’s a great option when you aren’t in the mood for standard wine. “They have different wines but Blanc de Blancs is by far my favorite,” she says. “It’s very fruity and light and I love that because it’s sparkling, it enhances that light and airy feeling you get when drinking it.”
Type: alcohol-removed | Carbonated: yes | Packaging: bottle
This chardonnay was one of the first alcohol-removed wines I tried and it even got the seal of approval from many of my friends who were weary about nonalcoholic vino. It’s light and crisp, and has a relatively long aftertaste, making it nice to sip slowly. The chardonnay offers fruity and citrus notes, plus a dry finish, according to the brand. To best bring out its flavor, Bodkins recommends drinking flat nonalcoholic white wine warmer than you would normally drink full-strength white wine.
Type: alcohol-removed | Carbonated: no | Packaging: bottle
Prima Pave’s Blanc De Blancs is one of Marshall’s favorite nonalcoholic wines. It’s a sparkling blend of three white grape varieties: pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc and gewürztraminer. Together, these grapes create notes of white peach, green apple, honeydew, kiwi and elderflower, according to the brand. The wine has a dry finish.
Type: alcohol-removed | Carbonated: no | Packaging: bottle
I always keep a bottle of this white nonalcoholic wine in my refrigerator because it’s light and pairs well with fish, which I often make for dinner. It has a fruity citrus flavor and I chill it prior to serving, which I find makes it even more refreshing to sip. I love that the bottle comes with a screw-off cap, so I can pour myself a glass or two and easily save the rest for the next day.
Type: alcohol-removed | Carbonated: no | Packaging: bottle
“I actually had to check the label of the Gruvi’s Dry Secco three times when I first had it because it tasted so much like the real thing,” says Casey McGuire Davidson, a sobriety coach who offers courses through her platform Hello Someday Coaching. She recommends serving it at celebrations like New Year’s Eve, or making zero-proof mimosas with it. The beverage comes in single-serve bottles and has a delicate, floral, semi-dry taste, according to the brand. Davidson also likes Gruvi’s Bubbly Rose, and says her clients rave about the brand’s sangaria.
Type: proxy | Carbonated: yes | Packaging: single-serve bottles
When I sip Proxies Pink Sea Salt, I get a dry, smooth feel that reminds me of light, full-strength whites and rosés. It is made with ingredients like pinot blanc grapes, peach concentrate, lemon juice and blended tea, which gives it a fruity flavor, but it’s not sweet or juicy, in my experience. I find Proxies refreshing on a warm spring or summer night, and its orange pink color looks beautiful served in clear glasses.
Type: proxy | Carbonated: no | Packaging: bottle
Davidson served Surely’s crisp nonalcoholic Brut — a dry Champagne — at her last holiday party and says it was a bit hit among her guests. Many of them normally drink but wanted a nonalcoholic option since they were driving home, and they enjoyed sipping on this bubbly. It has a fuller body and well-balanced flavors, including tasting notes of lemon, peach and passionfruit, according to the brand.
Type: alcohol-removed | Carbonated: yes | Packaging: bottle and cans
Fre’s Premium Red Blend is my go-to for drinking with tomato-based dishes like pasta with marinara sauce, a hearty soup and pizza. It has a long aftertaste and a rich, smooth, smokey flavor. It has notes of fruity cherry and grapes, according to the brand.
Type: Alcohol-removed | Carbonated: No | Packaging: Bottle
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m a reporter at NBC Select who writes about food and beverages, including recent stories on olive oil, honey, coffee subscriptions and nonalcoholic spirits. For this article, I interviewed four experts about how to shop for nonalcoholic wine and rounded up expert picks and NBC Select staff recommendations.
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