Best Non-Alcoholic Wines 2024 | Wine Enthusiast
There are many reasons to explore the modern non-alcoholic drinks space. For one, these days the category is big business, which has resulted in an ever-expanding variety of products from NA wine to zero-proof spirits. There’s never been a better time to begin navigating these options, given the rise of NA bottle shops and sommeliers who are themselves going sober.
One needn’t be completely abstinent from alcohol to enjoy NA drinks, although people—especially young adults—are increasingly taking that path. Perhaps you’re simply reevaluating your relationship with alcohol, or looking for a change of drinking pace. Whatever your reasoning, the fact remains that there are a ton of products to sort through.
When it comes to NA wine, many drinkers have similar questions: What exactly are non-alcoholic wines? And how do you find the best ones? Read on for our simple guide to this expanding category, plus bottle recommendations from Wine Enthusiast professionals and fawning customer reviews.
What Are Non-Alcoholic Wines?
There are two main types of non-alcoholic wines. There are wine alternatives, which resemble wine in flavor and texture, but do not contain alcohol, and dealcoholized wines, which are traditionally-made wines with their alcohol removed.
With regard to the latter, according to the Food and Drug Administration, wines labeled “alcohol-removed” and “dealcoholized” are only used when a wine goes through a specific process to remove most or all of the alcohol present. Such a bottle might also have the terms “zero alcohol” or “alcohol-free” on its label.
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How Are Non-Alcoholic Wines Made?
There are four methods approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for removing alcohol from wine, reports the Institute of Food Technologists. Alcohol can be removed through thin-film evaporation (called vacuum distillation), reverse osmosis, spinning cone distillation and thermal gradient processing. But the two most common ways are vacuum distillation and reverse osmosis.
In vacuum distillation, the beverage is heated to the point where the alcohol evaporates. During the practice of reverse osmosis, wine is run “through a filter, and the filter separates the alcohol based on the size of the molecule,” Terry Donnelly, chairman and CEO of Hill Street Beverage Company Inc. told Wine Enthusiast. “Alcohol is a bigger molecule than water, so you can literally run it through like a microscopic strainer and filter the alcohol off.”
In comparison, wine alternatives are designed to mimic the flavor, texture and experience of wine by using a variety of ingredients other than wine. Some options may include tea, kombucha or other fruit juices. Some wine alternatives simply feel like a nice booze-free beverage, while others use winemaking techniques to replicate the experience of tannin, flavors and acidity of wine.
There’s no shortage of NA wines to try. If you’re wondering where to buy non-alcoholic wines, we can help you there, too. We’ve compiled a list of top-rated bottles on Amazon, Total Wine & More and other online retailers. To make the list, each bottle (only one per brand) needed to have at least four stars or higher. Check them out below.
The Best Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wines
Fritz Müller Non-Alcoholic
Type: Dealcoholized Wine
Alcohol Level: < 0.3 %
This fruity, lightly sparkling white made from Müller-Thurgau in Germany is a favorite of Stephen Shafer, the beverage director at Mägo in Oakland, California. “I think the best non-alcoholic wines I’ve tasted are both sparkling and made from aromatic varietals like Riesling, Muscat or in this case Müller-Thurgau,” he says. “Because even once you’ve lost the lift that alcohol gives, they still have something to latch onto that feels like the original wine.”
$20
Wine-searcher
Oddbird Blanc de Blancs
Type: Dealcoholized Wine
Alcohol Level: 0%
Made from made from Chardonnay and Colombard, this dry sparkling wine hails from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France and offers gentle bubbles and bright green apple flavors. Oddbird is a favorite of Drew Damskey, a longtime Santa Rosa winemaker who recently started making the dealcoholized wine Foy. “I don’t want NA wines to taste like juice or kombucha,” he says. “Wine should taste like wine.”
$25
The Zero Proof
French Bloom Le Blanc
Type: Dealcoholized Wine
Alcohol Level: 0%
Zachary Dortenzio, general manager at Violetto in Alila Napa Valley, finds this dealcoholized blend of organic French Chardonnay to be an exceptional alternative to its alcoholic counterparts. “Its acidity, fresh floral notes and citrus flavors create an experience similar to sipping a true glass of sparkling wine,” he says.
$39
French Bloom
The Best Non-Alcoholic White Wines
Saint Viviana Sauvignon Blanc
Type: Dealcoholized Wine
Alcohol Level: < 0.5 %
Among the staff favorites at The Zero Co, Mazza says that this “crisp and zesty” Sauvignon Blanc stands out “with its fresh and herbal notes,” noting that it doesn’t have that overly tart taste other dealcoholized Sauv Blancs sometimes have.
$22
The Zero Proof
Weingut Dr. Fischer Alcohol-Free Still Riesling Steinbock
Type: Dealcoholized Wine
Alcohol Level: < 0.25 %
Jonathan Feller, beverage director and sommelier at The Boca Raton hotel, loves to pair this “refreshing” dealcoholized Riesling with sushi. “This is a crisp non-alcoholic wine that retains classic Riesling notes of candied lime and honey,” he says.
$18
Proof No More
The Best Non-Alcoholic Rosé Wines
French Bloom Le Rosé
Type: Dealcoholized Wine
Alcohol Level: 0%
Dortenzio, who is surrounded by world-class wines in Napa Valley, is especially impressed by French Bloom’s offerings. This fresh, well-balanced rosé, in particular, “offers a complexity that many nonalcoholic wines lack,” he says.
$44
French Bloom
The Best Non-Alcoholic Red Wines
Luminara Red Blend
Type: Dealcoholized Wine
Alcohol Level: < 0.5%
A Napa Valley red blend that’s finished in French and American oak barrels, this Luminara wine is bold with black cherry aromas and warm spice. “It holds its strong tannic structure well, considering it’s alcohol-removed,” says Mazza. “With a thick skin and dark grape, this wine remains full bodied and is a crowd favorite.”
$20
One Stop Wine Shop
The Best Non-Alcoholic Wine Alternatives
Curious Elixirs No. 8
Type: Wine Alternative
Alcohol Level: 0%
This digestif-inspired offering from Curious Elixirs reminds Ganzer of a bold Amarone, thanks to “its sultry weight, texture and a pleasant bitterness, which allows it to double as an after dinner amaro as well,” he says.
$18
The Zero Proof
Three Spirit Blurred Vines
Type: Wine Alternative
Alcohol Level: 0%
Ganzer usually opts for wine alternatives over dealcoholized wine because “they have a lot of complexity but they’re also honest about what they’re trying to be.” He’s impressed by these alt wines from Three Spirit, which were developed by winemakers and plant scientists and utilize tea, botanicals and fruit.
$52 for 2 Bottles
Three Spirit
Red Ember by Proxies
Type: Wine Alternative
Alcohol Level: 0%
To make wine alternatives, “producers blend various fruit juices, teas and spices to mimic wine’s complex attributes,” says Ryan Schmied, director of food & beverage at Amway Grand Plaza in Michigan. “This clever approach essentially rebuilds the components of a wine instead of removing its essential parts.” His current favorite bottles come from Proxies, which not only taste great, but “accompany food beautifully thanks to their tannic and bright, zippy components.”
6 Bottles for $150
Drink Proxies
Best Under $15
Codorniu Zero Brut
Type: Dealcoholized Wine
Alcohol Level: < 0.5 %
Produced by Spain’s oldest winery, located in the northwestern Galicia wine region, this sparkling Cava is a favorite of Feller, who appreciates its “lush bouquet of white flowers, apples, peaches and vanilla,” and that it maintains its freshness despite dealcoholization. “I find it pairs well with various dishes or can be used as a mixer for non-alcoholic sparkling sangria,” he says.
$11
Total Wine & More
Best Grocery Store Non-Alcoholic Wine
Noughty
Type: Dealcoholized Wine
Alcohol Level: > 0.5%
Mazza of the Zero Co finds that Syrah stands up exceptionally well to dealcoholization, and she calls Noughty a “standout” option.
$25
Walmart
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Last Updated: July 23, 2024
