The AF Red Wine Debate

One of the topics that crops up on a regular basis on the NonToxicated! Facebook Group is wine…and in particular, red wine.

And it’s quite a divided discussion too!

We’ve reviewed some popular alcohol free red wines, but it seems that it really is down to personal preference, so we would say that you just have to bite the bullet and try them for yourself! 


The AF Red Wine Taste Test


Red Wine No 1 - Sainsburys Alcohol Free Red Wine (Germany) - 0.05%

Calories - 22cals per 100ml

Sugars - 5.0g per 100ml


Summary

We found this to be ok for an everyday drink with food, if you like having a glass of wine with your meal. It was fruity and quite sweet. We could detect some berry flavours. It left a pleasing dryness on the tongue. A slight vinegar aroma becomes apparent as you drink it. We would describe it as a thin bodied red wine.



Red Wine No 2 - Eisberg Alcohol Free Merlot (Germany) 0.0%

Calories - 23cals per 100ml

Sugars - 5g per 100ml


Summary

This is a light-coloured wine and quite thin bodied. It was very easy to drink and it tasted better than it smelt. It had a medium sweetness and left a slight dryness on the tongue. We enjoyed it with food but it is very drinkable on its own, as there is nothing unpleasant about it. We are not really a fan of the clear bottle though as we feel it makes it look quite cheap.


Red Wine No 3 - Tesco Low Alcohol Cabernet Tempranillo (Spain) <0.5 %

Calories
- 30 cals per 100ml (We think the label declaration may be wrong and have queried with Tesco as it states 9.9g carbs per 100ml but only 1.0g sugars. We feel this sugar content can’t be right).


Summary

This is the sweetest of the wines we tasted. They use “spinning cone technology” to remove the alcohol. It had a big hit of sweetness rather than berry flavours but still leaves the tongue a little dry.


Red Wine No 4 - Ariel 2018 De-alcoholised Cabernet Sauvignon (USA -California) - <0.5%

Calories - 22 cals per 100ml

Sugars - 4.1g per 100ml


Summary

This one was really promising and was the only one we felt actually smelt like wine on opening. The label said it was a gold winner against wines containing alcohol. The alcohol is removed by cold filtration. This one seemed to have slightly more body than the other wines we tried. It had a drier taste but could still taste the fruit. It did have a slight aftertaste of vinegar but all in all we found this was the most wine like product. It was also the only one with a cork rather than a screw top, so it felt more like a premium product. It had a vintage too, unlike the others, so we would try the other vintages.



Red Wine NO 5 - Torres Natureo De-alcoholised Garnacha Syrah. 0.0%

Calories - 23 cals per 100ml

Sugars - 3.5g per 100ml


We’re not familiar with these types of grapes. The label says it was oak-aged in French Barrels but we couldn’t detect any oakiness. It was nice and glossy in the glass and didn’t look “thin” like some of the others. It’s a much dryer wine than the others we tasted, although there were no berry or grape flavours coming through for us. It was very astringent on the tongue. We think it would better suit a wine drinker who prefers a dry red.

How To Choose An AF Red Wine


A good starting point would be to use the nutrition panel as a guide - if you like a sweeter red wine - look for a higher sugar content. Some of the brands we’ve mentioned offer other varietals in their alcohol free ranges so we will try other grape varieties where they are available. Lisa, our founder and one of the tasters used to adore red wine and the types of wine she used to drink (heavy, bold, full-bodied ripe flavours) are just not available in alcohol-free versions so she thinks she will always feel disappointed in an alcohol free red wine…that doesn’t mean everyone will be! A couple were really quite drinkable with a meal. Others will fall strictly into the “add some mulled wine spices and heat” category! These wines were all bought in the UK but Ariel is available in the US and we’re led to believe Torres Natureo is available in the US and mainland Europe too.


Conclusion

We veered toward the sweeter wines, not necessarily because they tasted more like wine but because the sweetness and berry flavours took the edge of the vinegar notes you can get with de-alcoholised wine. Personally, we would buy the Eisberg or Sainsburys again to drink with Sunday dinner. The Ariel was the most wine-like experience but a bit too dry for us. Happy tasting! Let us know over on our Facebook Group if your opinion differs or if you would like to recommend a different red wine!


Related Products

    Ariel - Cabernet Sauvignon, California USA, Non- Alcoholic Red Wine, 750ml

    New Paragraph

    • Oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon offers aromas of black currants, cherry, blueberries and chocolate, with soft tannins and a dry finish.
    • J. Lohr Estate
    • 0.5 Percent by Volume
    • Suitable for vegetarians
    • Most other alcohol removal processes require the use of heat and evaporation in order to remove the alcohol from the wine. Heat damages the natural flavour of the grape. 
    • The ARIEL process is done cold, usually at temperatures less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The wine is never heated, and therefore retains the natural, flavourful quality of the fruit used to make it.
    • Ideal with beef or lamb
    BUY ON AMAZON

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