Alcohol-Free Merlot
Summary
Drink – Eisberg Merlot
Type – non-alcoholic red wine
Alcohol content – 0.0%
Rating– 38/100
Review – Well, this is certainly one glass of red that won’t give you a stinking headache in the morning but it is also one of the worst non-alcoholic wines I’ve had. I do know that Eisberg has some loyal fans who swear by this product but at the end of the day if you are desperate for a glass of alcohol-free red wine then there are much better options.
Over the time I’ve been working on this blog I have come to understand that you simply cannot compare alcoholic wines with non-alcoholic wines. Unlike alcohol-free beer which has a reasonably low alcohol count, stripping out the higher alcohol volume from wine creates a separate product altogether; which to be honest has the Marmite effect on people (ie you love it or hate it). The review below is for Eisberg’s alcohol-free Merlot.
Eisberg is the UK’s leading producer of alcohol-free wine and has been creating non-alcoholic wines for years, so have had time to improve and adjust the process. Similar to other wines, Eisberg uses the same methods but at the end, they remove the alcohol via vacuum distillation
So how did this traditional dry, medium full-bodied wine pan out? Read my review to find out.
Is Alcohol-free Merlot any good?
Taste
Well first for the good news, it tastes like red wine … albeit a really bad one you might pick up from the back of a convenience store that hasn’t seen the light of day since the 90s. Merlot? Forget it. Although to be fair my expectations were low. It had a sweet and sour berry flavour running through it. Unlike other alcohol-free wines though this merlot did not have a lingering aftertaste so at least I was able to finish the glass … but wouldn’t want another.
Aroma & Appearance
To be fair to Eisberg it looks like a Merlot and even has a faint whiff of Merlot grapes but there is such a strong red-wine vinegar aroma coming through that it just overpowers other aromas which is a shame.
Bonus points
Eisberg’s alcohol-free Merlot does have some positives going for it – 1) it is vegan-friendly 2) it contains 0% alcohol, 3) it’s cheap (going for £3 a bottle on Amazon) and 4) it isn’t full of calories so overall a healthier and more affordable alternative than a normal red. Availability wise you can pick this up in most supermarkets.
Buy alcohol-free Merlot
At the time of writing, you can find this wine on Amazon as well as Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s and Ocado. You can also purchase this wine from the alcohol-free specialist retailers below but they do go out of stock quickly.
The Dry Drinker is a great allrounder when it comes to alcohol-free drinks with a great range of wines, beers and spirits.
Key information
– per 100ml
Type – red wine
Brewery – Eisberg
Country – Germany
Alcohol content – 0%
Calories – 23
Ingredients –
Alcohol-Free Merlot Wine, Rectified Concentrated Grape Must, Natural Flavouring, Preservative: Sulphur Dioxide
Vegan friendly? – yes
Gluten-free? – yes
Availability UK/ EU – medium
Availability US/ CAN – hard
