Non-alcoholic champagne
A few years ago the non-alcoholic champagne and sparkling wine sectors were limited … and in most cases pretty grim to drink. Thankfully due to the surge in popularity of alcohol-free drinking a lot of businesses have invested serious bucks into producing and marketing non-alcoholic champagne and prosecco … so you can now toast with a smile on your face.
I’ve personally reviewed quite a number of alcohol-free wines and in this article, I’ll take a look at specifically the non-alcoholic sparkling wines on offer. First, we’ll look at what are the best non-alcoholic wines in the sparkling category then pick out some other wines you should try.
In general, I’ve found that they taste better than standard red or white wines. Not too sure why that is, it could be the inclusion of bubbles or perhaps the tart sweetness translates to a more enjoyable drinking experience. Whatever the reason I hope you’ll find the following a useful guide for you to pick out your next celebratory drink.
Top Five non-alcoholic sparkling wines
The following non-alcoholic sparkling wines have either been well received within the community or have been personally reviewed by me (I’ll include to the review under each). There is a mix of Champagne and Prosecco alternatives that are bound to please even the most discerning of drinkers. So in no particular order …
NOUGHTY SPARKLING WINE
Noughty sparkling wines have been out for quite a while now and garnered quite the reputation as the leading alternative to alcoholic champagne. Created by Thomson and Scott, this British producer has gone on to make two sparkling varieties; a carbonated chardonnay and a rosé.
Produced using an innovative alcohol-free wine technique of vacuum distillation, the wines are low in calories, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly with loads of sophisticated flavours.
CHATEAU DEL ISH
Chateau Del ISH is a sparkling white wine by alcohol-free specialists ISH. They have created a fantastic alternative to champagne and prosecco. The wine has a refreshing and crisp fruity flavour thanks to the combination of Silvaner and Pinot Blanc grapes to achieve sweetness with an acidic sidenote.
Check out price and availability on Wise Bartender
Oddbird Spumante
Oddbird, based in Sweden, is an interesting bunch that has developed a number of non-alcoholic sparkling wines including this sparkling white wine.
Made from 100% Glera grapes, if you are looking for a crisp and fruity Prosecco then this is an absolutely great shout. With complex floral, acidic and fruity notes you’ll think you’re drinking an alcoholic Prosecco. t boasts complexity and a taste of celebration.
Carl Jung Mousseux
Bingo! Carl Jung Mousseux Sparkling is the tingling alcohol-free alternative for you Champagne lovers. Refreshment and pure enjoyment.
Carl Jung select a premium sparkling wine and work their magic to gently remove the alcohol, while keeping the essential aromas.
Carl Jung Mousseux Tasting notes
An excellent medium-dry alcohol free sparkling wine, suitable for festive occasions.
Nozeco
Nozeco is a fantastic alcohol-free alternative to prosecco. Made Les Grands Chais de France (who make a number of varieties from Rose, Bucks Fizz and a Bellini). They use de-alcoholised white wine, adding sugar and CO2 (along with natural flavourings) to recreate the classic bitter-sweet flavours of Prosecco.
Not sure what AF bubbly to try?
Bubble taster pack
Let’s face it sometimes variety can be the spice of life and that’s just what Dry Drinker has created in their bubble pack. Three different alcohol-free sparkling wines are on offer here including two from the infamous Bees Knees creators and a lovely bottle of sparkling white wine from Scavi & Ray.
Buy non-alcoholic champagne
A large number of supermarkets and online retailers have cottoned onto the fact that people want a good selection of alcohol-free wines to choose from. Check out some of the retailers below who have an impressive mix of drinks to choose from.
The Dry Drinker is a great allrounder when it comes to alcohol-free drinks with a great range of wines, beers and spirits.
Drizly is one of the USA’s leading online alcohol retailers with a large selection of alcohol-free products to choose from.
How do they make non-alcoholic Champagne?
Before we dig into how it is made let us first look specifically at Champagne itself. It’s important to state that all Champagne is sparkling wine but not all sparkling wines are Champagne. To be officially Champagne the wine must have been made and bottled in the Champagne region of France itself. This is one of the main reasons you won’t find a large selection of non-alcoholic champagnes but you WILL find a large number of non-alcoholic sparkling wines that closely resemble it.
If you read my article on how they made alcohol-free wine you’ll have some context on the processes involved. Believe it or not, the processes involved with making alcohol-free wine are the same as traditional wine. This is one of the reasons why alcohol-free wines can be just as expensive as alcoholic wines, as there are additional processes it needs to go through.
Generally speaking, a wine will either go through one of two processes – distillation or filtration. Distillation is the method by which wine loses its alcohol through the use of steam and a very strong vacuum. Filtration (aka reverse osmosis) uses incredibly high pressure to force the wine through a membrane so fine that it only allows water to pass through and captures those pesky alcohol molecules.
Of course, going through all the above can have an impact on the flavour of alcohol-free wine which is why it can be quite hit and miss. If you want to try decent alcohol-free Champagne or similar alternatives then check out the alcohol-free drink selector tool.
