Non-alcoholic mulled wine
Summary
Drink – Merry Berry
Type – non-alcoholic mulled wine
Alcohol content – 0.0%
Rating– 54/100
Review – There aren’t many alcohol-free spiced and mulled wines on offer and Sainsbury’s has given it a good try in recreating the flavours and smells of Christmas. Just a shame it lacks the body but still a good addition for the Christmas lunch.
It’s that time of the year again when the trees go up, the fairy lights sparkle and people pile out onto the cold, damp streets steaming from all the booze. However, if you fancy a more sober Christmas then check out this festive non-alcoholic mulled wine I found at Sainsbury’s.
I am going to presume you’ve had mulled wine before but if you haven’t, mulled wine is a warmed heady spiced wine mixed with the likes of cloves, cardamon, cinnamon and nutmeg. Its smell and taste are incredibly nostalgic and quintessentially Christmasy.
Well, Sainsbury’s has jumped on the increasing rise of alcohol-free drinking and created this Merry Berry Festive Punch which is 0% alcohol and infused with the traditional tastes of Christmas.
The question is, is this a ho-ho-ho or no-no-no non-alcoholic wine? Well, you’ll just need to read my review below to find out.
Is non-alcoholic mulled wine any good?
Taste
Well, Sainsbury’s has given it a good go. When you first take a sip of this alcohol-free mulled wine you immediately taste the classic Christmas flavours of red wine, oranges and cinnamon, That’s the good news. What’s the bad news? Well, it really is one of the thinnest drinks I’ve ever had. There simply isn’t any body to it (primarily due to it being a grape juice rather than a legitimate wine). So the taste is there or thereabouts but the texture and experience is certainly lacking.
Aroma & Appearance
This non-alcoholic mulled wine certainly gives off classic aromas including rich fruit and cloves. It also has the classic red-burgundy look of a mulled wine.
Bonus points
It certainly is one of the ‘healthiest’ non-alcoholic wines given its 0% alcohol and comes in at less than 50 calories per 150 ml glass. Obviously, it is a pretty festive bottle so expect to find this on shelves a month or two before Christmas day.
Buy Alcohol-free Mulled Wine
This wine is only available at Sainsbury’s so find it online or in the local store.
Key information
– per 100ml
Type – Spiced wine
Creator – Sainsbury’s
Country – UK
Alcohol content – 0%
Calories – 39
Ingredients – Water, Concentrated Grape Juice (11%), Colour: Anthocyanins; Maltodextrin, Glycerine, Flavourings, Acid: Citric Acid; Preservatives: Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite (Sulphites).
Vegan friendly? – yes
Gluten-free? – yes
Availability – medium
“Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness.”
-Seneca, AD 50 BC
