health
Wanted: real no-lo alternatives for wine drinkers
Perhaps the non-alcoholic alternative for wine drinkers should not be a wine at all, but a different sip altogether? We slurp through some likely candidates …
TL;DR
- Non-alcoholic cocktail and beer options are plentiful, but wine drinkers face a challenge finding suitable alcohol-free alternatives.
- The ideal substitute should come in a wine bottle, be suitable for stemware, pair with food, and not be a simple imitation like Shloer.
- Dealcoholised wines are often made with cheap fruit and lack the desired flavor due to alcohol removal.
- Kombucha, made from fermented sweetened tea with a scoby, offers a savory character, tannins, and combines well with other flavors.
- Fermented root-based drinks, such as those from Feral, provide alternatives with gentle acidity and full body, suitable for red wine drinkers.
- Specific recommended alternatives include Real kombucha, Substance/s Brume sparkling tea, Romain des Grottes' L’Antidote, and Feral's beet-based drinks.