January swings us in many ways… from New Year resolutions, to setting goals, to going on a health kick – and giving up the booze.
Whether it’s choosing non-alcoholic options all the time or cutting down mid-week, taking a detour down sober street is full of pleasant surprises thanks to a surge in de-alcoholised sparkling wine.
And with leading brands and winemakers fuelling the trend for low and no, popping the corks and pouring a glass of bubbly is a boon to the dreariest month of the year.
Here’s a handful to snap up now…
- Gratien and Meyer Festillant Sparkling Sans Alcohol, £4.50 (€5.42) The Wine Society
A golden nugget at less than a fiver, this medium to off-dry style tastes fruity and fresh with bright lemony and appley notes you might expect from a French crémant; underpinned by a zesty, citrusy core and zippy finish.
- Kylie Minogue Alcohol Free Sparkling Blanc, £6, Morrisons
The Princess of Pop’s fizzy white is sure to spin you round with its creamy notes of baked apple aligned with aromatic jasmine; refreshing with a soft, gentle mousse and nuances of blossom on the finish.
- Thomson & Scott Noughty Dealcoholized Sparkling Chardonnay, £8.50, Waitrose
A drier style with less sugar content than most non-alcoholic sparkling wines, this Spanish gem is right on point with graceful notes of yellow fruit, ripe apple and gentle touch of sweetness on the crisp finish.
- Lyre’s Classico Grande – Low Alcohol Sparkling White Wine, £10.75, Dry Drinker
Drum roll please… this award-winning Classico has a gold, silver and bronze medal under its belt and captures the essence of prosecco with its fruity, floral aromas; ripe pear, apple and juicy peach on the frothy, fresh mousse with a fleeting hint of red apple on the finish.
- Nooh Sparkling Rosé Château La Coste Provence NV, Zero Alcohol, £36.50, Philglas & Swiggot
A French fancy, Château La Coste is famed for its still rosé wines, so you know you’re on to a good thing… this new variant comes with the promise of tasting similar to its flagship Rosé d’une Nuit sans the alcohol. Sumptuous red fruits and perfumed jasmine give way to a stream of seductive strawberry nuances with a hint of rosewater on the appetising finish. Distinctive and delicious, despite the lofty price tag.
