Finding a satisfying non-alcoholic wine can be a challenge. So, we turn to wine experts to help guide us. Here, Caleb Ganzer, Managing Director at New York’s La Compagnie Wine Bar, shares his current shortlist—plus one fermented tea appropriate for the wine occasion.
Alt wines
Three Spirit Blurred Vines Sharp
Caleb Ganzer: It was a toss-up between Sharp and Spark (their rosé), but after many bottles of… research… I am constantly returning to Sharp due to its texture, which is reminiscent of a classic British lager, the slight heat, which is part ginger and part capsaicin spice, and the aromatics, which, while very complex, mostly remind me of a pure and transporting apple cider.
CG: This is my day-to-day go-to. The color is electric, the aromatics are a perfect mix of tart raspberry and calming chamomile, and the texture is driven by the fruity acidity and lengthened by the Murray River salt and that umami je ne sais quoi. Great by itself as an apéritif, or alongside bright, fresh summer fare like Thai food or tacos.
Dealcoholized wines
CG: The alcoholic wines from this producer’s portfolio contain some of the most coveted single-vineyard wines in all of Germany. The sheer fact that he and his team spend a good chunk of their time producing some equally exciting dealcoholized wines is a true gift to humanity. The wine that I love alongside any meal is their Sparkling Rosé. Whether out of a can or a bottle, this delivers just enough complexity to keep the mind engaged and the 0% to keep the brain sharp all night. Danke, Josi Leitz!
CG: I’ll admit, at this price point, I was super skeptical. Even with a standard dose of 12% ABV, this wine would be a hard sell as it sits in the ultra-premium category. At 0% ABV, it’s completely unheard of to see a wine at this price point—and yet it delivers. I was sold by the fact that the family behind this wine is used to making beverages in two parts; they straddle the Cognac and Champagne regions. Cognac is made first from a wine that would otherwise be undrinkable, but once distilled and aged in oak, becomes one of the finest spirits on Earth. Champagne, too, starts its life out as a shrill, thin, highly acidic wine barely fit for consumption. The magic comes in the secondary fermentation which allows the wine to go through a metamorphosis and come out the butterfly that Champagne is known to be.
The team also puts a lot of effort into the base wine (pre-dealc), knowing that the wine will be transformed after that process. What’s left is transporting—and dare I even say triggering. The wine was so good I had to triple check that it was indeed 0% ABV wine I was drinking, because it reminded me of a non-alcoholic equivalent of my favorite wine of all time: Jacques Selosse Champagne. The La Cuvée can make a believer out of any wine snob, so long as they have an open mind about drinking a prototypical beverage of the future.
Fermented tea
Unified Ferments Jasmine Green
CG: Grown in China and brewed in Brooklyn, this fermented tea is as aromatically complex as any fine wine. The palate reminds one of a great, textured natural wine, and it’s balanced with just a hint of sweetness. A great start to a meal, an evening, or a pairing for miso-glazed salmon.
Dry Atlas is a media company focused on alcohol alternatives. We deliver non-alcoholic beverage news, insights, and recs to over five million people annually. To stay up to date on all things non-alc, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
