Would you believe me if I told you this N/A sparkling rosé is actually better than some of the "real" alcoholic ones I've tried?
Personal rating: 8/10
Price: $11
I’m going to be straight with you. The first few non-alcoholic wines I tried left a little something to be desired. Actually, A LOT to be desired. I poured a lot of glasses straight down the drain and figured I'd be better off with a club soda. But as I’ve researched, sampled, and educated myself further I’ve discovered there are truly some incredible options out there. Rondel "Zero" Sparkling Cava Rosé is one of them.
RONDEL NON-ALCOHOLIC SPARKLING CAVA ROSE REVIEW
This Spanish n/a cava is bursting with bright fruit flavors of strawberry and cherry, with a hint of green apple, making it a great summertime beverage… or anytime beverage. I was most surprised by how fine the bubbles were - like real cava! Not carbonated grape juice like several of the other sparkling zero “wines” I’ve tried. It’s surprisingly well-balanced and finishes with a bright, crisp acidity and hint of sweetness.
For about $10 a bottle, RUN to the store to try this delightful bottle. (I found it at Total Wine & More). I swear this bottle is better than most of the $10 alcoholic sparkling rosés I’ve tried. And I’ve tried my fair share. Another amazing non-alcoholic sparkling wine I love is Wölffer Estate Vineyard's Spring in a Bottle, which runs $23 at Total Wine & More.
IS THIS JUST SPARKLING JUICE?
Thankfully, no! Non-alcoholic wine goes through the same fermentation and aging process as regular wine, only to have the alcohol removed at the last stages. This makes non-alcoholic wine much less sugary than grape juice and provides an actual wine flavor.
While non-alcoholic wines tend to carry a bleak reputation for questionable quality, there are some producers who have made major strides in the non alcoholic wine-making process. There are actually quite a few different high-quality options on the market today when it comes to all styles of non alcoholic wines, and there are enough different styles and grape varietals to please all the different strokes for different folks. The main issue I’ve found is that you likely can’t pick them up at your local grocery store. Luckily for us, many are now available on Amazon and can be delivered right to your door. I’ve also been really impressed with the variety of nonalcoholic options at places like Total Wine & More and BevMo, if you have one in your neighborhood that’s a major score.
CHECK YOUR LABEL
Unlike regular wine, non-alcoholic wines have the nutritional facts posted on the label. Make sure when you’re picking out a bottle of non-alcoholic wine you check the label to see if there are a lot of added juices and what the sugar content is. This will be helpful as you determine the style and flavor profiles you like. For instance, I recently tried two n/a California chardonnays side-by-side. When I checked the label I saw that one had six grams of sugar a glass, and the other had nearly double that. Immediately I knew that the bottle with less sugar would be dryer and have a more authentic chardonnay flavor profile. The bottle with more sugar tasted like a spoiled grape juice and immediately went down the drain.
PERSONAL RATING
I give this delicious zero cava a 8/10. It's a tad sweet, but very close to the real deal.
Cheers!