A review of Washington's newest non-alcoholic sparkling rosé
Washington has over 1,000 licensed wineries, yet only a couple non-alcoholic options in the entire state. That's why I was thrilled to hear that this past summer, a new non-alcoholic sparkling rosé hit the market, Un Wine'd Sparkling Rosé.
IS THIS JUST SPARKLING JUICE?
Thankfully, no. A quality non-alcoholic wine goes through the same fermentation and aging process as regular wine, only to have the alcohol removed at the last stages, often through temperature or filtration. This makes non-alcoholic wine much less sugary than grape juice and provides an actual wine flavor. It is wine, with the alcohol removed.
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 different palates.
But before you get too excited... don't put a non-alcoholic wine side-by-side with its counterpart and expect the exact same taste. Wine does change both in body and flavor quite a bit when the alcohol is removed. My advice to those just starting out is to always approach them with an open mind, and treat them as a category of their own.
HOW DOES IT ACTUALLY TASTE?
On to the good stuff, how does this new rose actually taste? Luckily for us, quite delicious. This non-alcoholic wine is made from grapes sourced 100% from the Columbia Valley AVA, with no added juices. It's light and crisp, slightly floral with soft notes of strawberry and a nice balanced acidity. The finish (where you normally taste a bit of bite from alcohol) is a little flat, like pretty much all non-alcoholic wines, but it's not off-putting.
The main complaint I hear (or dish out) about non-alcoholic wine is that they tend to be very sweet. This is due to many companies adding juices to enhance the flavor. What I like about this product is that it's off-dry with only 15 cals and 4g of sugar in a single serving, and no added juices.
You may have a little sticker shock when you see a four-pack of cans will run you $30. However, each can is 12oz so you're looking at just shy of two bottles. I also love having a handy can to take with me to parties or outings where I know we're not going to be drinking whole bottles.
I love supporting a Pacific Northwest non-alcoholic product, and this one is delightful. You can find it at select grocery stores around Seattle or online at The Zero Proof with code "Soberishmom" for 10% off at checkout.
Watch me review these on Instagram and send me message with some of your favorite n/a products, I'd love to hear from you. Happy clean drinking!
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