It used to be that cutting out or back on booze meant switching to soft drink. But as demand for better, more complex and more mature no- and low-alcohol offerings has surged, producers have followed suit.
Whether you’re looking for something completely alcohol-free, or something lighter to enjoy over lunch, these three wines have you covered.
2022 Trentham Estate Two Thirds Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Fresh and lively with green colour, citrus and tropical aromas; captivating, crisp and refreshing. A great luncheon wine.Winemakers Anthony Murphy and Steve Yang say: With early harvesting and careful winemaking, we’ve crafted this refreshing white wine with only 8.5 per cent alcohol – two-thirds the alcoholic strength of a standard white wine. Harvest dates are carefully selected to ensure fruit is picked with lower sugar levels and good natural flavours to craft a light, lifted style. The grapes are then crushed, pressed and cool fermented. Towards the end of fermentation, the wine is chilled and clarified to give the lower alcohol level, before an early bottling to deliver a fresh, lively wine. Pioneers of this low-alcohol style, this is the 19th vintage of Two Thirds that Trentham Estate has produced.
Best enjoyed: Best enjoyed in its youth. Ideal well-chilled with salt and pepper squid, chicken or light vegetarian dishes.
RRP $16 | 8.5% ABV | Drink immediately | trenthamestate.com.au
2022 McWilliam's Balance Alcohol-Removed Sauvignon Blanc
A crisp non-alcoholic white wine with fresh aromas of passionfruit and snow peas. Citrus and herbaceous flavours and a touch of tropical fruit. Refreshing acidity while finishing round and soft.McWilliam's winemakers say: McWilliam’s Balance was originally released over 10 years ago. Back then, the no- and low-alcohol category was not as exciting as today – there simply wasn’t the demand. Today, we are ready to ‘bring back the Balance’ for drinkers who are conscious of their alcohol consumption yet still want to enjoy full-flavoured wines. The wine is carbonated to a light spritz at bottling to add mouthfeel and lift the aroma profile.
Best enjoyed: Sit back and unwind with a chilled glass of McWilliam’s Balance Sauvignon Blanc over a plate of fresh seafood or light pasta dishes.
RRP $14.99 | <0.5% ABV | Drink immediately | mcwilliams.com.au
2022 Balancing Heart Wild Yeast Pinot Grigio
Astonishing notes of orange marmalade and Tahitian lime juice disperse through a peacock’s fantail of white flowers and peach blossoms. Delicate stone fruit flavours flow through the palate like a cool mountain stream with silky thread like acidity soothing the mind.Winemaker and viticulturist Mike Hayes says: Winemaking for this wine was all natural, with wild yeast commencing after a lag-phase of 48 hours. On completion of ferment, the wine was kept on light lees for 16 weeks and finally bentonite added for heat stability. The cold stability is natural under the cold winter nights on the Granite Belt.
Best enjoyed: At about 16–18 degrees with shared plates of fresh seasonal foods. Spice is not a problem as the wine is so juicy and mouthwatering. Drink anytime over the next few years, but we have sense that this will be a lovely savoury balanced wine eight years on.
RRP $55 | 11% ABV | Drink to 2025 | balancingheart.com.au
