I tasted 6 nonalcoholic wines, and the whites and reds were shockingly bad

Emma TaylorApr 21, 2020, 17:29 IST

InsiderI tried a white, rosé, red, a wine alternative, a sparkling wine, and sparkling mead.Emma Taylor/Insider

After trying a bunch of nonalcoholic beers, I blind taste-tested six nonalcoholic wines and wine alternatives during Dry January.
Although I had been told nonalcoholic wine could taste pretty bad, I was not expecting just how terrible some of them were. Many didn't even come close to imitating a glass of wine.
However, the nonalcoholic sparkling wine was actually really good, and incredibly close to the real thing.
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After taste-testing a bunch of alcohol-free and nonalcoholic beers in honor of Dry January, it was only fair to give wines a go. I am a big wine drinker, and would have a couple of glasses each week to relax with or catch up with friends over. My usual order is something dry, light, and if I am driving afterward, topped up with soda water.

I know that if I was to give up alcohol for whatever reason, I'd miss wine the most — I've come to now realize wine is a large part of my social rituals.

I tested out an assortment of six nonalcoholic and low-alcohol wines, and wine alternatives. I've been told that nonalcoholic wines, for the most part, are unpalatable, which is why I threw in a couple of replacement options that could hit the spot that drinking wine occupies. Dry January is a long and arduous month for some, so it's good to have choice.

Overall, the red and white wines I tasted were quite bad, but could appeal to some if they had time to experiment with serving ideas (frozen berries in the rosé could work). Out of the bunch, it was a light sparkling wine that came out on top.

With the help of my editor taking pictures and setting up the blind tasting, we followed the same analytical process as was used when taste-testing nonalcoholic beers.

I also refrigerated the drinks this time.

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My winner was Thomson & Scott Noughty Alcohol Free Organic Sparkling Wine because it was so close to the real thing.

Sparkling wine took the top spot. Kiara Keane/Insider

It was the 0.5% ABV Gosnells Sparkling Mead — my eyes had been opened.

The sparkling mead gave a surprising twist. Kiara Keane/Insider

... the taste changed halfway through.

Surprisingly, the taste changed. Kiara Keane/Insider

The consistency was smooth and the tart taste hit me first, but then something unexpected happened ...

The liquid's consistency was smooth. Kiara Keane/Insider

Oh, this looked as though it was a cross between a wine and beer. It was cloudy but clear, and had a great color and fizz. The smell was tart though, but not in an unpleasant way.

It looked like a wine and beer hybrid. Kiara Keane/Insider

Oh, this looked as though it was a cross between a wine and beer. It was cloudy but clear, and had a great color and fizz. The smell was tart though, but not in an unpleasant way.

The final taste-test with number six.

The last drink. Kiara Keane/Insider

Thomson & Scott Noughty Alcohol Free Organic Sparkling Wine was contestant number five.

You'll be feeling fine with this sparkling wine Kiara Keane/Insider

But the taste was that of a light and dry prosecco-esque drink.

It tasted light and like a sparkling wine. Kiara Keane/Insider

Weirdly, there was no smell. None at all. No fruitiness, no floral notes. It was almost like sniffing crisp mountain air. I couldn't even smell the carbonation the happy beads of bubbles were giving off.

There was no smell to this drink. Kiara Keane/Insider

Weirdly, there was no smell. None at all. No fruitiness, no floral notes. It was almost like sniffing crisp mountain air. I couldn't even smell the carbonation the happy beads of bubbles were giving off.

I knew this was the sparkling wine as there were effervescent rows streaming up from the bottom of the glass. The color was the pale gold of a dry sparkling wine too.

I confidently guessed this was the sparkling wine. Kiara Keane/Insider

Drink number five.

The next-to-last drink at number five. Kiara Keane/Insider

I had such high hopes for the De-Alcoholised Fre Premium Red wine, so I was a bit disappointed it didn't follow through.

It smelled and tasted faintly of baked beans. Kiara Keane/Insider

There was something about the flavor that rung a lot of bells for me, and I had to keep going back for more sips to try and grasp onto what it was.

Again, wheels were turning in my brain trying to figure out what the familiar yet unidentifiable taste was. Kiara Keane/Insider

The smell was metallic and kind of meaty (yuck), so I can confirm it did not smell like delicious red wine. The taste was even worse.

It did not taste good. Kiara Keane/Insider

Big points for looking like a good red wine. I measure red wine color (again I am not a qualified sommelier or even know that much about wines, I simply like it) as being decent if there's a depth to the hue, but not so deep that you can't see through it.

Tick for the red wine color looking spot on like the real thing. Kiara Keane/Insider

Big points for looking like a good red wine. I measure red wine color (again I am not a qualified sommelier or even know that much about wines, I simply like it) as being decent if there's a depth to the hue, but not so deep that you can't see through it.

I knew for a fact this was the non-alcoholic red wine as it was room temperature (the only one of the six options that was) and had a decent red wine color.

Red, red wine don't go to my head... Kiara Keane/Insider

Knock at the door, number four.

Wine number four. Kiara Keane/Insider

Leitz Eins Zwei Zero Alcohol-Free Riesling was behind door number three.

The heavy and tangy taste was not for me. Kiara Keane/Insider

You can tell by my face here that this was not a pleasurable sip.

Struggling to get over the juice feel of this. Kiara Keane/Insider

Again, the smell was evoking low-price wine vibes. Quite vinegary and tart.

It looked like a white wine, but did it taste like a white wine? Kiara Keane/Insider

It looked like a white wine and had a nice color.

Number three could be all white. Kiara Keane/Insider

Hello, number three. Please be delicious.

Option three. Kiara Keane/Insider

Torres Natureo De-Alcoholised Spanish rosé wine was number three.

At a quick glance I don't think anyone would realise this rosé is non-alcoholic. Kiara Keane/Insider

Not surprisingly, it tasted like bargain rosé too.

The taste is exactly what you would expect budget rosé to taste like. Kiara Keane/Insider

Number two also smelled like cheap rosé and brought back some hazy sun-soaked memories.

I share my thoughts about the cheap rosé smell with my editor. Kiara Keane/Insider

I was 98% sure this was the rosé. It was cold, and it looked like the cheap kind of rosé you'd knock back in the park on a summer's day.

Very certain number two was the rosé. Kiara Keane/Insider

Me and you, number two.

My second drink. Kiara Keane

It was actually a non-alcoholic aperitif from Aecorn, the "Aromatic" flavor. Even the bottle felt like a proper grown-up one, with metallic gold accents and a stylish acorn leaf design.

Although I liked it, this drink was too adult-tasting for me to return to. I can imagine some people out there would relish the flavor, though. Kiara Keane/Insider

It was actually a non-alcoholic aperitif from Aecorn, the "Aromatic" flavor. Even the bottle felt like a proper grown-up one, with metallic gold accents and a stylish acorn leaf design.

The smell translated into the taste of the drink. It was quite a grown-up taste with the strong smoky taste and notes of berry fruits.

Berry notes mixed in with the smokey taste. Kiara Keane/Insider

This glass was cold, so I knew immediately it wasn't the alcohol-free red wine (which I did not chill). It had a really strong oaky smell.

The smell is smokey. Kiara Keane

On sight, it looked like a British soft drink called Ribena (a flavored cordial mixed with water).

Looks like Ribena in the glass. Kiara Keane

Contestant number one.

First up to bat. Kiara Keane/Insider

Obviously it was going to be a little easier to identify which one was which in this highly scientific experiment as the colors were all so different.

A rainbow of non-alcoholic drinks which sort of give the game away. Kiara Keane/Insider

I went in with six options to try if you're a wine-lover and are curious about the nonalcoholic options.

The six choices lined up. Kiara Keane/Insider

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I tasted 6 nonalcoholic wines, and the whites and reds were shockingly bad

My winner was Thomson & Scott Noughty Alcohol Free Organic Sparkling Wine because it was so close to the real thing.

It was the 0.5% ABV Gosnells Sparkling Mead — my eyes had been opened.

... the taste changed halfway through.

The consistency was smooth and the tart taste hit me first, but then something unexpected happened ...

Oh, this looked as though it was a cross between a wine and beer. It was cloudy but clear, and had a great color and fizz. The smell was tart though, but not in an unpleasant way.

The final taste-test with number six.

Thomson & Scott Noughty Alcohol Free Organic Sparkling Wine was contestant number five.

But the taste was that of a light and dry prosecco-esque drink.

Weirdly, there was no smell. None at all. No fruitiness, no floral notes. It was almost like sniffing crisp mountain air. I couldn't even smell the carbonation the happy beads of bubbles were giving off.

I knew this was the sparkling wine as there were effervescent rows streaming up from the bottom of the glass. The color was the pale gold of a dry sparkling wine too.

Drink number five.

I had such high hopes for the De-Alcoholised Fre Premium Red wine, so I was a bit disappointed it didn't follow through.

There was something about the flavor that rung a lot of bells for me, and I had to keep going back for more sips to try and grasp onto what it was.

The smell was metallic and kind of meaty (yuck), so I can confirm it did not smell like delicious red wine. The taste was even worse.

Big points for looking like a good red wine. I measure red wine color (again I am not a qualified sommelier or even know that much about wines, I simply like it) as being decent if there's a depth to the hue, but not so deep that you can't see through it.

I knew for a fact this was the non-alcoholic red wine as it was room temperature (the only one of the six options that was) and had a decent red wine color.

Knock at the door, number four.

Leitz Eins Zwei Zero Alcohol-Free Riesling was behind door number three.

You can tell by my face here that this was not a pleasurable sip.

Again, the smell was evoking low-price wine vibes. Quite vinegary and tart.

It looked like a white wine and had a nice color.

Hello, number three. Please be delicious.

Torres Natureo De-Alcoholised Spanish rosé wine was number three.

Not surprisingly, it tasted like bargain rosé too.

Number two also smelled like cheap rosé and brought back some hazy sun-soaked memories.

I was 98% sure this was the rosé. It was cold, and it looked like the cheap kind of rosé you'd knock back in the park on a summer's day.

Me and you, number two.

It was actually a non-alcoholic aperitif from Aecorn, the "Aromatic" flavor. Even the bottle felt like a proper grown-up one, with metallic gold accents and a stylish acorn leaf design.

The smell translated into the taste of the drink. It was quite a grown-up taste with the strong smoky taste and notes of berry fruits.

This glass was cold, so I knew immediately it wasn't the alcohol-free red wine (which I did not chill). It had a really strong oaky smell.

On sight, it looked like a British soft drink called Ribena (a flavored cordial mixed with water).

Contestant number one.

Obviously it was going to be a little easier to identify which one was which in this highly scientific experiment as the colors were all so different.

I went in with six options to try if you're a wine-lover and are curious about the nonalcoholic options.