I am always on the hunt for a balanced, non-alcoholic white wine without the bubbles. While the NA beverage category continues growing, most alcohol-removed white wines seem carbonated. Why is that? Am I in the minority of people who don’t seek out bubbly beverages? Or is it a way to give body to a wine that can’t rely on alcohol?
Regardless, I was excited to find a crisp and balanced chardonnay by Newblood out of Australia – no bubbles here! This wine has a bouquet of citrus and honeysuckle with hints of oak.
Newblood promotes its triple-distillation process, including grapes left on the vine slightly longer to ensure maximum flavor. Their alcohol removal process is not clear, other than noted as “slow,” nor do they list the ABV on their website. However, since I bought this in the US and the label reads “non-alcoholic,” it must contain less than 0.5% ABV (assuming this import complies with FDA labeling requirements). Calories are noted at 16 per 125 mL serving and sugars of 1.6g per serving.
Newblood also has a red blend and a rosé in the NA category. The Nugan Estate, whose winemaking family has been producing for 80 years, creates these wines.
I found this wine at a PCC Market and would recommend it for any occasion you want a chardonnay.
THE HAPPY TRAVELER – VINTAGE TRAVEL BARS: The Artist & Curator, Kim Parsley, lives near Seattle, Washington.
With an education in Interior Design, her career path has led her to fulfill many roles in interior architecture. Now retired, she leverages her design skills towards the curation of vintage travel bars as well as collecting and selling vintage barware.
Kim is also a contributor to multiple magazines, including The Sober Curator. She writes reviews and articles for the Happy Every Hour section, including non-alcoholic spirit reviews and recipe contributions.
When not in the studio or traveling, she and her husband spend many weekends off-the-grid hiking and experimenting with new cocktails at their cabin in the woods of the North Cascades.
HAPPY EVERY HOUR: Welcome to the hub for all things NA, featuring reviews of alcohol-free beers, ciders, wines, spirits, RTDs (ready-to-drink), NA recipes, and so much more from behind the bar. #becausedrunkneverlooksgood
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