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Low and no-alcohol recommendations to get you through Dry January with Downham Market-based wine connoisseur




Soup to Nuts Digital writer Giles Luckett pens his fortnightly Wine O’Clock column…

Happy New Year! 2025 is set to be an exciting year in the world of wine, not least as it’s likely to see even more low and no-alcohol wines come to market. In days gone by most alcohol-free wines were like ABBA tribute bands and best avoided. Today thanks to techniques such as reverse osmosis (see me after class for an explanation as I’m still in the dark) low and no-alcohol wines can be excellent. So, if you’re one of the 9 million Brits planning a dry January, these are for you…

First up, a rosé, the Torres Matureo (Ocado £6). This blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon is produced in the usual way, but the alcohol is removed at the end. Doing it this way leaves it dry rather than having residual sugar left floating around. Mid-pink with an enticing bouquet of red berries, cherries, and a hint of black pepper, the palate is vibrant but weighty, the abundant red fruit and bright acidity creating a satisfying whole.

if you’re one of the 9 million Brits planning a dry January, these are for you. Photo: iStock
if you’re one of the 9 million Brits planning a dry January, these are for you. Photo: iStock

Some of the best booze-free wines I’ve had have been whites. With their combination of fruitiness and a touch of sweetness they bear a closer resemblance to ‘normal’ wines and so drink better. Hardys Zero Chardonnay (Tesco £4) is an excellent example of this. Fragrant and fruit-driven, tasted blind I would have put it down as a Riesling (no bad thing), as attending the apple and peach flavours is a certain sweetness, but this is admirably off-set by the zingy acidity that keeps everything fresh and balanced. Serve this with roast lemon chicken; I’d be surprised if you noticed the difference.

On my periodic dry spells, I find my consumption of tea rises sharply. Until the end of last year, however, I’d never had my thirst for wine quenched by tea, let alone a sparkling tea. Well, that all changed when I tried the Copenhagen Sparkling Tea (Corks and Cru £15.95). Made from a blend of 13 different teas including white and Darjeeling, this is a curiously delicious brew. Its bouquet is floral, with muscat and tropical fruit notes which transfer to the ripe palate where a mixture of honey and leaf tea bitterness add further interest. Sip this like you would a fine sparkling wine.

Great alcohol-free red wines are harder to find. Most of the ones I’ve tasted are either cloyingly sweet or have a stripped-down, hollow quality to them. A notable exception is the Thomson & Scott Noughty Red (Waitrose £9.95). Again, this is a dealcoholized wine, so the issue of residual sugar is dealt with, but in removing the alcohol they haven’t robbed it of its character. Deep purple, it has a classic New World Syrah nose of cherries, blackberries, and peppercorns, while on the medium-bodied palate, you’ll find generous quantities of plums, fruits of the forest, spices and a touch of creamy vanilla.

if you’re one of the 9 million Brits planning a dry January, these are for you. Photo: iStock
if you’re one of the 9 million Brits planning a dry January, these are for you. Photo: iStock

Well, if you are taking on Dry January, I wish you the best of luck and I hope these will help you get through till February. I’ve been dry all January (OK, so it is only the 2nd) so I’m off for a gin.



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