If you haven’t heard of NOLO wines then you certainly will, as the "no or lo alcohol" category seems to be burgeoning. As with any trend, I’m seeing a lot of debate around this category, which encompasses beer, grape based wines and wine alternatives based on tea, vinegar or verjus (the latter I’ve read about overseas, but am not actually sure how widespread these yet are in New Zealand?). One school of thought questions whether zero alcohol "wines" can actually be called wine at all? The Wikipedia definition of wine is "an alcoholic drink made from fermented fruit" and other dictionaries I consulted offer similar answers. If a producer begins with a fermented wine containing alcohol, which is then removed, does it retain the right to use the term "wine"? That would be open to individual interpretation. Another aspect of debate revolves around the question of actual demand versus big companies simply spotting an opportunity to target the trendsetters, health conscious or inquisitive wine drinkers to make money? The cynical, question if the quality is really there in the bottle: I have seen a rather pithy review of one (overseas) zero alcohol wine in which the writer suggested that there would be more excitement in a glass of water. The counter argument is that there are many who for health or physical reasons are better to abstain from alcohol (concussion and pregnancy are two obvious cases), while there are others who enjoy the social aspect of sharing wine or beer, but don’t enjoy the after-effects the following morning. For my part, I feel like these wines are a work in progress. Alcohol creates palate weight and texture, while it can also lend a perception of sweetness. A number of zero wines I’ve tasted have a hollow feel on the mid-palate and finish: wineries are working hard to re-create the palate impact that alcohol provides. Bubbles and residual sugar can bring that textural factor, so I was intrigued to try the offerings below to see if they support that supposition, with two of them leading the way. Brown Brothers Prosecco Rosé Zero Price RRP $14.99 Rating Very Good to Excellent Subtle at first, some brioche, wisps of herb, hints of berry fruits. Nice mousse, fresh, crisp, touches of strawberry contrasted by lemony citrus and gooseberry/herbs. The mousse creates good mouthfeel on the mostly dry palate, the merest touch of sweetness on the close. Cranberry & berry fruit grow on the nose while the flavours build nicely. Could happily drink this. www.brownbrothers.com.au Brown Brothers Prosecco Zero Price RRP $14.99 Rating Good to Very Good A vein of honey on the nose, a yeasty/toasty quality, vanilla ice- cream, fresh, bright. Lifted acidity, a lemon & lime cordial aspect, initially with a sour worms like tanginess making it feel more like a food companion. With aeration, the nose remains similar, the tanginess eases back with an earthy/ graphite like element coming into play. Quite crisp. www.brownbrothers.com.au 2021 Brown Brothers Moscato Zero Price RRP $12.99 Rating Very Good to Excellent Quite attractive, grapey, honeyed, aged Riesling like lime on toast/jet fuel notes at first. Full of flavour, a bowl of grapes, musk & honey, a lovely lemon verbena counterpoint. Nice palate weight, flavoursome and good length, definitely some sweetness but a crisp close so drink cool. Great appeal, I’d love to see this in a frizzante style; a touch of spritz could lift it even further. www.brownbrothers.com.au
