Helen McGinn “Please can you tell me if there are any good lower alcohol wines I should try?” so asked the lovely Reluctant Launderer (she’s up the duff, and slightly in shock). Until recently I’ve found most lower-alcohol-than-normal wines (I’m talking less than 9% alcohol by volume, the legal limit for most wine to be called wine) about as good as herbal fags i.e. horrible and pointless. Sometimes the wine is naturally lower in alcohol (like Italian Asti or German Riesling) but now there is technology to remove alcohol artificially. And it’s these artificial ones that draw the herbal fag analogy because what is lost in alcohol is also often lost in taste.
But there’s been a change brought about by our evolving tastes and general awareness about not drinking too much. In fact, big 14.5%+ wines suddenly look a bit, well, overdone and out of place. Cooler climates generally produce wines with naturally lower alcohols (sunshine = alcohol) and everywhere from Argentina to New Zealand is seeking out cooler regions to grow grapes and make wines with more subtle, and ultimately more drinkable, alcohol levels. Anyway, here are a few naturally lower-than-normal-alcohol wines I’ve tasted and loved recently:
Mrs Wigley Moscato, 4.5%*, £8.99, Oddbins, Flagship Wines
This was launched just last week at the London International Wine Show and was the only wine tasting I did accompanied by miniature cupcakes. Stroke of genius, it was absolutely delicious. Made from red Frontignac, better known as the floral-scented Muscat grape, in South Australia’s McLaren Vale region. It is the colour of Turkish Delight, smells of roses and is gently fizzy, I kid you not. The down side is, although lower in alcohol, it has got a fair amount of sugar in it. But then, so has cake. Mrs Wigley was a cat that made her home in the fermenting tanks in the winery, apparently. Properly delightful stuff with a lovely story to match.
Dr Wagner Riesling 2010, 8%, £8.54, Waitrose
Another naturally lower-alcohol white from Germany’s Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, where they make adorable Rieslings. This one is delicate, apple-scented and so refreshing as to be a complete joy. And if you share a bottle of this with a friend over dinner, you won’t be crying and complaining about your husband/kids/work/weight by the end of it. Pretty as a floral tea dress.
Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest Vermentino 2011, 9.5%, £8.06, Tesco
Big name, not-so-big alcohol level. The grapes are harvested at night and cool temperatures are maintained when it is made helping to retain the delicate floral aromas and flavours of the wine. It is made from an underrated and really very brilliant grape variety (Vermentino) and it very definitely tastes of wine unlike many of the reduced alcohol wines I’ve tried that taste like my mum’s put one of her Splendas in there.
Lower-alcohol wines are definitely gaining a following, meaning we should have lots more to choose from on our shelves in a year’s time.
Cheers to that x
*I know the lady who looks after Mrs Wigley (the wine, not the cat) and she’s kindly offered to send a bottle of this to a lucky reader so leave a comment if you want your name in a hat and I’ll ask Eldest Boy to pick one out next week.
What a great name, Mrs Wigley!
If something needs to have alcohol removed, I can't quite see the point. Would rather have an interesting fruit juice. But the idea of naturally-lower alcohol levels sounds good.
With you. Make it a nice ginger beer on a wine-free night. Then have a really lovely wine on a wine night.
Vermentino – my most favorite white!
Don't you finish off that Minuty before I'm next over 😉
Can I put my name in the hat for my parents? Not that they would benefit from drinking lower alcohol wine but… Oh, alright. They absolutely would. And so would I whilst I'm visiting them this summer!
Of course! Might you be at BML, Mrs?
Thank you, lovely lady. Very very thoughtful of you. Just what I need. Doubly pleased that I *have* to eat cupcakes to properly enjoy the moscato. All sound divine, and now added to my list of things to buy today (along with granny pants, scholl sandals, and 15 bars of green & blacks). Roll on 7.01pm.
Pleasure. Let them eat cake, I say x
OOOO! Wish I'd know about this earlier – coming up to 34 weeks pregnant and made the huge error of buying "alcohol free wine" It was like drinking a combination of jam and mead. Yuck!!
All of these sound lovely and light for the weather we've been having too and seeing as cake eating is one of the few hobbies I have had to tide me through this pregnancy as well!!!
Can I put my name in the hat to?
Of course! Done. Thanks for coming by.
I have to have cakey wine! I just HAVE to!*rushes off to Oddbins*
Yay! Wondering whether you might report back with your English wine findings…English Wine by English Mum?! x
Thank you so much for this! I would love to cut down on alcohol but still have something that tastes good. Got any ideas for red wines?
Peg
xx
Hi lovely Peggy…with red, you could try a slightly fizzy red called Brown Brothers Cienna, it is a bit off the wall but strangely lovely and just 7.5%. Make sure you chill it, otherwise it tastes really odd. Other than that, Gallo do something called Summer Red at 10% but it didn't really do it for me. Have half a glass of something delicious instead. See you at BML! x
Thank you! Yes we'll have a drink together at BML!
Fab ideas for my 5pm tipple in the heat, thank you!
That's what I like to hear!
You won!!
Fantastic. Cheers!
Yes please to the Mrs Wigley, what a great (and memorable) moniker!
Isn't it great? Properly delicious-in-a-non-serious-way stuff too…like candyfloss.
Wine and cake? I'm in….
I've been waiting for you to turn up 😉
Am I *that* predictable? (she says, wiping icing sugar (M's bday tomorrow) off her skirt…)
Ha ha…not at all 😉