Fourth Wave Wine has added three new alcohol-free wines to its range, ideal for the end of summer; Plus & Minus Premium Barossa Shiraz, Blanc de Blancs, and Plus & Minus Prosecco in a handy 250ml can.
The release comes at the perfect time as plenty of Australians are in the middle of Febfast, giving up alcohol or another vice in February to raise money for disadvantaged youth across the country.
“The demand for zero-alcohol wines has rocketed in the last twelve months with many Australians simply choosing to consume less or even no alcohol. This is seen across all age groups but particularly amongst 18–24-year-olds, where the number of non-drinkers has doubled in the past 20 years,” Fourth Wave Wine general manager Ross Marshall says.
Industry research shows that this trend is set to continue into 2022, with 71% of Australians planning to increase or maintain their no or low alcohol consumption, and 65% saying they are keen to discover new low or no alcohol drinks to give a range of alternatives to traditional alcoholic beverages.
The first drink I tried was the Plus & Minus Prosecco, coming in a sleek-looking slim can. When I’ve had non-alcoholic wine in the past, I’ve found that whites are much better and this one was no exception.
This drink held true to what makes a prosecco so nice and doesn’t just default to a sweet taste that isn’t what you’re going for in a more bitter taste. It has a firm fruit flavour but isn’t overpowering and like any good sparkling white, fizzed like all hell coming out of the fridge – perfect.
Next up was the Blanc de Blancs, coming from Sobriety Society Non-Alcoholic. While I preferred the prosecco, the Blanc had its own strengths. Leaning on more sweet tones, notes of apple were really in this bottle and the dry aftertaste is just present enough to let you know it exists.
I do love the name however and the bottle boasted about having “all the fizz without the fuzzy head”, love it.
The final bottle that ManSpace got to try was the Plus & Minus Premium Barossa Shiraz.
In my experience, non-alcoholic reds have been harder to perfect. While the Plus & Minus Shiraz beats the other reds out of the park, I wouldn’t pick it over the others.
The drop uses advanced, state-of-the-art technology to extract the alcohol via a combination of hands-on methods, including the use of an ultra-fine membrane filter. This refined methodology involves a complex and detailed process that takes time and technique to remove the alcohol carefully and gently.
It ensures the integrity of the grape, and the structure and balance of the wine is retained, resulting in an exceptionally high-quality taste for a zero-alcohol wine.
It didn’t have that same punch as the white wines did, but I’m not a red wine kinda guy so maybe I’m not the right target market. While you can, and while the sun is still blaring down, I’d definitely recommend that people get their hands on the Prosecco or Blanc de Blancs.
Plus & Minus and Sobriety Society Wines are available from leading liquor retailers. For more information on the range, visit: www.theconsciousdrop.com.au – an online hub established by Fourth Wave Wine, offering information, tasting notes and advice on the myriad of choices available in the growing category of lifestyle wines.
