Alcohol-Free Bubbly for the Holidays

For non-drinkers or designated drivers there are alcohol-free wines that are worth trying.

December 1, 2023

If you or some of your guests coming to celebrate the holidays are non-drinkers or perhaps designated drivers, there are some good wine options that improve greatly on the traditional holiday sparkling cider. In particular, alcohol-free wines from a New Zealand producer called Giesen are worth the attention of wine lovers.

During the holiday season – especially on New Year’s Eve – we tend to turn more often to bubbly than at other times of the year. If you’d prefer to enjoy your bubbles sans alcohol, you’ll be happy to know that last month Giesen – the global premium brand leader in alcohol-removed wines – released all-new Giesen 0% Sparkling Brut.

“Whether we’re making 0% or full-strength wines, we want to give wine lovers an elevated wine experience to match every occasion and preference,” says Duncan Shouler, Giesen Wines Chief Winemaker. “For Giesen 0% Sparkling Brut, we kept the residual sugar levels low and focused on a dry, refreshing profile that bursts on the palate with lemon, grapefruit, and pear. You get a wonderfully energetic, non-alcoholic sparkling wine that is naturally lower in calories. For wine lovers seeking to expand their wellness choices, that’s reason to celebrate!”

According to the winemakers at Giesen, “Giesen 0% Sparkling Brut is meticulously sourced from select cool climate, highly aromatic grapes from the Waipara region in the South Island of New Zealand. The winemaking team focuses on specific parcels selected for their notes of zesty lemon and grapefruit balanced with pear and stone fruit blossom flavors. 0% Sparkling Brut begins life as a premium full-strength wine before being dealcoholized through spinning cone technology.”

As a pioneer in the NOLO (No and Low-Alcohol) category, Giesen has invested in cutting-edge spinning cone technology to produce premium alcohol-removed wine offerings with low calories. Giesen 0% employs this technology across their range to gently remove the alcohol while preserving its delicate aromas and vibrant character. For Giesen Chief Winemaker Duncan Shouler, the quality of the base wine is paramount to the final product. Classic winemaking techniques and careful fruit parcel selection ensures that the base wine is of the highest quality before the delicate process of alcohol removal begins. Shouler’s commitment to staying true to style offers a drier, crisper, and more invigorating profile, foregoing excessive sweetness for fruit-driven flavors.

So if you’re cutting back on alcohol for the holidays, consider popping the cork on a bottle of Giesen 0% Sparkling Brut.

Food & Drink, Sips, Utah Bites, Wine, Spirits and Beer

Ted Scheffler

Originally trained as an anthropologist, Ted Scheffler is a seasoned food, wine, and travel writer based in Utah. He loves cooking, skiing, music, and reading, and spends an inordinate amount of time tending to his ever-growing herd of guitars and amplifiers. Ted is also the author of the Utah Bites newsletter, which is published in partnership with Utah Stories. Before moving to Utah, Ted lived in New York City, and numerous states in the US, as well as in various countries overseas, Spain, Japan, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. He earned a Master’s Degree in Anthropology from the Graduate Faculty of The New School for Social Research.

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