Alcohol-Free & Low-Alcohol Wine

It’s easy to get confused about the terms used to describe lower alcohol wines. But in fact there are pretty clear government guidelines as to what these terms mean.

• Non-alcoholic – this term is sometimes mistakenly used to refer to wines and beers with no alcohol. However, according to Government guidelines, it should really only be used to describe soft drinks like orange juice or lime and soda.
• Alcohol-free – an alcohol-free drink may contain up to 0.05% alcohol. The reason it isn’t set at zero is that it is very difficult to completely remove alcohol from wine or beer. However, at 0.05% you would have to drink 100 pints to consume the equivalent of one pint of 5% lager.
• Low alcohol – a drink labelled low alcohol must contain no more than 1.2% alcohol. For context, four pints at 1.2% would be the equivalent of one pint of 5% lager. A good option if you’re looking to moderate your alcohol intake.
• "No and Low" alcohol – we often use the term ‘no and low-alcohol’ to refer to both alcohol-free and low alcohol wines.

At Laithwaites, we have low-alcohol and alcohol-free wines in all the most popular styles – including reds, whites, rosé and sparkling alcohol-free wines.

You might notice that our range is quite small compared to the huge variety of alcoholic wines. This is because we will only sell alcohol-free wines that meet our buyers’ high standards – and there are very few that do!

Check the list above to discover alcohol-free Cava, alcohol-free Prosecco  (AKA Nosecco), and alcohol-free reds, whites and rosés.

Look out for bottles from no-and low-alcohol specialists Wenesday’s Domaine. Their alcohol-free red and white wines are made in the usual way then gently de-alcoholised. They then add a handful of natural ingredients to just lift the body, flavour, aroma and length.

Oddbird is another specialist in alcohol-free wine – using a revolutionary technique to remove the alcohol with minimal effect on flavour. They are well worth checking out.

There’s really no limit on what grapes can be used to make an alcohol free wine – but some do work better than others.

 Wednesday’s Domaine Vignette, for example, is an alcohol-free red wine made mostly with Tempranillo, giving it plenty of soft berry fruit. A splash of Petit Verdot (one of the rarer Bordeaux varieties) adds extra depth and tannin – giving it a good texture.

Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz would also work well for reds.

Domaine Piquant, from the same producer, is an alcohol-free white made from Airén – a popular Spanish variety that makes zingy whites with good acidity. This gives you an alcohol-free white with lovely freshness – perfect served well chilled.

Sauvignon Blanc is another good option for alcohol-free whites, as its distinctive flavour profile will still shine through after the alcohol is removed.

For alcohol-free sparkling wines, the same grapes are used as for the originals. For example, alcohol-free Prosecco is made from Glera grapes. Alcohol-free sparkling are great choices and often difficult to tell apart from their alcoholic versions.

We won’t deny it – creating an alcohol-free wine that tastes exactly like your favourite red or white is tricky. But they are getting MUCH better.

Using advanced techniques to remove alcohol without affecting the taste, producers like Wednesday’s Domaine and Oddbird are creating alcohol-free reds, whites, and rosés that are as close as you can get to the originals.

Wednesday’s Domaine add natural ingredients to get closer to the taste of a regular wine, with notable success. As one reviewer wrote of their red and white, “Both these alcohol-free wines are the best, five star rating, outstanding.”

For individual tasting notes on alcohol-free wines, check out the products above.

The rules for storing alcohol-free wine are pretty much the same as for alcoholic wine: store away from light and avoid extremes of temperature. 

Do bear in mind however that alcohol-free wines are not designed to be matured, and are best enjoyed young.

For serving and food matching tips, see our blog ...

The date of your alcohol-free wine delivery will depend on which option you choose at checkout: 

Standard delivery is ideal if you’re buying for yourself or as a thank you gift. We’ll deliver your order within three working days.

Next-day delivery is a great choice for last-minute gifts, while Named-day delivery is perfect for anniversaries, birthdays and special occasions. Do bear in mind that we don’t deliver on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

Top tip: for the best experience, subscribe to our Unlimited service. You’ll make a one-off payment of £29.99 which entitles you to free delivery for a year – as often as you like – even on single bottles.

Our wines are covered by a no-quibble guarantee.

That means, if, for whatever reason, a bottle fails to satisfy, we’ll arrange to collect it. You’ll have the option to either receive a full refund or replace the wine. 

It’s that simple.