The Best Alcohol-Free Sparkling Wine You Might Not Have Tried
Plus, food chemistry writer Harold McGee on mouthfeel
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Removing alcohol from wine is hard. As I mentioned in the last edition, I often wonder whether or not we should be trying. But we are, and we're getting better at it, and today's pick is, in my opinion, one of the most successful.
Cocktail pro (and Proteau founder) John deBary turned me onto Semblance nonalcoholic sparkling wine, which launched about a year ago. I can't tell you much about the grapes, other than that they're chardonnay and ostensibly from Monterey County, California, because I haven't yet spoken with the Los Angeles-based co-founders Blaine and Esther Vess. (I tried to interview the entrepreneurs for a story, but Blaine said he preferred “not to be included in a piece that focuses on part of the technical process for creating some nonalcoholic beverages.") I can't tell you who the couple is working with to make Semblance, either, because they wish to keep it confidential.
None of this is great, but, alas, their product is. I’d say it’s on par with the buzzy Thomson & Scott alcohol-free chardonnay. (Leitz’s reisling is best in class, and Johannes Leitz is, to my knowledge, the only producer who uses his own own wine.)
Vibe:
Flavor: Brut-like—so, dry with a hint of sweetness—and crisp
Drink with: Quiche Lorraine, buttery roasted fennel, tandoori chicken, pasta with pesto
To purchase: Go to semblance.com; $30 for one 750-milliliter bottle
Mouthfeel comes up a lot when assessing alcohol-free drinks, and in the case of wine, it's often described as, well, lacking. "Some things you want to be thin and zip across the palate," says Ryan Chetiyawardana, a.k.a. Mr. Lyan,* "others you want to feel weighty and luxurious." Wine is generally in the latter camp.
How, exactly, does alcohol bring body-ody-ody? Here's what Harold McGee, our most preeminent writer on the chemistry of food and cooking, told me:
Alcohol and water are completely dissolvable in each other, but the two-carbon "chain" in alcohol makes them sufficiently different that when they're mixed, alcohol and water molecules tend to form separate clusters. And the presence of these transient structures causes the viscosity of the mix to be higher than that of either pure liquid.
What's more, when you dealcoholize wine—even gently, which today’s technology allows for—you also reduce or remove other trace substances, and these changes can affect the perceived body, too. In other words, "there's less stuff in the mix to get in the way of water simply flowing like water," says McGee.
Why is mouthfeel so important? Here's more from McGee:
The way I think about it is that plain water just flows right off of the tongue, even thinner than saliva, while mixtures—milk, fruit juices, fermented liquids, concocted sauces—have a viscosity that causes them and therefore the sensations and our attention to linger. And because viscosity is a reliable sign that there's more than just water there, maybe it's also a primal if crude indicator of value to the body. All pure speculation!
Nonalcoholic wines don't have alcohol in them, so they're likely not ever, even with the most sophisticated vacuum distillation machines, going to perfectly match wine—but that doesn't mean they don't have value. I'll get into this soon for The Kitchn.
In the meantime, grab some Semblance and find something to celebrate. It's summer! You're alive! Xo
* Honestly, Chetiyawardana does too much to list out: owns and runs bars and restaurants around the world, consults, won gobs of awards, taught the Master Class on cocktail-making… Check out his website and follow him on the ‘gram. (Love you, Ryan!)
Some personal news:
I helped Food52 develop its new drinks vertical, Drinks52, which you can now find here. As founder Amanda Hesser wrote in her announcement, Drinks52 is for the:
Casual: The only “right” drink is the one you like best—cocktails, teas, ferments, and beyond. We’ve got something for everyone.
Curious: With the help of our Residents, columnists, and community, we’ll keep you in the know about drinking culture, history, and trends.
Social: Look to us for advice and ideas around drinking and entertaining at home; we’ll be here with tips galore.
A wild stat in Adweek's story about the launch: "Drinks-related pantry items and nonalcoholic spirits grew 285% between November 2019 and November 2020," according to the powers-that-be at Food52. Adweek also wrote about...me!
Julia Bainbridge, author of the 2020 book Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason, consulted with the team on how to launch the vertical and develop the inclusive and non-pretentious point of view that Food52 was going for.
So, go check out Drinks52, for all of your inclusive and non-pretentious drinks-related content needs! And follow them on Instagram, too.