Joyus Rosé: Your basic bitch of non-alcoholic rosé wine

Without a doubt, Joyus non-alcoholic wine is one of the most popular series of products on the market. From Facebook groups to instagram creators, Joyus seems to be in the hands of everyone everywhere.

Joyus is produced in Seattle, WA and is the first non-alcoholic winery in the area. They are also the only woman-owned non-alcoholic winery in the U.S., which is kind of cool. Joyus has finally become available in Canada, so it was time to find out what all this hype is about.

Let’s start with their most popular product, the rosé. Although the bottle has won double gold at the International Wine Competition in San Francisco, it’s actually quite an underwhelming non-alcoholic wine which is probably what makes it so popular.

There’s no varietal information on the bottle or website, which is frankly, a strike against them since it would be helpful to know the origins of the untouched wine. Since it’s made in Seattle, there is a good chance it’s pinot noir or another cooler-climate domestic red.

On the nose, there are light hints of vanilla cream and the typical summer berries. The aroma is not overpowering and doesn’t scream ‘cheap non-alcoholic wine’ which is always a great start.

On the palette, there are very light notes of ripe peach, with a fresh juiciness. On second tasting there were more dominant notes of sun-dried grape which was a bit confusing. It’s missing tannins and dryness which are needed to balance out a rosé, so overall it falls a little bit flat.

This fits the definition of basic. It’s got too little complexity and not enough acidity to be a truly award-winning dealcoholized wine, however, it’s not offensive in the least. It’s easy to drink and goes down a treat on a hot day. Without an overwhelming amount of sugar, it’s more appealing to have a few glasses especially when the temperature is skyrocketing and you’re looking for something light and refreshing.

Joyus is one of the most popular brands out there, so this is a great example of the adage ‘to each their own’. It’s never more true than in the non-alcoholic wine category where each person’s palette is different and uniquely experiencing these beverages. So, while this bottle may not wow everyone, try it anyway and tell us what you think!

This is usually available in Canada through The Sobr Market ($39.99) but at the time of writing it was sold out. In the U.S., Joyus is available directly through drinkjoyus.com.