The famous GSM wine blend of Southern France makes its debut in the non-alcoholic space
/Oddbird GSM, 89 points, $22 at various retailers
// Find our BEST NON ALCOHOLIC RED WINES list here! //
A wine labelled GSM typically means it’s made from a blend of three grapes: Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. The origins of this blend are in a region of southern France called the Côtes du Rhône. In the 1980s through the 1990s, famous wine reviewer Robert M. Parker Jr. was instrumental in bringing global attention to GSM wines and the wine region. Prior to his ‘discovery’ of their value there was low awareness of this style outside of France but GSM wines are now a major export of France and new world wine regions like Australia.
Traditional GSMs are medium- to heavy-bodied wines with a very fruit-forward profile. Grenache is a juicy varietal with low tannins, while Shiraz and Mourvedre add spice, earth and tannins to the blend. Every GSM blend has different characteristics depending on the terroir, vineyard, vintage and winemaker. Most have pronounced red berry notes, but in some unique blends things like lavender and rosemary or baking spices can be detected, whereas others are meatier. Generally speaking though, a GSM wine will be a complex jammy wine that is generally a crowd-pleaser.
Oddbird GSM is produced in a vineyard in the Saint-Chinean region in France, just west of the official Cotes du Rhone AOC (official domaine). Saint-Chinean is nestled in the foothills of the Languedoc with cyprus-lined vineyards and picturesque villages. A practical place to experiment with non-alcoholic wine. The Oddbird blend is made with Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache with the addition of Carignan, which is a common addition to GSM wine blends from this region.
Appearance
Opening up the bottle, Oddbird GSM pours a lovely dark cherry red with very little opacity. A little bit of effervescence around the edges, but it dissipates quickly.
Aroma
On the nose, this non-alcoholic GSM has one of the loveliest aromas of all the red wines we’ve tested. There’s quite an elegant combo of blackberry, cherry, leather and a mild hint of baking spices. Full marks for an enticing and wine-like bouquet.
Taste
On the palette, the blackberry carries through to a soft jammy and juicy blend, with lots of red berry and a hint of cherry. There’s a vague suggestion of either cranberry or lingonberry which was a nice counterpoint to the sweetness. The mouthfeel is smooth and so silky with a very enjoyable weight for a non-alcoholic red.
There are some very light tannins, but what’s missing from this non-alcoholic red wine is spice and complexity. It’s a bit of a one-note wine, and missing the peppery notes that a shiraz in the blend would be bringing through. This doesn’t make it a bad wine - in fact it’s really a good reflection of GSM in general - but it needs some more oomph and elegance. Hard to get right with a non-alcoholic red.
Where the Oddbird GSM surprised us is in its longevity. Our standard test of trying a non-alcoholic wine the day after it’s been opened and had some time to oxidize, usually has disappointing results. The Oddbird stood up to a day in the fridge, and hadn’t degraded by very much at all. This is a good wine to buy if you only have one or two glasses an evening and want to revisit the bottle tomorrow!
What to pair with Oddbird GSM
Since this wine is lacking strong tannins and complexity, it’s not going to pair well with tough meats, but a charbroiled burger and fries will be an excellent choice to pair with this wine. We tried it with dark chocolate and it wasn’t a match, but a cheesecake or soft cheese plate would be fantastic. This is definitely a wine to enjoy with some good friends and some crunchy, salty snacks under a starry sky!
Overall, this one was a difficult one to score, because it’s not a basic wine but it’s also lacking things to make it complex.
Marilou Lapointe, founder of Apero A Zero in Montreal says her in-store customers who love (or are missing!) juicy Grenache wines really love this bottle.
“I had a customer who loved Grenache and bought six bottles!”
Amber Wisniewski, founder of Dry Variety, said her customers prefer another red over this one when she samples them side by side at tastings.
In general, it’s an enigma.
You decide how you like it!
For U.S. delivery, find it at The Zero Proof ($25).
Find it in Canada at DryVariety.com ($24).
How we score wines at Some Good Clean Fun:
95 to 100 - An excellent drink with a great personality. An example that stands out among its peers
90 to 94 - An accomplished drink with considerable personality, character and complexity. A classic example of its style or variety.
85 to 89 - A perfectly well-made drink which provides an enjoyable drinking experience.
80 to 84 - An acceptable but simple drink, lacking distinction.
