An Incredible Non-Alcoholic Red To Kick off 2024: Pure Vision Zero Shiraz Review
/Pure Vision Zero Shiraz, P/S Alcohol Free, 95 points
Photo credit: Some GOod Clean Fun, 2024
Pure Vision Zero Shiraz is undoubtedly one of the first serious high-end restaurant wines I’ve come across in the non-alcoholic space, and perhaps one of the best non-alcoholic red wines I’ve tried. It’s really going to surprise you with its complexity and the ability of the winemakers to retain the highly sought after ‘bold red’ experience in a non-alcoholic wine. If you like well-made Australian shiraz wines with lots of flavour, you’ll definitely love this non-alcoholic version as a suitable replacement for the nights you're not drinking.
And for all those ladies looking for low-sugar options, it’s also worthy of note: Pure Vision does an excellent job of keeping the sugar content low, with the shiraz weighing in at 5g a glass. Notable because the flavour is there without being stripped down.
The story of Pure Vision is quite interesting, and deserves a deep dive before we get into the wine. The original family vineyard is located in South Australia, founded in 1969 by Greek immigrants who had emigrated there after WW2. With a little bit of viticulture knowledge based on Greek wine, Terry Carypidis grew the vineyard from a tiny tract of land, to a booming business in only a few decades. When his sons took over the business, they became one of the first vineyards in Australia to test and develop organic wine, and now all of the Pure Vision vineyards grow organic grapes. This includes their newly launched non-alcoholic wines, which join only one of two other wines in the space with true organic certification.
The Pure Vision non-alcoholic lineup includes a chardonnay, a sparkling white and a shiraz, which is one of Australia’s prime exports. Australian shiraz is known as a ‘new world’ wine and is famous for its spicy backbone and juicy jammy mouthfeel, which is quite different than the leaner Old World European syrah wines (same varietal, different name, different terroir). Translating these infamous characteristics into a non-alcoholic bottle is a challenge, keeping the structure so the drinker isn’t left with a mouth full of heavy juice. Although Pure Vision is in Australia, I think their Zero Shiraz is actually more akin to the Old World wine style.
When you pour your first glass, the aroma is delightfully unexpected. On the nose it’s all smoke and leather, just the way a red wine should smell.
On the palette, the first thing you’ll notice is how dry and tannic this red is. Surprising for a non-alcoholic red as tannins are always a struggle for winemakers. There are nice sharp notes of red currant and a little hint of oak which is a nice surprise. It’s definitely juicy, but balanced well with the acidity. The mouthfeel is nice and soft with a surprisingly elegant length, making this truly joyful to drink.
Pure Vision is a great non-alcoholic wine to pair with food, which is often difficult with non-alcoholic red wines that are too juicy. They don’t have enough structure to cut through meat, fat and other rich elements of a meal. The Pure Vision Zero Shiraz has just enough tannins and acidity to be able to hold up against steak, grilled chicken, burgers or anything else you would usually pair a nice shiraz with.
In Canada, you can find Pure Vision Shiraz through P/S Alcohol Free Premium Beverages ($20) or through Dry Variety ($23). If you’re in the U.S. you can get it shipped to you through UpsideDrinks.com. P/S Alcohol Free has flat rate shipping, or local Toronto pickup available.
How I score wines (based on IWSC standards):
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.
Overall Score for Pure Vision Zero Shiraz: 95 points, a juicy and bold non-alcoholic red wine that is a pleasure to drink and to pair with food; a classic example of its style. .
