Spring sips: A new fresh and delicious non-alcoholic rosé for Spring
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It’s that time of year when we’re all looking for signs of life and signs of spring after winter hibernation. When the first buds start to appear, and the sun goes down later, people start to reach for bottles of fresher and brighter wines like a rosé. Non-alcoholic rosé wines really shine in the category and it’s always a pleasure to try new entries on the market.
Bouchaine Vineyards is an established, family-owned sustainably farmed vineyard in Napa who have just released their first non-alcoholic wine - one of only a few California vintners to attempt this. The ethos of the vineyard is to create extraordinary food-friendly wine, and they’ve applied this idea to developing an excellent non-alcoholic rosé to complement their traditional wines.
“Year-round, our team carefully cultivates extraordinary, food-friendly wines, and this non-alcoholic rosé is no exception," says President and Winemaker Chris Kajani. “Not everyone who visits Bouchaine drinks alcohol, so we decided that making an alcohol-free wine is the best way to ensure that everyone who comes to the winery not only feels welcomed but can also taste what makes our fruit so special, alcohol or no alcohol.”
Bouchaine’s stunning winery is located in the Carneros wine-growing region at the southern end of Napa Valley, just a stone’s throw from San Francisco. It's known for its own unique micro climate influenced by the nearby San Pablo Bay. With cool nights, morning fog and warm afternoons, it’s an ideal terroir for cool climate varietals, longer growing seasons and thus a more complex grape.
The typical wine style in Carneros has historically tended toward an emphasis on bright fruit and pleasant acidity, and that is reflected so nicely in the Bouchaine Estate Non-alcoholic Rosé.
Aroma
On the nose, there are lovely fresh aromas of strawberry and melon. Just a deliciously light fresh peek at spring and warmer weather.
Taste
This non-alcoholic rose is elegant and just a yummy little treat to drink. The most delicious thing about this non-alcoholic rose is that it’s not sweet. Alongside the light red berry fruit, it has a hint of red currant and then a big hit of lovely lemon acidity. It’s slightly unusual for a non-alcoholic wine but pleasant none-the-less because it adds brightness, and reminds me yet again that sugar and sweetness is nothing without its partner in crime.
Mouthfeel
It’s missing some mouthfeel, but the caveat is that I haven’t had a real rose in a long time and my memory is unsure of how thick or thin a real rose really is. That being said, its lightness is not a flaw, but rather, makes it perfect for a hot summer night.
Sugar
This non-alcoholic rose weighs in at only 1g sugar per glass, so we’re definitely adding this to our top low-sugar wines list. A great perk for anyone watching their sugar but still wanting an elevated non-alcoholic option.
Overall, this is a very playful wine and a great pick for spring and summer. Thoroughly enjoyable and definitely two-glass worthy.
You can order it direct from the winery through this link.
Score: 92 points
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.
