Winner, winner, turkey dinner: Joyus Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rose Review
/Joyus Dealcoholized Sparkling Rose, 95 points
Copyright somegoodcleanfun.com, 2023
It’s rare that a non-alcoholic wine truly stuns, only because there are still a lot of unspectacular products out there. We’ve written about and reviewed two products from the Joyus line of non-alcoholic wines and one was a hit and one was kind of a miss. Recently, the Joyus Sparkling Rose won a gold medal in a completely blind tasting at one of the biggest and oldest wine competitions in the world. It’s listed on “Best Non-Alcoholic Wine” lists as one of the top wines to try and it’s no surprise. This is definitely one of the top non-alcoholic sparkling rose wines we’ve tried.
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 our kind of winery. The sparkling rose is one of the original products the winery launched alongside a sparkling white (a great sparkling - read our review here!). They also have a still rose which we were lukewarm about, and there’s a cabernet sauvignon that is already winning accolades around the continent.
Although we’re saying goodbye to summer, it’s worth highlighting the sparkling rose as an ‘all season’ option rather than solely a warm weather wine. The depth of flavour and the bubbles really spoke to us as something you could put on a seasonal table for Thanksgiving or other fall festivities.
It’s worth mentioning the varietals this wine is made with. It’s a really unique combination of Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio and French Colombard. Don’t worry, we had never heard of French Colombard either and had to do some research. It’s a white varietal and offspring of Chenin Blanc which definitely adds the zing to this non-alcoholic bubbly!
Aroma
On the nose, this wine has really delicious apricot and fresh raspberry notes, which created an expectation of a typical summery rose.
Taste
What a surprise when it hits the palette. There’s a nice tart acidity upfront, which definitely comes from the Colombard, balanced with notes of orange blossom, apricot, blackberries and possibly vanilla. The zinfandel adds delicious juicy notes that are well balanced with the acidity and fruit from the white varietals, giving this a really lovely rich complexity rare for a non-alcoholic sparkler.
Mouthfeel
And speaking of sparkling, the bubbles in this bottle are small and tightly packed, with a light creaminess, similar to their sparkling white. Joyus has done a really nice job of keeping the balance between carbonation and flavour, which is really important in wines without alcohol. It’s not uncommon to open a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling wine and experience a mouthful of fizz trying to mask the fact the wine itself is unspectacular.
What is enviable about this bottle is that it’s original. It’s not a basic non-alcoholic sparkling rose, of which there are lots on the market. It’s not overly sweet either, and that’s a blessing in a style that is often on the sweeter side.
Overall, this is a very European, French style non-alcoholic rose which will delight and please anyone who drinks it, whether they are a non-drinker or not.
What to pair it with
The fresh and juicy backbone of this wine will be a great counterpoint to turkey and stuffing, and is neutral enough to pair with garlicky green beans and other savoury fare. If you’re a cheesecake or mascarpone fan this sparkling wine is a perfect match for dessert.
Make sure this bottle is chilled before serving and keep it in an ice bucket while dining, if possible.
Where to buy Joyus non-alcoholic wine
You can find Joyus through Sobr Market ($38) in Canada and DrinkJoyus.com in the U.S..
