Just Peachy: Pure Vision Zero Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine Review

Pure Vision Zero Sparkling Wine, Australia, $25, 93 points

When I started in this business almost four years ago, it didn’t take me long to figure out that non-alcoholic sparkling wine and beer were the leaders in the space. There was something about the early sparkling wines that stood high above the rest of the playing field of still wines and even the quality of the zero-proof spirits being developed. Non-alcoholic still wine has come a really long way, but with sparkling wines, the options are blossoming even further. The recent stars in the category have almost given me whiplash as I whoop with joy at their quality.

Last week, I had the pleasure of opening a super unique bottle of Spumante from a vineyard in Italy called Colibri, and this week, I popped the cork on a classic Chardonnay sparkling wine from Pure Vision Zero in Australia.

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.

If you’re interested in my review of the Pure Vision Zero Shiraz, click here.

The Pure Vision Zero sparkling is made with 100% Chardonnay grapes, and dealcoholized with advanced vacuum distillation. I’ve come to disregard vacuum distillation in some ways, since I had only a narrow view of what it could accomplish. However, the wines from Pure Vision are changing my perception with how far innovation can be pushed with new adaptations on old technologies. It’s also one of the reasons they’re able to keep the sugar levels so low in their wines. The dealcoholization process keeps enough of the flavour and texture to mitigate the need for added unfermented grape juice.

Another way to keep sugar levels low is by harvesting the grapes early, and when you first smell this organic sparkling, you might be able to detect a very faint hint of young grapes. It’s lovely and green and crisp on the nose, with a tiny hint of melon.

On the palette there are the typical classic Chardonnay notes of apple and citrus, which help elongate the dealcoholized juice into something that feels complex. Where this sparkling wine gets exciting is the hit of peach that is unmistakable without being overbearing. This isn’t peach juice after all. It adds a nice juicy balance to the chardonnay elements, and kind of rounds it out, which is slightly unexpected but welcome.

There is a nice tart dryness balancing out the juiciness. The bubbles are crisp upfront but soft on the finish. They dissipate quickly though, with a lot less body once the wine warms to the room.

It’s not a stretch to imagine how great this will be in a bellini at brunch, or in a mimosa. For lunch or dinner, a pork tenderloin with grilled peaches (obviously) will nicely accentuate the flavours in this bottle, as will white fish en papillote with black beans, peaches and tomatoes. Don’t forget soft cheese!

Overall, this has got the hallmarks of an all-around crowd-pleasing option. It tastes great and has a mid-level accessible price point. Well worth ordering a bottle or two to try out!

Available from P/S Alcohol Free ($26), Dry Variety ($25) and UpsideDrinks.com* ($26 - ships to both U.S. and Canada).

Cheers!

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.