Red wine review: Non alcoholic Spanish red wine makes its debut

Natureo non alcoholic wines are fairly new to Canada, hailing from the infamous Torres label in Spain. Although these wines were only available in Quebec previously, thanks to the crew at Sober Krew (pun intended!) they are now more widely available in Canada. The brand has three styles - a Grenache Syrah, a Muscat and a Rose. We had the chance to review the Grenache Syrah over a wintry weekend by the fire and it couldn’t have been a better time to sip red wine and relax!

The Natureo 0.5 Grenache Syrah wine is designated Vino de Mesa, which essentially means table wine. Don’t let that put you off from trying Natureo, because as non alcoholic wines go this one is better than most. It’s extremely difficult to retain flavours and tannins during the dealcoholization process of red wine, so approaching any non-alcoholic wine with a different mindset is key. 

In the full octane world of wine, Syrah and Grenache are often blended together since Grenache naturally lacks acid and tannins but brings a bold juiciness to these blends. Grenache most likely originated in Spain, due to the hot climate this grape needs, thus it’s a natural fit for a Spanish wine. Syrah originated in the south of France, and is now the world’s seventh most widely grown grape. Its features are big bold fruit flavors with spiciness like cloves and pepper. 

Blending these grapes together for a non-alcoholic wine results in a fairly good wine. Grenache doesn’t hold up well to dealcoholization, but it’s likely the Syrah began as a very high tannic wine which holds up the structure well. 

On the nose, there are cherry and very faint menthol aromas that hit a little bit like cherry cough drops but dissipate quickly once aerated. It smells just like a Grenache Syrah should smell, and it’s always so lovely when the chemical odour from dealcoholization is not present. That usually gets high marks from me. 

For a Spanish blend, the wine is actually lighter than expected but still in the medium-bodied range. On the palette, the wine is semi-sweet with nice strawberry and cherry flavours that will probably be elevated more if this wine is chilled slightly. It has low acidity and some very gentle tannins present, always a struggle when you remove alcohol from wine. There is a very light eucalyptus note which is normal for an old world style Syrah wine. 

The take away for me is that Natureo 0.5 Grenache Syrah has a very interesting taste that feels like this wine is on the cusp of greatness but then stepped back from it. It’s almost complex, but slightly overpowered by juicy berries and unbalanced a bit because of the hint of eucalyptus. That being said, this is a popular wine and for many people it’s become their go-to non alcoholic red wine. 

This wine will pair well with barbeque, and dishes with big bold flavours like Thai food. The menthol notes also mean this will be a good wine to have on hand over the holidays as it complements the seasonal flavours. 

If you’re looking to order this wine, it’s available from the SAQ in Quebec or SoberKrew.com ships across Canada. 

Cheers ladies!