Review: Eins Zwei Zero Non Alcoholic Riesling

Germany has always been known for its Rieslings, so it’s no surprise that the best non alcoholic Riesling in Canada and possibly the world is from the Rhinegau in Germany. The Leitz winery is 200 years old and is known for its premium Riesling wines which is what they use for the beautiful Eins Zwei Zero Non Alcoholic Riesling. The grapes are grown on a beautiful hillside overlooking a valley where the Rhine river runs, the cool morning air burned off by the perfect amount of higher altitude sunshine. Imagine ‘Maria escaping from the Abbey’ type vistas.

As we’ve mentioned before, the difference between premium non alcoholic wine and lesser quality is the type of grapes that are used, the wine they are fermented into plus the quality of the manufacturing process. If there is a winemaker in charge and the wine is a premium wine before the alcohol is removed, chances are it will taste better than the grocery store non alcoholic plonk.

Leitz has been developing their non alcoholic products for close to ten years, and through German innovation and attention to detail they’ve created some of the most sought after products in the non alcoholic wine space. The Riesling is one of them and is always listed on the ‘top non alcoholic wine’ lists by various big name publications.

Riesling does have a bad reputation but if you know anything about wine, you will know that it is always the secret best seller on a sommelier’s wine list. Rieslings from Germany are often bone dry and not sweet, like we think they are. They have mineral notes and often smell or taste like petrol. Thankfully, Leitz has been able to maintain these great qualities of a Riesling in their dealcoholization process.

On the nose, the Eins Zwei Zero non alcoholic Riesling has a nice minerality and a very slight petrol scent.

The minerality comes through on the palette, which gives this non alcoholic wine a leg up over all the others. It helps to contribute a layer of complexity that can be missing from some non alcoholic blends. There is a beautiful juiciness balanced nicely with tart fruit and very light petrol notes, as there should be.

As non alcoholic wines go, this bottle of white does have some dryness to it which is a lovely compliment to all the other elements. It’s slightly but not overly sweet with only 3.8g of sugar per 100ml.

It’s a great accompaniment to sushi, light fish dishes or other lightly spiced Asian cuisine. It’s also just a great wine to pour for a cozy chat or movie night, take your pick!

This wine doesn’t hit you over the head like some other non alcoholic wines trying to prove they are a Chardonnay, for instance. It has a beautiful elegance similar to Audrey Hepburn entering the room as opposed to Britney Spears. It’s just a great non alcoholic option, one of the best non alcoholic wines in Canada, and lucky for us more widely available than some other brands.

You can find it through the following online and in person non alcoholic drinks retailers:

Dry Variety
Vinelands Wine Shop
AFBev
Upside Drinks
Softer Drinks

In Toronto in-store:

Bespoke Butcher - Queen Street & Danforth locations