Review: Tomorrow Cellars Sparkling Blanc du Rhone
/Tomorrow Cellars, 2023 Blanc du Rhone Sparkling Wine (California)
96 points (how we score wines)
I’m truly excited to be an ‘early adapter’ of this awesome non-alcoholic bubbly from a Northern California winery called Tomorrow Cellars. I’ve had this bottle sitting in my wine fridge for a few weeks, and almost forgot about it until the New York Times recently came out singing the brand’s praises.
Tomorrow Cellars uses not one, but two processes to remove the alcohol from their wines: vacuum distillation and a spinning cone column to gently remove alcohol through evaporation at low temperatures, minimizing heat exposure to preserve flavor and aroma.
If you’re wondering what a Blanc de Rhône is, I made an educated guess but then googled it to confirm. It typically refers to a sparkling wine made entirely from white grape varieties grown in the Rhône Valley region of France, rather than the traditional champagne varietals.
The 2023 Tomorrow non-alcoholic sparkling wine is produced with Marsanne grapes, a classic Rhône varietal, sourced from sustainably farmed vineyards in Northern California.
Aroma
This wine has a very deep bouquet which is rare in n/a bubbly with notes of green apple, lemon curd, pear and a hint of something more floral. Lovely!
Taste
The expectations of a non-alcoholic bubbly have been smashed, truly. This non-acoholic sparkling wine has blown me away with it’s uncanny resemblance to a full octane sparkling wine. There is a great complexity of flavour, with lemon curd and yuzu, and a bone dry acidity. Just the right amount of sweetness without being too flat. Bright and sassy!
Mouthfeel
I couldn’t resist a second glass because the bubbles are so lovely. It’s a dead ringer for a premium quality sparkling wine with alcohol. It’s got a nice weight to it and drinks like an expensive wine.
Sugar
It’s great that winemakers are really working hard to make great non-alcoholic wine that is low in sugar, particularly bubblies, as those can be so overly sweetened. This one has 4g/5oz glass without any sacrifice to flavour or experience.
What to pair with Tomorrow Rhone du Blanc
This would be an excellent option for oysters or caviar. The bone-dry citrus would be a perfectly zingy combination with seafood.
Overall, this was really great example of a dealcoholized non-alcoholic sparkling wine and definitely a bottle you should pick up for weekend entertaining, or an upcoming Mother’s Day brunch. Cheers!
Grape Juice Or Not? Rating: 5/5 (not even close!)
Where To Buy Tomorrow Cellars:
They’ve got a handy store locator on their website, so find a shop close to you OR buy direct from the winery. —> Store Locator
How we score non-alcoholic 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.
