Review: Sutter Home Fre Non-Alcoholic Chardonnay

You’re probably already familiar with Sutter Homes wine, but did you know they make a very popular brand of non-alcoholic wine called Fre? Read on for a review of their top seller.

Sutter Home Fre Chardonnay, 90 points
Sugar levels: 5g/6 oz glass

Sutter Home Winery is a California-based winery that was established in 1948 by John and Mario Trinchero. The winery is located in St. Helena, a town in the Napa Valley region of California, and is best known for its range of affordable, approachable wines.

The winery also produces a popular line of non-alcoholic wines under the "Fre" brand, including a chardonnay-style.

Does Fre Chardonnay Taste Good?

It’s all in personal preference. Some people do really turn up their nose at this non-alcoholic white, but there are lots of redeeming qualities for someone who is looking for a good dupe fo the night. Sutter Home Fre Chardonnay has a light and refreshing taste, with crisp acidity and flavors of green apple, lemon, and pear. The wine also has subtle hints of vanilla and oak, which provide a slight sweetness and depth to the flavor profile. The only downside is that it’s really ‘buttery’ and that’s an artificial flavour rather than the elegant waxy butter notes of a real Russian River Valley chardonnay.

Mouthfeel

The absence of alcohol in some non-alcoholic wines can affect the texture and body of non-alcoholic wine, resulting in a slightly lighter mouthfeel compared to traditional chardonnays. It’s a nice surprise that Fre chardonnay still maintains some characteristic acidity and heft.

Experience

Compared to other non-alcoholic wines from Europe and South Africa, the Fre chardonnay lacks elegance and is quite overly buttery and sweet in comparison. More structure and complexity are needed for this to make our top list. However, Fre Chardonnay has legions of fans who already love it’s smooth and oaky flavour so don’t take our word at face value. Try it yourself.

What to pair with Fre Non-Alcoholic Chardonnay

Fre Chardonnay will be a fun non-alcoholic wine option for popcorn or salty foods, and might pair well with grilled chicken or fish with a lemon sauce to complement the juiciness of this liquid.

Overall

This wine is for anyone looking for a robust California-style non-alcoholic chardonnay, and is willing to compromise slightly on the elegance or structure you might find elsewhere. It’s got the flavour you want, but is quite flabby and on the juicier side if you let it get too warm - so keep it chilled!

Overall, great value for the price, but don’t expect a J. Lohr or Ghost Pines chardonnay in a non-alcoholic format. Mindset will be everything in order to enjoy this one.

Where to buy Fre Chardonnay

One of the benefits of Sutter Home Fre chardonnay is that it's widely available in most grocery stores across the United States and is very affordable compared to other non-alcoholic wines, clocking in at $10 USD a bottle. For Canadians, thank you to non-alcoholic wine club Everyday Dry for gifting us a sample to try.

Cheers!