If surveys are to be believed, the days of excess are over. Sobriety is the name of the game, and if you don’t want to wake up with a hangover, then non-alcoholic wines are the way to go. It’s a growing market. Sales of low and alcohol-free wines more than doubled in 2024, and it’s likely they will rise even further this year.
Winemakers are aware of this, so some big names have now entered the fray. Technology is also helping, as scientific advances make the task of removing the alcohol but keeping that specific wine flavours and aromas.
Take note, however, that some wines do have a minimal alcohol content, normally 0.5 per cent. But don’t worry, that’s not considered alcoholic; many standard items have a higher rating. Tomato ketchup, for instance, has an ABV of 0.67%.
So, if you enjoy a tipple but also like the feeling of staying sober, then here’s my pick of the best red, white and sparkling non-alcoholic wines.
How I tested
The wines were tasted in the same way that IndyBest taste-tests regular wines, by smell, by taste and by flavour, sometimes with a little food but mainly by themselves to gain the fullest impression of the wine.
When testing, I looked out for some key factors:
- Comparative taste: I looked for non-alcoholic wines that would truly compare with their alcohol loaded counterparts. So for each wine, I noticed its depth and body, whether it was dry or sweet, and whether it met expectations of the alcohol-based wine.
- Cost: Although many retailers have entered the market, alcohol-free options can be just as expensive as those with alcohol. So, I selected wines with a variety of price points, most being budget-friendly
- Variety: Wine preference varies vastly, so I made sure to test a variety of non-alcoholic wines, from crisp whites to robust reds, to see which ones tasted best
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
John Clarke draws on his lifelong passion for wine to compile reviews and guides on the wide range of wines available to consumers. He started writing wine reviews for The Independent in 2015, and has discussed everything from Japanese koshu and Hungarian furmint to classic options. He put extensive wine knowledge to good use when testing a wide range of non-alcoholic wines for this review, offering his honest opinions on which ones are worth your money.
The best non-alcoholic wines for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Thomson and Scott noughty non-alcoholic white: £9.95, Noughtyaf.com
- Best red – Cognato dealcoholised cabernet sauvignon: £9.99, Thealcoholfreeco.co.uk
- Best sparkling white – Vilarnau 0.0% alcohol free sparkling white wine: £9.25, Amazon.co.uk
- Best sparkling rosé – Oddbird sparkling non-alcoholic rosé wine: £14.84, Thealcoholfreeco.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Codorniu zero sparkling alcohol free wine: £5.75, Ocado.com
