Author: Bubbly

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Virgin Bubbles

Freixenet Alcohol-free Sparkling

Bubbly’s take: Marketed as an “alcohol-free” wine, Freixenet sell this under a o.o.% volume label. Unlike many other wines in its peer group, which are frequently de-alcoholised to 0.5%, Freixenet’s alternative may be well-suited to anyone who wants a teetotal night. While very light and delicate to the palate, this quality wine blossoms with the scent and taste of fresh melon and grape.

Would go well with: Fresh fish or chicken cooked with a light seasoning or sauce, pairing well with lemon, lime or mild cheese. Freixenet have, however, created a refreshing versatile drink, which would also accompany a light desert (of sorbet or ice-cream), cheese or canapés provided these are not too overpowering. Alternatively, afternoon, evening or at night, this makes for a great wine to enjoy on its own.

Where to buy:

Categories
Virgin Bubbles

Leitz Eins Zwei Zero Riesling

Bubbly’s take…

Ok, ok! We admit it – this isn’t a fizzy wine but it is still a premium de-alcoholised alternative that we feel deserves its spotlight. In terms of flavour, this German Riesling has a nice fruity blush though it’s not too overpowering and we definitely felt we were drinking a wine (rather than grape juice!). Eins Zwei Zero is also reasonably low in calories, which makes it a great tipple for those needing a mid-week treat or who want to leave room for dessert!

Would go well with…

Pretty much anything. This Riesling is a good go-to wine for weekday nights and would pair well with Netflix and a night on the sofa. Like most Rieslings, this wine will also suit most meals though – given it is a low alcohol wine – we would suggest matching Eins Zwei Zero to fish dishes or vegetarian recipes, which do not call for a dry or tannin-rich pairing.

Where to buy…

Waitrose Cellar

Categories
Virgin Bubbles

Marks and Spencer Fizzero Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé

Bubbly’s take…

This is one of the best virgin wines we’ve tried. It’s perfect for a midweek tipple – when you’d love some fizz but it’s only Wednesday. This fine sparkling wine is available from UK outlets of Marks & Spencer and certain M&S Food outlets. Amongst its peer group, this sparkling possesses excellent depth of taste that is reminiscent of a Cava. It’s certainly not a mere grape juice and it is as close to the real thing as we’ve found so far. Offering superb value, we feel the Fizzero represents an excellent development of and addition to the low alcohol wine market.

Would go well with…

Itself or whatever’s cooking! As we mentioned, we love Fizzero as a mid-week treat… often when we’re also lacking inspiration in the kitchen. While this rosé has a pleasant and developed flavour, it is versatile and will add some sparkle to many working week dinners.

Where to buy…

Check the Marks & Spencers food hall for this lovely rosé (- there is also a sparkling white wine that M&S offer under the Fizzero hallmark). Certain larger M&S Food stores may also sell this wonderful sparkling. Unfortunately, M&S do not currently seem to offer this for online shopping.

Categories
Virgin Bubbles

McGuigan Zero Sparkling Alcohol-free Wine

Bubbly’s take…

We’re delighted to showcase another virgin wine from an established winery. As low- and no-alcohol wines go, we found this sparkling to have a good depth of flavour. It looks, tastes and froths like an (alcoholised) Australian sparkling wine, and represents a convincing and compelling substitute that should form part of any low-alcohol wine purveyor’s repertoire.

Would go well with…

Fish and cheese.

Where to buy…

Categories
Brassy Red Wines

DiMarco Primitivo (Italy)

Bubbly’s take…

This lushious red wine is surprisingly fruity and refreshing for a primitivo. Hailing from Puglia, this delicious wine has a full and pleasing flavour, lacking the usual tannin aftertaste that is sometimes characteristic of this grape.

Would go well with…

A good hearty dish. This primitivo would, naturally, pair with steak or a tomato-based Italian meal. That said, we think this wine would also suit a rich stir-fry and many other protein-heavy recipes.

Where to buy…

Tesco

Categories
Brassy Red Wines

Melini Chianti Riserva (Italy)

Bubbly’s take…

This rather delicious Chianti hails from the lush Tuscan countryside. It is a fruity and quintessential Italian red. This Chianti is fairly full-bodied, with a thoughtful and thought-provoking taste. We enjoyed a good glass of this and also enjoyed cooking with it, adding another glass or so to our infamous “identity crisis” sausage hotpot:

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Would go well with…

Bold, meaty (…and?) or Italian dishes. We found the Melini Chianti to be both delicious and robust hence we think this would form an excellent pair with a steak-, ragu- or bolognese-based dish.

Where to buy…

Waitrose Cellar

Categories
Brassy Red Wines

Manz Contador de Estórias (Portugal)

Bubbly’s take…

Now this is what we call a red wine! We found the Contador de Estorias to be a real “hidden gem” (or “hidden ruby”, given its burgundy finish). This is an Old World red that hails from a modern Portuguese winery. Contador de Estorias translates from Portuguese to the “storyteller” and this wholesome red has depths to character to tell. It is definitely one to have with good food amongst close friends and family. We first tried the extraordinary “storyteller” in its native Portugal back in 2018 at the Time-out Food Market in Lisbon, with dinner and the odd pastel de nada. And we haven’t forgotten it since then! We have no hesitation in recommending this enchanting red wine.

Would go well with…

Food, ideally a main course with all of the trimmings! We think the Contador de Estorias would entertain best at a dinner party or with a significant other. It’s a romantic, engaging and thought-provoking wine.

Where to buy…

This one can be a little trickier to find. Our understanding is that the Manz winery does like to emphasise quality (over quantity) hence supplies of this wonderful wine may be more limited than its peers. That said, it seems to be available from Oddbins.

Categories
Brassy Red Wines

Winzer Krems Blauer Zweigelt (Austria)

Bubbly’s take…

Austria is sometimes overlooked as one of the formative Old World wine-making countries. However, we were refreshed to discover a number of wholesome vineyards in easy reach of Vienna, including the Domaen Wachau winery. In the neighbourhood, you’ll also find Winzer Krems – producer of this wonderful Zweigelt. It has a pleasant and soothing flavour, flush with fruit, which goes done very well with good company and conversation. We think Winzer Krems have got this wine just right, producing a bold and wholesome red that does not overwhelm the palate.

Would go well with…

This is versatile red. It was perfect as a solo wine but we think this one would go great with a steak or a meaty dish.

Where to buy…

Categories
Timeless Champagnes

Champagne Jacquart Mosaique Brut

Bubbly’s take…

Chic and smooth, this elegant Champagne hails from Reims. It pours from the bottle with a golden, effervescent buzz. This Brut possesses a characteristically-dry and fragrant flavour. It is not overpowering but reminiscent of everything that you would expect from a Champagne. Produced by the forward-thinking and refreshing Jacquart Champagne house, we feel this reasonably-priced wine should please most avid fans of fizz.

Would go well with…

Most things. While this Brut is quite distinctive, we don’t think one should be deterred from enjoying this with food, afterall we had this Champagne with a rather delicious Mexican meze!

Where to buy…

Tesco

Categories
Brassy Red Wines

Domaine les Cassanets (Sélection Parcellaire) Côtes du Rhône (France)

Bubbly’s take…

Some evenings, life just cries out for good red wine. And on those evenings, this fabulous Côtes du Rhône will heed the call. This strong and medium-bodied wine is full of character and depth. It has layers of flavour and reeks of sophistication. This is what the Old World is all about!

Would go well with…

Cheese, lots of it! We think this wine craves food and would also make a wonderful accompaniment to heartier dishes.

Where to buy…

Laithwaite’s Wine