If you've ever Googled non-alcoholic Champagne, I know what you're looking for.
You probably don't particularly care about the technical definition of Champagne. You want the pop of the cork. A delicious glass of bubbles. Something crisp and dry that feels like wine (and something that is definitely NOT sparkling grape juice!).
Maybe you're pregnant. Maybe you're driving. Maybe you've stopped drinking altogether. Or maybe you have a baby shower, wedding or just a Tuesday night ahead of you and don't particularly want the hangover.
There is one small technical problem though. Non-alcoholic Champagne doesn't actually exist.
(Stay with me!)
What is non-alcoholic Champagne?
Champagne isn't simply a type of sparkling wine. The name is protected.
To be called Champagne, a wine must come from the Champagne region of France and be made according to the rules of the Champagne appellation. The name has been protected in France since the 1930s and is now protected in more than 130 countries. Source: Comité Champagne.
And here's an interesting note for non-alcoholic wines: European wine rules don't allow a Protected Designation of Origin wine to be fully de-alcoholised and retain that designation.
So if you're looking for a 0% bottle of Champagne, what you're really looking for is a non-alcoholic sparkling wine that drinks like Champagne.
Champagne vs sparkling wine: what's the difference?
Think of Champagne as one member of the much bigger sparkling wine family.
Champagne comes from Champagne in France.
Prosecco is its own protected Italian wine, made within designated areas and predominantly from Glera grapes. Source: Consorzio Prosecco DOC.
Cava has its own Spanish designation and is traditionally made with a second fermentation in the bottle. Source: D.O. Cava.
Then you have all the other sparkling wines made around the world, including here in Australia.
Each uses different grapes and different winemaking methods, leading to subtle (or not so subtle!) differences in flavour profile.
When someone tells me they're looking for a non-alcoholic Champagne alternative, the important part isn't usually where it came from.
Usually they mean:
Dry. Crisp. Fine bubbles. Good acidity. Some complexity. And absolutely not sweet.
That last one is where a lot of non-alcoholic sparkling wines lose me.
What should you look for in a non-alcoholic Champagne alternative?
Removing alcohol from wine changes more than the alcohol percentage.
Alcohol contributes body, texture and flavour. Take it away and a wine can feel thinner or sharper. One fairly common solution is to add sugar or grape juice concentrate back in.
Which, technically, works.
But it also explains why some non-alcoholic wines taste more like juice than wine.
When we started making ALTINA, I really didn't want to do that.
We start with premium Australian wine and gently remove the alcohol. Then we rebuild some of the complexity that’s been lost using botanicals and native Australian ingredients rather than loading the wine up with sugar or grape juice concentrate.
No added sugar. No added sweeteners. No grape juice concentrate.
And along with that comes a wonderful bonus: our non-alcoholic Sparkling Brut is much lower in calories than a glass of Veuve Clicquot. It has just 23 calories per glass, compared with over 120 calories for a glass of champagne, making it the perfect low calorie champagne alternative.
Our best non-alcoholic alternative to Champagne
ALTINA Sparkling Brut
If you're normally a Champagne or dry sparkling drinker, start here.
Our Sparkling Brut is made in the style of a sparkling Brut Chardonnay, with bright acidity, subtle fruit and toasty vanilla notes. It's dry, crisp and properly bubbly. View Sparkling Brut.
It also has less than 0.1g sugar per 100ml and 23 calories per 150ml glass. It's vegan and gluten free too.
But I'm probably slightly biased, so this customer review explains it better:
“I am a Chardonnay and Champagne lover and this ticks all the boxes.”
That was Ann-Marie, who gave the Sparkling Brut five stars. Another customer, Celia, described it rather more succinctly as “clean and crisp”.
Honestly, that's what we're aiming for – a good glass of bubbles (not a drink that is good, for a non-alcoholic wine).
Prefer Rosé Champagne?
Then I'd go for our Sparkling Rosé.
It has bright fruit, tart native Rosella, a little citrus and a dry finish. One of my favourite recent reviews described it as “rich and dry”, while another customer said it was “more true to an alcohol flavour” than sweeter non-alcoholic options she'd tried. View Sparkling Rosé.
How to serve non-alcoholic sparkling wine
This is one of those things I am quite opinionated about.
Serve it cold.
Really cold.
Alcohol gives wine body, so temperature matters even more with non-alcoholic wine. Give the bottle plenty of time in the fridge before opening it.
And you must use a proper glass! I like a flute. It feels traditionally celebratory, and that's part of the point. You get the pop of the cork, the bubbles rising through the glass, and it feels like an occasion.
Sparkling Brut is brilliant with smoked salmon, prawns, citrusy salads or salty little canapés.
But my favourite pairing? It has to be potatoes.
French fries and bubbles. Or these crispy charcuterie chips (featuring french onion dip).
Salty, crispy chips and cold Brut is very hard to beat. Possibly not what the French appellation authorities had in mind, but I'm standing by it.
So, what is the best non-alcoholic Champagne?
Technically, there isn't one.
What you can find is a very good non-alcoholic sparkling wine with the things you probably wanted from Champagne in the first place: dryness, acidity, complexity, bubbles and the ritual of opening a proper bottle.
For Champagne drinkers, I'd start with our Sparkling Brut.
Pop the cork. Pour it cold. And keep the fries nearby 😉
