Spanish wineries are using cutting-edge technological innovations to create some of the best non-alcoholic wines in the world. BEN WARD reports on the red wines produced by the three leading bodegas in the field.
Situated in one of Spain’s top wine growing regions, Bodega Emina in the noted wine-growing region of Ribera del Duero, produces Emina Sin (0.5%) and EminaZero. Both wines display the deep ruby color, elusive fragrance and plummy fruit which are typical of their 100% Tempranillo grape origins. The 0.0% version dispenses punchy 'in yer face’ gulps of ripe damsons just fallen from the tree which are tempered in the Sin version -- the tiny amount of alcohol present calms the explosion of plum sensations that burst from the Zero. Both versions, which are robust enough to accompany even the strongest meats, are delightful leaving the lucky non-drinker to choose between a miniscule amount of alcohol or none at all. And if you prefer not drink a whole bottle, EminaZero is available in eight-packs of 18.75cl bottles and in 24-packs of 25cl tins.
Grupo Élivo are based in Galicia not far from Santiago de Compostela. Both of their red wines we tasted, Élivo Zero Zero Delux and Zero Zero Delux Blackberry (‘Frutas Silvestres’) contained 0.0% alcohol. A blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha grape varieties, the wines are less intense than Emina’s powerful offerings. Nevertheless, the Élivo wines still pack a fruity punch which is particularly evident in the Blackberry variety. A couple of of our tasters found its heavily perfumed bouquet overwhelming, 'like Body Shop’s Passion Fruit shower gel’ was one comment, whilst another said it reminded her of ‘the smell of overripe fruit left in a bowl when little flies hover over it’. Far more successful was the Zero Zero Delux where the heavy pome scent had been tamed to create a smooth, easy-drinking wine that could accompany a light meat dish such as veal or pork.
The final wine tasted was the Señorío de la Tautila, which is made way down south in Almeria by Manuel Salas using grapes from his estate in Abrucena which are then blended with varieties from Jumilla and La Mancha. The wine produced from this blend has a much thinner body than its northern cousins, a purplish color and on opening a bottle there was the familiar aroma that pervades the products of home wine making kits. But once the smell had dissipated, the wine was surprisingly drinkable, notable for its low sulphite content, and it would be very easy to polish off a chilled bottle of La Tautila on a hot day even before lunch had arrived. All the team agreed that La Tautila was very much a work in progress, requiring further refinement but holding great promise for the future.
All of the wines in this article are available directly from the the bodegas:
Emina
Élivo
La Tautila
Wines from the three bodegas can be purchased at Bebidasin in Marbella or online at www.bebidasin.com
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