Judges give thumbs up to non-alc wines

The rising category of non-alcoholic wines has been put to the test in the 2021 New World Wine Awards, with judges recommending five wines ahead of the full Awards results release in early October.

‘Non-alcoholic’, ‘No alcohol’ or ‘Zero alcohol’ wines are those under 0.5% ABV, and entry classes for these wines were included this year for the first time in the New World Wine Awards’ 19-year history.  

The judges’ five recommended non-alcoholic wines are:

            •           McGuigan ZERO Shiraz 


            •           Giesen 0% Sauvignon Blanc 


            •           Giesen 0% Pinot Gris 


            •           Edenvale Sparkling Rosé Alcohol Removed 


            •           Edenvale Rosé Alcohol Removed 


Organisers say the wines were judged blind twice during the judging event in July. The entries were first assessed alongside full-strength wines of the same varieties and then again in a single non-alcoholic round. 


Co-Chair of Judges Jen Parr says it was “uncharted territory” for wine competitions, which typically score wines by the exacting 100-point scale. “Standard wines include around 12-14% alcohol, which contributes to their weight and texture, so the lack of alcohol does make these non-alcoholic wines a bit different to judge.

“When tasting and evaluating them we were really focused on what consumers are looking for and considered those other important factors like flavour, balance, complexity and finish. It was a fun and interesting exercise, and we’re really proud to be able to recommend these wines as the shining stars in this growing category.” 


Chris Anderson, Foodstuffs North Island Head of Deli, Bakery, Chilled, Beverages & Liquor, says that the combination of many ‘low and no’ alcohol product launches from local wineries and more shoppers looking to moderate their alcohol intake has seen interest in alternatives soar in recent times. “During the first six months of 2021, New World shoppers bought more ‘low and no’ wine than they did in all of the previous year,” says Anderson.  

New World says it has responded to this demand by introducing ‘Zero Zones’ within liquor departments, where shoppers can easily find non-alcoholic beverage alternatives.