Video transcript
Hello, I'm Catherine from The Wine Society
and I'm here with Pierre and we're going to tell you
a little bit more about our new Low & No range.
More and more members have been asking
for more choice on alcohol-free and low-alcohol products.
And this year, the team of buyers,
we really looked outside of the box and really, quite simply,
with three criteria in mind.
One: quality.
Two: complexity. These had to have complex flavours.
And three: we wanted products that would entice you to sip
rather than gulp them down like soft drinks.
Absolutely, and really great with the responsible drinking as well.
If you're looking to cut down,
or perhaps you just happen to be the designated driver,
there's something for you.
Yes, and there's various categories here,
so members will see some of the well-known drinks,
like wine, spirits, beer with no alcohol.
But also we've introduced some kombuchas, these two here,
which are traditionally fermented, alcohol-free drinks.
And then we've got a couple of drinks
that are really quite adventurous, quite progressive, groundbreaking.
Designed very much with the wine drinker in mind.
This is You + I Lime Sea Salt Kombucha,
an ancient tea-based drink that is fermented,
but it produces no alcohol.
It's got a lovely colour.
Really lovely colour.
The lime on the nose and then on a palate is so refreshing.
Lovely bit of grip as well.
That tannin from the tea coming through.
Yeah, it's wonderful, isn't it? Slightly sparkling.
The salt is smoked sea salt, so it gives this sort of smoky feel to it.
And I would serve this slightly cool straight from the fridge.
And as an aperitif, it'd be perfect as an alternative
if you're a designated driver or you're looking to moderate your alcohol.
So cheers.
Cheers.
Here we've got Spark, Blurred Vines, which is made in England.
It's a plant-based brew.
Got this wonderful sort of colour, slightly amber, slightly pink.
Beautiful.
It's got really interesting nose, hasn't it?
It's really fruity, but there's something a little bit I can't quite place.
There's some herbal elements to it as well.
And it's got energy, hasn't it?
A real sort of lift and energy.
It's dry, a little bit of fizz.
Importantly, some tannin.
So like red wine, would go really well with food.
Absolutely. That fizz.
So you'd want to serve it chilled.
But it does also have that little bit of heat, doesn't it, as you're swallowing.
So it's just like you would with an alcoholic drink.
It does mean you're going to sip the drink rather than just gulp it down.
This stopped us in our tracks when we were first tasting it,
and I hope it does with members too.
Here we have Festillant from Gratien and Meyer,
a name that many members know,
sparkling wine specialists in the Loire and in Champagne.
We're in real safe hands with these producers
and it's got a lovely aroma of green fruits,
a lot of floral there as well.
It's lovely and fresh.
Yeah, and it's got that lovely kind of wine character to it.
It's got nice gentle sparkle from the fermentation in the bottle,
and it finishes whistle clean and is ever so easy to drink.
Here we have Three Spirit Nightcap,
a digestif-style drink that is unfiltered
so has this natural, cloudy appearance.
We're serving it here on ice.
It's got these incredible flavours of sort of
cedar wood and tobacco and liquorice.
It's really warming. It's got a really nice citrus lift to it.
There's also a bit of a nuance, an umami
sort of richness there, and a bit of depth.
Really nice sipping drink.
Absolutely, and a nice sort of hit of spice on the finish.
This is also delicious served long with ginger beer.
The Wine Society is proud of our range
and I do hope that members approach these with the same curiosity
as you do our wines.
We'd love to know what you think,
so head on to our Community and social media channels and let us know.
These are all about flavours and some new flavours,
and as wine lovers, flavours really matter,
so do give them a try.