Dry January
For you over-achievers out there who have to go for a month without alcohol: we’re throwing you a bone. Enjoy this flight featuring four fantastic wines with no alcohol!
Muri “Passing Clouds”
Main ingredients: gooseberries, quince kefir, jasmine tea
Place: Copenhagen, Denmark
Process: In restaurants, Passing Clouds is generally served as an aperitif or an alternative to sparkling or white wine. This is a dry beverage but with multiple dimensions of flavors and a vinous funkiness. It is also reminiscent of skin-contact pét-nats. Gooseberries are fermented before being enriched with organic gooseberry juice. Quince water kefir lends the fruit-forward palate, and organic, cold-brewed jasmine tea accentuates the aromatics. Finally, caramel malt is inoculated and then infused with geranium and foraged woodruff to lend autolytic, toasty-brioche notes found in Champagne. Everything is then blended together in stainless steel tanks before being carbonated. Passing Clouds is nonalcoholic, has no added sulfites, and is pasteurized. No artificial additives, flavors, or preservatives
Family: Muri Drinks was founded in 2020 by Murray Paterson, a UK expat living in Copenhagen. Muri is pushing the realm of possibility in non-alcoholic drinks through fermentation, foraging, and blending. Peterson was informed and inspired by the gastronomic community in Copenhagen, particularly the city’s expertise in fermentation techniques. He describes his mission as an obsession with flavor and relentless pursuit of a quality beverage that is complex and deeply satisfying, with or without alcohol. Muri’s first release is named after a beloved nightclub in Northeast London.
Bottle: | Glass:
Leitz “Eins Zwei Zero” Non-Alcoholic Riesling
Grapes: Riesling
Place: Johannisberg, Rhenigau, Germany
Process: Germans have been producing non-alcoholic wines for over 70 years and that history has led to inventions to improve quality. Eins Zwei Zero Riesling is an alcohol-free version of the original wine: it’s grown, harvested, and fermented before undergoing delicate vacuum distillation to remove alcohol and preserve classic wine-like characteristics.
Family: There are recorded documents linking the Leitz family winemaking history all the way back to 1744. The current winemaker’s grandfather, Josef Leitz, re-built the winery after it was completely destroyed by a bombing raid during the Second World War. After gaining international accolades for being one of the finest wine producers in the country, Johannes Leitz has stayed true to his roots and homeland. He has been working closely with the Ministry of Environment to restore the traditional terraces in the vineyards and is very pleased to have his son Antonius joining the team as the next generation.
Bottle: $ | Glass: $
Leitz “Zero Point Five” Pinot Noir
Grape: 100% Pinot Noir
Place: Rheingau, Germany
Process: The grapes are grown, harvested, and fermented before undergoing delicate vacuum distillation via “spinning cone column” (SCC) to remove alcohol and preserve classic wine-like characteristics. This process leaves only 0.5% alcohol, making it safe for expectant mothers. It is also very low in sugar and contains roughly one-third the calories of traditional wine.
Family: Under the direction of Johannes Leitz, Weingut Josef Leitz has earned the reputation of being one of Rheingau’s top growers and moreover, one of the finest producers in Germany. Since taking over his family estate in 1985, Johannes has grown his holdings from 2.6 hectares to over 40, most of which are Grand Cru sites on the slopes of the Rüdesheimer Berg. Once the home of some of the world’s most sought after and expensive wines, the region fell to mediocrity in the years following the Second World War. Josi has made it his life’s work to reclaim the intrinsic quality of his native terroir and introduce the world to the true potential of the Rheingau.
Bottle: | Glass:
Muri “Nuala”
Main ingredients: Fermented blackcurrant piquette, red currant, French oak-aged kombucha
Place: Copenhagen, Denmark
Process: This still, red cuvee blends a series of short fermentations to achieve its bright, gulpable profile. The base is a blackcurrant piquette, which provides a structure of juicy fruit and tannins, and is mixed with red currant juice, water kefir macerated with chamomile flowers, black tea, supernatant kombucha, and kvass infused with fig leaves for texture. The drink is then macerated in French oak barrels to add depth and complexity. Nuala is nonalcoholic, has no added sulfites, and is pasteurized. No artificial additives, flavors, or preservatives.
Family: Muri Drinks was founded in 2020 by Murray Paterson, a UK expat living in Copenhagen. Muri is pushing the realm of possibility in non-alcoholic drinks through fermentation, foraging, and blending. Peterson was informed and inspired by the gastronomic community in Copenhagen, particularly the city’s expertise in fermentation techniques. He describes his mission as an obsession with flavor and relentless pursuit of a quality beverage that is complex and deeply satisfying, with or without alcohol. Muri’s ‘glou-glou’ red wine alternative is named Nuala, which means “beautiful” in Gaelic, as a tribute to Paterson’s Scottish heritage.
Bottle: $ | Glass: $