The Non-Alcoholic Wine Giving Me Second Thoughts About NA Beverages
It tastes like the real thing because it is the real thing.
by Laura Gurfein Oct 19, 2026
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I’m all in favor of sober living, but I just don’t think I’m the best candidate. I’ve long been comfortable with how much and how often I drink—a glass or two of wine at a restaurant, a couple of beers while relaxing on the beach—and I don’t see any reason to change my celebratory relationship with alcohol. (I’m not necessarily recommending you follow my patterns; I’m just letting you know where I’m coming from.)
Between not going out and not drinking in the house as often as I did in my 20s, I’ve unintentionally been drinking a lot less as I’ve gotten older. Instead of a bottle of wine at home, I’ll have water or seltzer—but nothing non-alcoholic (NA). Even though they’ve proliferated in the past few years, NA beverages or zero-proof drinks never really interested me. Why would I choose a substitute over the real thing? I thought.
At least that’s what my inner monologue sounded like before I tried Wölffer Estate Spring in a Bottle Sparkling Non-Alcoholic Rosé. The de-alcoholized wine sips like a true rosé, offering the full flavor experience while abandoning the hangover potential. Its bubbly fizz dances across the tongue with a light, crisp, and fruity flavor—one that signals warmer days are ahead (even if we’re on the brink of winter). That’s precisely why I think it’s a great sip year-round, despite its seasonal moniker.
What sets Wölffer’s NA rosé apart from other beverages in its category is that it’s created from actual wine (as in, its alcohol content is intact)—and good wine, to boot. I live just a couple of hours from Wölffer Estate’s Hamptons vineyards, and I frequently seek out their label at restaurants because of the quality.
“We believe you cannot make exceptional alcohol-free wine from ordinary wine,” Marc Wölffer, the chief strategy officer and co-owner of Wölffer Estate, tells Intrigue. “Quality must be there from the beginning. That’s why we start with high-quality wine for Spring in a Bottle, then treat it as gently as possible throughout the de-alcoholization process.”
That process is known as vacuum distillation, which gently heats pressurized wine until its alcohol vaporizes, then recovers and reincorporates vaporized aromas to preserve its taste. (Note: Spring in a Bottle is just under 0.5% alcohol by volume, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies as non-alcoholic, not alcohol-free.)
Funnily enough, it was a fellow former shunner of non-alcoholic beverages—my mom—who introduced me to Spring in a Bottle. During our Mother’s Day get-together, we opted for some bubbly on the back deck, which we tend to do from time to time. Since we were planning an afternoon walk and didn’t want a buzz, she pulled out this non-alcoholic bev instead. (The best of both worlds, in my opinion.) Having first sipped it at her book club, she was pleasantly surprised by how similar it tasted to its alcoholic counterpart. Now she keeps it at home to offer to guests “who don’t drink or are pregnant,” she shares. (And for midday backyard hangs, apparently!)
Recently, I ordered a bottle of the NA rosé, plus four mini bottles of Wölffer’s NA white wine, from my local Wegman’s via Uber Eats to have on hand for sipping around the house—and it was just as crisp and tasty as the first time I tried it. While it’s not going to replace my usual drink orders when I’m out having fun (for now), it’s nice to know that there’s a worthwhile alternative.
If you think that no alcohol means no flavor, give Wölffer Estate Spring in a Bottle Sparkling Non-Alcoholic Rosé a taste and see if you still feel the same way. One of its greatest perks? I can now drink wine while I work—I’m actually sipping a glass in my backyard as I write this.
