From Elton John to Kylie: 10 best alcohol free wines for Dry January
The best alcohol free wines to try this month
Put down that sad glass of tap water. If you are taking a break from alcohol, I have some of the very best options out there, none of which involve pretending you enjoy drinking London’s chalky, limestone-heavy water.
Spoil Yourself
Even in the driest of months, there is probably a cause for celebration, a time you want to push the boat out and shed a few more pounds – from your wallet. So why not impress with some fine hangover-free fizz. Producers have spent years perfecting these to give a richer, more “vintage” expression.
You can put the bling into no-booze drinking with Bolle Gran Reserve Blanc de Blancs (bolledrinks.co.uk, £49.99). This is unique among the alcohol frees for being the first and only one of its kind to be lees-aged, which means the liquid rests on the yeast cells, just as a champagne would, giving it the biscuity, toasty notes associated with traditional method sparkling.
French Bloom La Cuvée Vintage 2023 (uk.frenchbloom.com, £109) has the rare trick of lauding a vintage on the low-or-no scene. This sparkling is made from organic French Chardonnay grapes and aged for eight months in oak barrels to give it depth and complexity. Founded by Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger (the clue’s in the name) and top model Constance Jablonski, this drips with prestige.
Well-priced wines
Some baulk at spending big bucks on a soft drink, so thankfully there are some affordable bottles that still deliver tasty drinking moments for less. REAL Sec Sparkling Tea (Waitrose, £11.50) does a range of styles made from grape skins and tea that make a great alternative to vino thanks to its layers of flavour and wine-like tannins. Their Sec is a fruity, peachily rounded sparkling drink made from Darjeeling. It’s softly fruit-forward with a hint of smokiness.
Zeno Alcohol-liberated Sparkling (Waitrose, £10.50) is a bottle of fizz that’s dry and elegant, with notes of elderflower and crunchy green apples. It’s bright, quaffable and still feels celebratory.
Celebrity Surprises this Dry January
Some sneer at celebrity status being linked to wine, but celebs got where they did through tenacity and hard work as much as talent. They have tasted the world, they know what they like and as some of the biggest names on the planet, they are only going to add theirs to something they rate.
Kylie Minogue 0% Sparkling Rosé (Sainsburys, £6.25) has taken the world by storm, managing to be aspirational, affordable and tasty all at once. This 0% rosé fizz has sweet strawberry notes balanced by green tea, keeping it crisp and fresh.
Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs (Sainsbury’s, £8) launched this week, marking the arrival of one of the biggest stars to enter the wine space. It’s a lively blend of Italian Chardonnay grapes with a hint of green tea for body and grip. It has floral notes of honeysuckle and elderflower and all the sparkle you would imagine from Elton.
Planet savers
If you don’t feel saintly enough just by abstaining from liquor, these options take it one step further. Take Sea Change, a brand I love for all they do for ocean conservation, while bringing out delicious wines from excellent producers.
As an aperitif or in cocktails, this is the best 0% prosecco I have tried (seachangewine.com, £10.99). Refreshing fizz with subtle flavours of apple, lemon zest and elderflower.
Botanical beauty
Wildlife Botanicals has a wonderful 0.5% option packed with vitamins, minerals and botanicals to deliver 15% of your recommended daily intake with each 125ml glass (wildlifebotanicals.co.uk, £16).
Developed to harness plant power and do you good as you drink, expect aromatic and fruity, with fine minerality and plenty of fizz.
Cocktail Hour, but alcohol free
When facing a long low-or-no stint it’s best to keep a cocktail or two to hand. I recommend the Shirley Temple 0%m (blacklinesdrinks.com, £12) from Black Lines, my go-to for ready-made cocktails. They have never let me down and I am happy to report this 0% version hits the spot. With ginger ale, blood orange and grenadine, this virgin take on a nostalgic classic is packed with flavour and fun.
Finally a shout-out to Pentire Paloma cans (Waitrose, £3), which brings the pink grapefuited zestiness of a paloma to the alcohol free space. Using Pentire’s distilled coastal botanicals alongside grapefruit, lime and agave this is upliftingly perky, fresh and convenient in a can.
Read more: Dry January 2026: 7 of the best alcohol free events in London
Read more: The Capitalist: What happened to Dry January?