The Shout Magazine (New Zealand)

Ara Zero

The team at Ara Wines aren’t about making sacrifices. They reckon they’ve crafted a non-alcoholic wine that’s as enjoyable to drink as the real thing.

With the rise in moderation trends and plenty of people opting to stay alcohol-free during July, it’s no surprise that low and no alcohol options are front of mind right now.

But within this push for mindful consumption, flavour and occasion are still key considerations for consumers.

The team at Ara identified a gap in the market for an alcohol-removed option that therefore still tasted wine-like, is varietally expressive, maintains a lot of the body and experience of higher strength wines, but is still low in calories.

And that low calorie count has certainly been a bonus among mindful consumers. At not more than 0.5% ABV the wine has similar alcohol content to a glass of juice, but with about half the calories – just 23 in a 125ml serve.

That makes it a whopping 75% fewer calories than your average 12.5% ABV wine.

“There is no other wine on earth that tastes like Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough,” says Senior Winemaker Jeremy Tod.

“And if you love the quality and fruit purity that Marlborough brings, we see no reason you should miss out while you’re skipping alcohol. We use premium full-strength wine as our starting point. Once we gently distil off the alcohol, we make sure that what’s left behind is all flavour.”

Of the flavour profile, the tasting notes tell us to expect classic Sauv aromas of blackcurrant with a hint of fresh herbs.

Grapefruit and tropical notes with layers of passionfruit and pineapple on the palate.

And just a touch of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc grape juice added in the final blending stage – to deliver that full, juicy mouthfeel that’s so often missing in non-alcoholic options, with a deliciously crisp, dry finish.

Ara Zero – Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is best served chilled and is available from all good supermarkets and liquor retailers.

Contact Erin Kelly, Giesen Group New Zealand Sales Manager at erin.kelly@giesengroup.co.nz or +64 3 344 6270 for trade enquiries.

www.arawines.co.nz/ara-zero

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