Ringing in Dry January!? NA Options for NYE
Personally I can’t imagine giving up wine/alcohol for a month… in fact it’s tricky in my profession regardless of how committed you are to not swallowing when sampling wines. However, we’re well aware of the potential health benefits and continue to see a trend of folks looking for non-alcoholic beverages that are crafted with the same kind of dedication to quality and consistency as the regular wines that we specialize in. So, if you are considering a dry January, or just need a really well made non-alcoholic wine alternative for an upcoming occasion, I highly recommend checking out the range of “wines” we carry from Kally. I wrote about these great additions to our selections back in September, and we have continued to see them really loved by staff and customers alike.
All of Kally’s “wines” are based around pure verjus made from early-picked, organic grapes. The freshly pressed juice is not fermented, so it never has any alcohol. The straight Verjus Sparkler, the Golden Sparkler, and the Rosé Sparkler are all made from a base of organically and biodynamically grown Sonoma County Chardonnay juice. In the Golden Sparkler and the Rosé small amounts of organic botanicals, fruit juices, and decaffeinated green tea is added for flavor, color, and textural elements. The beverage is then force carbonated and packaged in very elegant, sophisticated Champagne-like bottles. The “wines” have the perfect combination of juicy, bright acidity, deliciously pure fruits, floral hints, even minerality like you might find in a wine with alcohol. They have a very festive, celebratory feel; they taste fantastic; and leave your palate super clean and refreshed.
After adding the three sparkling bottlings to our selections, I then tasted their non-sparkling options and was super impressed with them, too. The Early Chardonnay is a slightly polished-up straight verjus with micro-additions of organic fruit juice and organic botanical extracts. The Early Cabernet is the perfect non-alc alternative to chillable red wine that is all the rage in regular wine circles. This is made from early picked organically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon, and then once again subtly enhanced with organic fruit and botanical extracts. All the products are just ridiculously delicious across the board. The team at Kally are really dialed in with these products like nothing else I’ve seen on the market. I poured these for the sales staff at K&L who universally agreed they are delicious and cut above everything else they had witnessed in the category. The latest addition to the range is a very fun collaboration between Kally and SingleThread, a 3-Michelin Star restaurant in Healdsburg. This wine takes the Chardonnay verjus base and blends in crisp pear juice and beautifully aromatic lemon verbena. When you see super high-end fine dining restaurants using Kally’s beverages as non-alcoholic wine substitutes, it’s a pretty good sign that these are highly gastronomic and thoughtfully made drinks. If you need any further convincing, Kally is served at: Saison, Lazy Bear, Progress, Benu, Aubergine, Heritage, Crudo e Nudo, Sushi Note, and many others.
Kally "Early Chardonnay" Non-Alcoholic Wine $29.95 (Non-Sparkling) Made with a base of organically grown, unfermented Chardonnay juice or verjus. To this base a small amount of organic botanicals and fruit juice is added for flavor, color and texture: Pear juice, chamomile extract, Meyer lemon, vanilla extract, thyme, and sea salt.
Kally "Verjus Sparkler" Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine $29.95 Kally's "Verjus Sparkler" is pure, organically grown, Chardonnay verjus. A small amount of filtered water is added and the verjus is carbonated adding a vibrant fizz to the juicy, mouth watering verjus.
Kally "Golden Sparkler" Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine $29.95 This is basically the same recipe as the “Early Chardonnay” with carbonation added for a little extra sparkle when it’s time for celebration! Again, organic Chardonnay verjus with subtle organic botanicals and fruit extracts added.
Kally "Rosé Sparkler" Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine $29.95 The Rosé Sparkler again uses that perfectly tart organic Chardonnay verjus base, but this time adds strawberry juice and hibiscus into the botanical mix along with cherry juice, chamomile, and vanilla. Probably my favorite of the range, super delicious!
Kally "Early Cabernet" Non-Alcoholic Wine $29.95 (Non-Sparkling) This was a big hit at a staff BBQ recently—the Early Cabernet is made from freshly picked, organically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon juice, blended with black cherry juice, black pepper extract, Lapsang Souchong tea, thyme extract, vanilla extract, and sea salt. A totally crushable alternative to a chillable red wine.
Kally "Kally x Single Thread: Pear - Lemon Verbena" Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine (Limited Edition) $39.95 As mentioned above, this is the latest addition to the range and very subtle, yet flavorful collaboration with 3-Michelin Star restaurant SingleThread. Lovely floral perfume, bright acidity, clean, lightly herbal finish.