Kally: Taking Non Alcoholic “Wines” to the Next Level
The Non-Alcoholic or NA category continues to grow across the industry as folks search for alternatives to traditional wines for numerous reasons. As with any product group that is experiencing growth and some buzz in social media and the news, there are always plenty of brands that try to jump on the bandwagon and ride the wave of popularity. Unfortunately, this often leads to a slew of new products that are mediocre at best, and downright undrinkable at worst. Although NA brands are only a tiny fraction of what we do here at K&L, I think it’s important to have a selection of these products available for customers. Whether it's for medical or health reasons, religious observances, or just to have a fun option to offer the all-important designated driver, I’m always looking for something that fills this niche but meets the level of quality I demand for all the wines that find their way onto our shelves or website.
I’ve had limited success with alcohol-removed wines; having tasted dozens of them I find most to be quite boring, often with very shrill acidity and a serious lack of texture on the palate. So that leads us to wine alternatives, a category typically using flavored water masquerading as wine with long lists of additives to make them taste like… something. I mean some of them taste more like kombucha than wine, and the list of ingredients often looks more like the back of a pack of Sour Patch Kids than a bottle of wine.
Enter Kally—which, up until now, is by far and away the best non-alcoholic, wine-alternative product I have tasted. 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 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 true wine. 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 just tasted their non-sparkling options last week 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 alternative to a chillable red wine that is all the rage in regular wine circles. Instead of the Chardonnay verjus that the other bottlings share, this is made from early picked organically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon, once again then 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. They’re also popping up on wine lists in some of the most prestigious restaurants around California. In the Bay Area, you’ll find Kally at places like Saison, Village Pub, Lazy Bear, and Benu. In SoCal, Kally is at Agnes, Sushi Note, and Crudo e Nudo.
As the holiday season approaches, I know folks are going to be looking for great products like these to share with friends and family. What I love about Kally’s products is that they look, feel, and taste special. Gone are the days when you feel embarrassed popping a magnum of grower-Champagne and then handing the person who isn’t drinking alcohol a bottle of Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider (no offense, Matinelli’s). The Kally bottlings are made with the same care and attention as artisanal, boutique wines. They care about the ingredients and raw materials; they care about the aromas, flavors and textures you experience when drinking them; and they wrap it all up in great-looking, elegant packaging to match. Here’s what we have in stock from Kally currently. (All of the Kally products we carry have no alcohol, no added sugar, and no artificial additives of any kind.)
Kally "Early Chardonnay" Non-Alcoholic Wine $29.95 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, mouthwatering wine.
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 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.