What type of wine is this?
This Fre wine is made from White Zinfandel. “White Zinfandel” is actually a rosé. It’s also made in a slightly sweet style.
The Ingredients
Usually when looking at alcoholic wines you don’t bother with ingredients. It’s wine made from grapes. However in the non alcoholic wine world other things can be added.
The main ingredients for this Fre are
- Dealcoholised white zinfandel wine
- Grape must
- Natural flavourings
So extra grape sugar is added along with other “natural flavourings” in case the grapes can flavour it enough.
How is Fre White Zinfandel made?
Fre White Zinfandel is made by a method called spinning cone column. This is how the remove the alcohol.
This is the most efficient method. It is designed to extract and recover volatile compounds (the delicate flavours in the wine) using steam, under vacuum conditions.
It is a far gentler process compared to other extraction techniques meaning more of the wine flavour is retained in the final product.
The Nutrition
The all important nutrition data is usually telling. Often in non alcoholic wines, a lot of sugar is added or present to make up the mouthfeel. Some wines like sparkling and rose can carry this off, i find it particularly off putting when a red tastes overly sweet tho.
Values per 100ml or 100g | |
| Alcohol | 0.5% |
| Calories | 29kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 7.9g |
| Sugars | 5.8g |
So this Fre White Zinfandel is pretty high in carbs and added sugar. I suppose it goes with the Rose territory so it will be interesting to see if it just tastes cheap and sweet or adds to the overall flavour.
The Look
In terms of the bottle, Fre have nailed their styling and branding. I think the clean look.
The wine itself is a darker rose than a Southern French rose for example but not too much.
The Aroma
faint red fruit smells. Not too much
The Taste
There is an unexpected but very mild spritz on the tongue. A few Roses do this (like McGuigan Zero Rose, review here). Slight bubbles helps with the mouthfeel that the lack of alcohol needs.
It does taste sweet but not too bad i thought i was going to be much worse. I was looking out for it so it is naturally the first thing i taste.
In terms of flavours, strawberry is at the forefront for me. I like that so again it was a pleasant surprise. I get some more red berry tastes before it disappears a little quickly but with not a bad finish.
It actually tastes pretty decent vs their Merlot I had. I think this is perhaps just slightly too sweet for multiple glasses but for 1-2 it’s ok. Best served nice and chilled
My review of Fre Merlot can be read here, i was not a fan
The Verdict
After my previous Fre (the Merlot) i didn’t have high hopes. However there is less carbs in this sweet Rose than they put in the red Merlot! This can carry off the sweetness much better and there are some decent flavours here so it isn’t a total write off.
The Score
6/10. Its not the worst ever Rose, it has decent flavours but it is quite high in carbs and sugar. I think there are better non alcoholic wines to be had.
Where to buy
You can follow this link to Amazon to see the live prices
No affiliate but you can also get these in Asda in the UK
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
For Australian readers, Craft Zero has a range of products, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 10% off
*Affiliate Disclosure – if you click on the links and buy from these providers, i might receive a small commission*
Is Fre White Zinfandel gluten free?
Yes Fre White Zinfandel is gluten free. No grains are used in the product. This has been confirmed by Fre on their website.
Is Fre White Zinfandel vegan?
Fre White Zinfandel is vegan, there are no animal products used in it or its production.
This has been confirmed by Fre on their website
For more information about why all wines are not vegan, read my article on the matter. I guarantee you will be surprised!
| Score |
|
|
SUMMARY
Its not the worst ever Rose, it has decent flavours but it is quite high in carbs and sugar. I think there are better non alcoholic wines to be had. |
|
