Boston’s 90+ Cellars enters the sober market with two de-alcoholized wines. 
Whether you’re sober-curious or living an alcohol-free lifestyle, 90+ Cellars (ninetypluscellars.com) is here to help. In November, the local wine brand launched two dealcoholized sips—a sparkling brut and sparkling rosé. Crafted at a fourth-generation family winery in the South of France, these bottles boast vibrant notes of citrus, stone fruit, raspberry and more with less than 0.5% alcohol per serving. Here, 90+ Cellars’ wine director, Alexandra Shaughnessy, chats about the new offerings.
What motivated 90+Cellars’ creation of nonalcoholic wines?
With more people abstaining from alcohol, drinking less, and focusing on their health and well-being, we felt this trend was too important to ignore. This, combined with the meteoric rise in sparkling wine consumption, made it the perfect time to release two delicious, everyday-priced, dealcoholized sparkling wines.
What makes the sparkling brut and sparkling rosé stand out in the market?
Both our nonalcoholic sparkling brut and sparkling rosé come from a small, family-run winery in Béziers, France. They’ve been perfecting the de-alcoholization process for over 20 years and making wine for well over 100 years. This winery is also dedicated to pesticide-free wines and focuses on drought-resistant varieties that thrive in the warm summers of Southern France.
What breakthroughs or techniques helped the team create a product that delivers on taste?
There are two key aspects to making a great-tasting nonalcoholic wine. One, using a dealcoholization method that leaves the flavor intact, and two, using grapes that lend themselves to lower alcohol. The 90+ Cellars nonalcoholic wines use Reverse Osmosis, a much gentler way to extract alcohol from the wine without compromising the aroma and flavor compounds. Additionally, we use grapes with high aromatic fruit profiles, higher acidity levels, and lower tannins. The grapes are picked early to ensure lower sugar levels and lower alcohol to start with, meaning less alcohol to remove.
How would you recommend enjoying the dealcoholized sparkling brut and sparkling rosé offerings? Our Lot 229 NA Sparkling Rosé should be enjoyed like all sparkling rosé would, chilled and sipped alongside friends and family or with a perfectly appointed charcuterie board. Lot 230 NA Sparkling Brut is great on its own as an “aperitif” but is also incredibly versatile and pairs perfectly with just about anything, from charcuterie to pizzas, pasta, seafood and more. Also, both are great substitutes for your go-to sparkling wine in any mocktail.
Does 90+ Cellars plan to release other nonalcoholic beverages in the near future?
These first two sparkling wines have received a very warm reception since they were launched last fall. We’re possibly looking to add some still non-alc wines as well. Keep your eyes peeled!
Photography by: Courtesy of Brand
