Zeronimo - Zweigelt dealcoholised
Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald
This red wine!
The market for non-alcoholic wines is booming and demand is rising. New products are coming onto the market every day. The Zeronimo brand from Herbiert Bayer is also still young. It is interesting to note that Zeronimo Leonis Blend is one of the first non-alcoholic wines in the world to be made from a 98-point wine. The blend consists of the grape varieties Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and Cabernet Sauvignon and matures for two years in new French oak barrels. The wine is de-alcoholised using a special vacuum distillation process. The Leonis blend is currently conquering the USA and the great enthusiasm definitely speaks in favour of the product.
However, I have to say that I like the new Zweigelt from Katja Bernegger and Patrick Bayer, who launched the Zeronimo 2023 brand, better. It's only logical that the Austrian winery should also produce a wine from what is probably Austria's most popular grape.
The non-alcoholic Zweigelt presents itself in the glass with a deep ruby red colour. At first glance, it appears intense and full-bodied.
On the nose, the de-alcoholised wine develops a good bouquet with aromas of ripe cherries, berries and a subtle spiciness. Notes of chocolate and a hint of vanilla are also perceptible and give the Zweigelt a special depth.
The palate is full-bodied with a well-integrated acidity that gives the wine a pleasant freshness. The fruit flavours of ripe cherries and berries continue, accompanied by a fine tannin structure and a distinct woody note, which I particularly like. As always with non-alcoholic wines, the "middle section" on the palate is somewhat thinner. Alcohol is definitely missing here as a carrier. What was lacking in the nose and flavour of the first alcohol-free wines is now limited to the mid-palate. The finish is long and complex for an alcohol-free wine. At the end, the fine spiciness and an elegant fruity note come to the fore once again.
My conclusion: A really good non-alcoholic red! So far, I have drunk few wines of this quality. I can imagine the Zweigelt going very well with a fine Neapolitan Margherita.
Cheers Oliver
Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald