I Tried All The Non-Alcoholic Wines From Publix. Here’s What I Thought

January 5, 2024
By: Chrystabelle

About the Author

Chrystabelle is a non-alcoholic drinks expert who has tasted and reviewed hundreds of non-alcoholic beers, non-alcoholic wines, hop water, and non-alcoholic spirits. Her journey to being sober curious and discovering non-alcoholic options began when she realized she had a tendency to binge drink. Reach her at chrystabelle@oneclubsober.com.

While on vacation in Florida, I visited several Publix stores to pick up groceries and decided to explore their non-alcoholic drink offerings.

To my disappointment, the wine aisles at Publix had a very limited selection of non-alcoholic wines—only four options across various stores.

Comparing this to the extensive choices at Whole Foods, I felt let down, especially given Publix’s appealing store layout and friendly service.

After purchasing all four non-alcoholic wine options at Publix, here are my thoughts on each NA wine.

FRE Sparkling Brut Wine

fre sparkling brut review

Having spent three years in France, sparkling wine holds a unique place in my heart.

The elegant curve of the bottle, the satisfying “pop” of the cork, and the feel of a flute in my hand evoke a certain pleasure.

I encountered that satisfaction again with FRE Sparkling Brut, finding it rather tasty. I even went for seconds.

However, the strong apple flavor gave it more of a sparkling apple cider vibe than that of traditional wine.

Contrary to the expectations for a Brut wine, it was not as dry; instead, I found it to be quite sweet.

Read my full review of FRE Sparkling Brut here.

Fre Alcohol-Removed Red Wine Blend

Fre Alcohol-Removed Red Wine Blend

Similar to the Fre Sparkling Brut, the Fre Red Wine Blend leans toward the sweeter side (semi-sweet).

This non-alcoholic rendition of a red blend wine offers a fruity taste like cherries, low tannins, with a subtle hint of smokiness.

To enhance the flavor, I experimented by adding a few drops of non-alcoholic bitters and the result was delicious.

I appreciate its more intricate flavor profile and light-medium body compared to some other non-alcoholic red wines. It avoids the trap of tasting like an overly fancy and overpriced grape juice.

Fre Alcohol-Removed Merlot

Fre Alcohol-Removed Merlot

As for this non-alcoholic Merlot, I found it to be less complex, resembling more of a grape juice flavor.

However, it still maintains a fruity and enjoyable profile as a non-alcoholic beverage.

I recommend adding a few drops of aromatic non-alcoholic bitters from All The Bitters to add complexity and depth to the flavor.

Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon

Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon

This non-alcoholic wine is not to my liking; only a few non-alcoholic red wines taste good, and this NA Cabernet Sauvignon is not one of them.

I do like the taste of aged oak, blackcurrant, and cherries, although I found the mouthfeel to be thinner than other NA wines.

The oakiness also saves it from being a semi-sweet grape juice with a fancy bottle and label.

Conclusion

With the rising popularity of non-alcoholic drinks, numerous local and national grocery chains are broadening their non-alcoholic beverage offerings.

Regrettably, Publix seems to be falling behind in this regard. While Fre Wines and Ariel non-alcoholic wines are not bad NA wines, there are better non-alcoholic wine options that Publix should be carrying.

That said, I found more non-alcoholic beer options at Publix, including NA beers from Athletic Brewing, Clausthaler, Heineken 0.0, Stella Artois Liberte, and more.

For the time being, I’ll continue to opt for ordering my non-alcoholic drinks online or visiting Whole Foods for a more extensive selection.

If you’re interested in checking out some of our NA wine recommendations, check out these lists below:

About the Author

Chrystabelle is a non-alcoholic drinks expert who has tasted and reviewed hundreds of non-alcoholic beers, non-alcoholic wines, hop water, and non-alcoholic spirits. Her journey to being sober curious and discovering non-alcoholic options began when she realized she had a tendency to binge drink. Reach her at chrystabelle@oneclubsober.com.

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