Accessible and delightful: Surprisingly good sauvignon from the LCBO’s expanding non alcoholic section

You might not expect a non alcoholic wine from the LCBO at a price point of $8.95 to taste good, especially from a brand that is usually in the General list section and what is regarded as a lower quality ‘industrial’ wine. Gato Negro is a well-known brand from Chile that has recently introduced a delacoholized sauvignon blanc to the LCBO and you will be surprised to find out how drinkable and yummy it is.

A sauvignon blanc, from a general perspective, is a varietal that originated in the Loire valley in France. The name comes from two french words sauvage and vigne meaning ‘wild vine’. It’s now a leading varietal in all wine regions around the globe, due to its popularity among the ABC crowd (anything but chardonnay).

People either love or hate Sauvignon Blanc. If you’re not familiar with how to describe a Sauvignon Blanc, it’s a varietal high in acidity with hallmark fresh cut “grass” or “straw” notes. There are often elements of grapefruit and mineral that balance out the herbaceous taste. Tasting a Sauv Blanc next to a Chardonnay can almost be disgusting, as the two varietals are on the opposite ends of the flavour spectrum. Since it’s such a light wine, it’s a challenge to dealcoholize and keep the flavours intact.

The Gato Negro version does not disappoint. When you open the bottle, you immediately experience a typical sauvignon aroma of fresh apples with a slightly herbal note. It smells like a dry white wine, and doesn’t emit any chemical aromas from off-gassing.

On the palette, it’s a beautiful mix of almost sour, crisp green apples balanced with some light grass and fresh squeezed lemon notes which is typical for Sauvignon Blanc. Overall this is a very well balanced wine with excellent mouthfeel and texture. Most non alcoholic wines have little to no length, but that has been compensated for here with some structure and acidity that complement each other. It’s a fruity and light, easy drinking wine.

It’s a joy to taste that all the flavour hasn’t been stripped out of the grape during dealcoholization, and in fact, this wine is a great example of how innovation is moving forward in the area of non alcoholic wine products. Rose wines have been the stars thus far, but white and red wines are hard to crack for non alcoholic producers. This exhibits the promise of what’s to come in this area.

This wine would be perfect to drink with something spicy - a thai curry, or Chinese take-out - but also drinks really nicely on its own. This is a patio wine, perfect for a book and some quiet sipping under the patio lights.

The only downside to the Gato Negro dalcoholized sauvignon blanc is that they use gelatin in their fining process, to clarify and de-cloud the wine. Although this is filtered out and does not remain in the finished product, it means this isn’t an option for vegetarians, vegans and anyone conscious of how animal products are used in industrial processes.

This wine is widely accessible in Ontario at the LCBO for $8.95 but harder to find outside of Ontario. This wine is imported into Canada through P. Dandurand - if you would like to see this wine on your local shelves, send them an email and let them know that non alcoholic wine is here to stay.

Cheers and have a happy Victoria Day weekend!