Non-alcoholic Winter Cuvée

Alcohol-free winter cuvée. Bordeaux grapes, perry pears and spices for the mug.

Alcohol-free winter cuvée is a hot drink from the Jörg Geiger Manufaktur made from de-alcoholised red wine, perry, fruit juices, honey and spices. No children's punch, no spiced grape juice, no syrup to pour over.

Alcohol-free winter cuvée is a hot cuvée from the Jörg Geiger Manufaktur, made from no less than 70 per cent de-alcoholised Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The pot sits on a low flame, and the kitchen smells of black cherry, star anise and cinnamon. With the first sip, you first taste the fruit, then the spices, then a light tannic grip on the palate. It is precisely this grip that most alcohol-free hot drinks lack.

Dark fruit and noticeable tannins

The cuvée smells of black cherry, elderberry and ripe plum, accompanied by dried herbs, star anise, cinnamon and a hint of violet. On the palate, it is soft and velvety, supported by a clear acidity. The red wine's tannic structure is preserved and gives the drink backbone.

Sour cherry, sweet cherry and blueberry juices deepen the dark fruit. Perry and pear juice bring fullness, while the honey rounds it off without being cloying. With around 54 grams of sugar per litre, the cuvée remains on the dry side. Many mulled wines from Christmas markets are significantly higher.

Anyone expecting a sweet, heavy punch will find this cuvée too dry. It tastes of wine, not juice. That is its strength and at the same time its limit.

Compared to a classic mulled wine, the alcoholic warmth in the throat is missing. In its place come spice and tannin. The impression is clearer and lighter, and so is the head.

Heat to 55 to 60 degrees, never boil

Heat the cuvée slowly in a pot to 55 to 60 °C. Stir briefly before pouring. Boiling distorts the delicate aromas and makes the spices taste bitter. A kitchen thermometer helps; alternatively, as soon as fine steam rises, the temperature has been reached.

Nothing else belongs in the mug. If you like, add a slice of orange or a cinnamon stick. The cuvée pairs particularly well with roast apples, gingerbread, chestnuts or a piece of matured mountain cheese. It can also be served like a wine with game ragout or red cabbage with duck.

Good to know: At room temperature and topped up halfway with sparkling water, the cuvée becomes a dry spritzer for eating. This way, an opened bottle does not have to sit around until the next winter evening. It keeps in the refrigerator for a few days after opening.

For a group of six guests, allow two bottles. On the stove, the temperature quickly rises above 70 °C. Therefore, pour the heated cuvée into a thermos jug or place the pot on a warming stand. This way, it remains drink-warm throughout the evening without losing its flavour.

From Bordeaux wine to alcohol-free winter cuvée

The base consists of red wines made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in an 80 to 20 ratio, from which the alcohol is gently removed. The same grape varieties are also used by Jörg Geiger to make the still alcohol-free red wine from the Lamothe Edition. The winter cuvée is, in a sense, its spiced, wintery sister.

De-alcoholisation takes place in a vacuum. Under reduced pressure, alcohol evaporates even at low temperatures, while the aromas of the wine are largely preserved. Some body is lost in the process. The Manufaktur compensates for this with what it knows best: perry pears from the traditional orchards around Schlat.

According to the Manufaktur, the current batch has been sensorially refined. It shows more wine character, more depth and a finer spice structure than previous vintages. Anyone who knows the cuvée from before will taste the difference.

Most alcohol-free hot drinks consist of grape juice and spice extracts. Juice has never fermented and therefore brings neither tannins nor fermentation aromas. Here it is the other way around. The wine had fully matured before it lost its alcohol. Hence the difference that is noticeable with the first sip.

For evenings when no one should have to miss out

The cuvée solves a host's problem: in winter, some drink mulled wine, while others have tea. Here, a drink sits on the stove that puts the same mug in everyone's hand. Anyone who still has to drive or simply does not want alcohol can drink along.

Two limitations are involved. The cuvée contains honey and is therefore not suitable for a vegan table. And it is legally alcohol-free, but not a 0.0 beverage: de-alcoholised wine always contains traces of residual alcohol. Anyone who wants to avoid it entirely should opt for the sparkling pear aperitif with winter spices, which was never fermented.

One bottle makes four to five mugs. Enough for a long evening by the fire, where no one has to switch to tea.