A lot of people don’t know this, but I stopped drinking alcohol over 3 years ago. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t miss having a cocktail or glass of wine now and then. Of course there are some amazing mocktails out there. But it’s harder to fake a glass of wine. Until now! As soon as I discovered the existence of Fre Alcohol Removed Wines, I began searching everywhere for this non alcoholic wine.
Initially, I stopped drinking alcohol because I completed Whole30 (you can read about that experience here) and I felt so good after, I decided I just didn’t want to drink anymore. However, I also made the decision to stop drinking to prevent myself from having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Although I was always a lightweight when it came to drinking, I was definitely more afraid of hangovers after Whole30. But moreover, I stopped drinking to help my mental health. Not only did alcohol just not seem worth the hangover hassle anymore, but it also didn’t seem worth the mental health trouble too.
In fact, for me, drinking alcohol just led to more worrying. Of course I always had a blast in the moment. But then the next day, all of the worries would hit like a ton of bricks. Was I somewhere safe? Could I trust the people that were around me? Did I get out of control? Did I say or do something stupid? As someone with anxiety and OCD, feeling out of control can be a big trigger. And honestly, I don’t need any help coming up with new things to worry about. Plus, I’ve had people very close to me have severe issues with alcohol and I’ve seen first hand what it can do to someone. So cutting out alcohol was a really healthy choice for me.
Now I do have to caution this review. To be sure, I am no expert. I am not a dr, nor do I play one on TV. I am neither an alcoholic nor pregnant. So I’m not sure what all of the rules are when it comes to “alcohol removed” and “non alcoholic” beverages. Rather, I don’t drink alcohol out of personal preference. Which means my beverage choices are less strict than people who cannot consume alcohol for other reasons. With that in mind, if you are pregnant, on medications, have struggles with alcohol, etc. I would speak with someone more knowledgeable than I am when it comes to these matters before drinking any alcohol removed wines.
With that out of the way, let’s move onto the review itself. Of course I could have just bought one bottle and been like “Hey guys! I tried this non alcoholic wine and here’s what I thought of it!” But no. You guys know I always want to give you the absolute best and most thorough and honest reviews possible. So I bought every Fre Wine flavor I could find. With that in mind, this review is quite long. So I made a little table of contents for you. As always, you can scroll through and read the whole post if you’d like. Or you can click the variety in which you are interested below and it will jump you straight to that part of the review.
RED BLEND
Although the name “Red Blend” makes it sound like this wine is totally generic, it’s actually my favorite wine of the bunch. Fre says this alcohol-removed wine is rich and smooth with bright fruit flavors including ripe black cherry aroma and a subtle smoky character. They also suggest pairing this Red Blend with salmon, chicken, risotto, and pasta. Yes please! To be sure, this wine is delicious and really tastes like red wine. In fact, this was the first variation of non alcoholic wine that I tried, and I instantly was like “Wow. This blog post was a great choice, Tiff. Good job!” Unlike normal wine, it doesn’t really have legs. Which is because there’s no alcohol content. But other than that, you really feel like you’re drinking delicious red wine. Except that my lips and teeth never turned purple. Which is definitely a plus. Highly recommend.
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine Red Blend Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 8 oz.
- Percentage Alcohol: Less than 0.2%
- Calories: 70
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Percentage Juice: 13%
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Cabernet is described as a dark cherry aroma with the taste of berries and spice. Fre recommends paring it with steak and blue cheese. Honestly, I didn’t like this one as much. To be sure, this non alcoholic Cabernet Sauvignon tasted a lot more like grape juice than wine. Whereas the Red Blend really had the full on “wine” experience.
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 8 oz.
- Percentage Alcohol: Less than 0.2%
- Calories: 70
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Percentage Juice: 18%
MERLOT
Fre describes this Merlot as plush and luxurious with “seductive black plum aromas and soft cherry and spice flavors”. They also recommend serving it with lamb, stew, burgers, and pizza. Honestly, I thought it tasted like cranberry juice. To be sure, it was super tart, very fruity, and almost watery. Like I said in my intro, it’s been a really long time since I have had “real wine”, but this one reminded me of a sweeter version of a Pino noir. Although I have to admit, it did get better as I drank it. And that’s not the alcohol talking.
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine Merlot Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 8 oz.
- Percentage Alcohol: Less than 0.5%
- Calories: 70
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Percentage Juice: 20%
CHARDONNAY
Described as containing lively tropical fruit aromas, creamy apple flavors, and crisp citrus notes, this Chardonnay is recommended to be served with seafood, pasta, salad, and cheese. Even though Chardonnay is usually my least favorite wine, this non alcoholic Chardonnay is one of my top three picks. In fact, I have purchased this multiple times already. It is super light and crisp. And it reminds me of being out places where your options for wine are “red or white”. Since that used to be the only time I ever drank Chardonnay. However, I see a lot more of this Chardonnay in my future! (And hopefully going out to places too.)
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine Chardonnay Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 8 oz.
- Percentage Alcohol: Under 0.5%
- Calories: 70
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Percentage Juice: 23%
MOSCATO
Fre says this alcohol-removed Moscato has aromas of rose petals and peaches with a lovely finish and recommends serving this non alcoholic wine with spicy foods, cheese, and fruit based desserts. Normally, Moscato is my absolute favorite wine. Only topped by Champagne, sparkling wine, or the sparkling version of Moscato. However, this variety is one of my least favorites of all the non alcoholic options. In fact, it tastes like sparkling grape juice gone bad. Although it does have a slightly fizzy taste, it’s quite tart and almost tastes watered down.
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine Moscato Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 8 oz.
- Percentage Alcohol: Less than 0.5%
- Calories: 90
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Percentage Juice: 27%
WHITE ZINFANDEL
This White Zinfandel is described as strawberry and cranberry with refreshing ripe berries. Fre suggests this wine be served chilled and paired with tapas, crab cakes, pasta, barbecue, and spicy foods. At first I expected this to taste like church wine. However, I was pleasantly surprised. To be sure this alcohol removed wine is light, crisp, and refreshing. In fact, I thought it tasted much more like a Rose than an White Zin. Which I don’t mind at all. Bring on summer wine season!
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine White Zinfandel Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 8 oz.
- Percentage Alcohol: Less than 0.5%
- Calories: 70
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Percentage Juice: 28%
SPARKLING BRUT
According to Fre, this Sparkling Brut contains hints of green apple, ripe pear, and strawberry with a dry, refreshing finish. Of course they recommend pairing this with seafood pasta, sushi, fried chicken, cheese, or potato chips. To be sure, I love any wine that you’re recommending I pair with potato chips. In fact, I love all sparkling wines. So it’s unsurprising that I adore this non alcoholic sparkling wine. It’s light and fizzy and crisp without being overly dry or overly sweet. Definitely one of my top picks.
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine Sparkling Brut Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 8 oz.
- Percentage Alcohol: Less than 0.5%
- Calories: 80
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Percentage Juice: 27%
ROSÉ
Described as containing strawberry and citrus flavors with fruity berry accents, this non alcoholic Rose is recommended to be served with grilled fish or summer salads. Seeing that I am a girlie girl in my 30’s, I do miss Rose season and joining my fellow SATC girls with a glass of Rose and a side of gossip. With that in mind, this was one of the non alcoholic wines I was most excited to try. However, it turned out to be one of my least favorites. In fact, I couldn’t even bring myself to finish the bottle. Very disappointing. However, I highly recommend using a decanter or wrapping your bottle in a chilled towel and just drinking the Fre White Zin instead. It’s way better.
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine Rose Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 8 oz.
- Percentage Alcohol: Under 0.5%
- Calories: 50
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Percentage Juice: 15%
Sparkling Brut (in a can) and Sparkling Rose (in a can)
Unfortunately I could not find either of these to try. But if they are the same flavors as the bottled versions, I am guessing I would like the Sparkling Brut and skip the Sparkling Rose. Of course I’ll keep an eye out for these products and update this review if/when I can find them.
According to Fre, the Sparkling Brut in a can pairs well with brie, charcuterie, sushi, and buttered popcorn. (Again, my kind of night!) And the Sparkling Rose in a can pairs with citrusy salads, risotto, or a chocolate dessert.
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine Sparkling Brut (in a can) Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 1 can (250ml)
- Percentage Alcohol: Less than 0.5%
- Calories: 100
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Percentage Juice: 35%
Fre Alcohol Removed Wine Sparkling Rose (in a can) Nutritional Info:
- Serving Size: 1 can (250ml)
- Percentage Alcohol: Under 0.5%
- Calories: 80
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Percentage Juice: 29%
Final Thoughts on Fre Non Alcoholic Wine
As for the different varieties of non alcoholic wine, I don’t think you can go in expecting each one to taste exactly like your favorite alcoholic version. Because there are so many different brands and types and kinds, there is no way that one version of one kind from one brand can carry all of that weight. However, if you take each one at face value, it’s really quite impressive. To be sure, some taste more fruity or grape juice-esque. Others taste somewhat watered down. But with 10 varieties, odds are you’ll find one you like. Plus, if you’re like me and haven’t had any wine for several years, they all taste pretty great!
Overall, I’m so freaking excited that I found these non alcoholic wines. I love having the ability to just have a glass of wine after a long day without having to worry about negative health effects, hangovers, driving, my mental health, etc. Although I am not pregnant, nor am I a Dr., I can see how this could be a really great option for pregnant mamas who just want a glass of wine without worrying about their babies. (Again, always check with your Dr. first.) Plus, I love that I can now have a glass of wine with my friends (when we can see our friends again), and feel like a part of the group instead of just drinking a bottle of water.
But most of all, I love that I can have an additional little luxury at the end of the day without any additional worries. Because we all already have plenty of those. All in all, my top picks are the Red Blend, the White Zinfandel, the Chardonnay, and the Sparkling Brut. Honestly, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these options. And I love that with the Sparkling Brut I can always keep a bottle of non alcoholic sparkling wine in my fridge for special occasions. Even if sometimes that special occasion is that I found a bottle of non alcoholic sparkling wine in my fridge. 😉
XOXO,
Tiffany
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Great review, very helpful! Just a friendly spelling correction: the past tense of lead is “led” not “lead” (this one is the metal). For example, something led me to stop drinking alcohol.
Thank you so much! I made the correction. Have a great day!
Thanks picked up FRE red Blend by accident. Will try tonight. Also picked up a bottle of
Chard Alternativa. Lets see how that goes.
Let me know what you think!