I was reading about J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines launching a new ARIEL Sauvignon Blanc — alcohol-removed, but still calling itself Sauvignon Blanc. It’s part of their ARIEL Vineyards line, which has been doing this for years, quietly, without fanfare.
The wine is made by removing alcohol after fermentation, not by stopping fermentation early. They say it’s premium, and it’s from Monterey County, California — same place their regular wines come from, same vineyards, same winemakers, just with a different final step.
I tasted one version years ago in Oakland, at a bar where the bartender poured it like it was a secret. She said, 'Try it. Don’t tell anyone you liked it.' I didn’t.
